Getting many online orders is not random. It's about identifying restaurant key success factors and executing a few things well. The most important aspect of the restaurant's online presence should be its website.
Make the restaurant's website the core of the marketing strategy
The website should be optimized for sales and mobile devices since a large part of the online orders will come from mobile phones. The website should load fast and give food clients straightforward information on how to place an order.
Also, the more food pictures the restaurant adds and the less clutter, the better. People want to see what they can eat, they don’t care about reading stories about the founders.
The website should also rank high on Google.
If the restaurant does not have a website or they’re not satisfied with the one they have, they can activate a sales optimized website from within the system (admin panel -> Setup -> Publishing -> Sales Optimized Website).
Make the domain name easy to remember. For instance, our demo restaurant is called www.pronto-ny.com. Check it out to see how the potential restaurant website could look like.
To test whether the website has any errors, use the website checker from within the system.
Go to admin -> Marketing Tools -> Website scanner -> Website checker.
Click “Next.”
Enter the website’s URL, then click “Check website.”
The status of the website can be found in the menu on the left, under “Status.” The system shows issues related to the domain name, visitor-to-order conversion, search engine optimization, speed performance, and security.
To learn about each problem, click on the down arrow on the right.
To fix the problems, click on “Fix this” to send a detailed email to the webmaster asking them to fix the issues.
Once the website is the best it can be, make it the center of the marketing strategy.
Claim the Google My Business page and optimize the profile
Getting the restaurant listed in Google My Business helps improve local search visibility for the restaurant, provides essential information to food clients, and helps the restaurant's website rank higher in Google.
Claiming the business can be done by the restaurant account holder following the instructions provided by Google.
Use Facebook for extra orders and engagement
Facebook is a popular method to create awareness, that generates more menu/website visitors which invariably leads to more sales.
An efficient restaurant Facebook page:
- is regularly updated (once/twice per week at least) with information on menu changes, special offers, events, new items in the menu, etc;
- includes restaurant's website on the About page and in the regular posts;
- has high-quality pictures of food items;
- has a call to action order button;
- has the full contact information of the restaurant clearly visible (name, address, phone number/s, email/s etc).
Create a Yelp profile that links back to the website
Yelp is a website that food clients check when they’re hungry and looking for places to eat. Create a Yelp business profile and add a link to the website to get more orders.
Create a TripAdvisor profile that links back to the website
One of the key elements of a successful restaurant is being on third-party review platforms. TripAdvisor can get more visibility in search engines and earn more customers for the restaurant. After setting up the profile, add a link back to the website so food clients can click on it and place an order quickly.
Set up a promo deal and share it offline and online
The key to success in the restaurant business is knowing when to offer promotions. Offer a promotion to new offline customers (e.g. 15% off on the restaurant's first order online with a value higher than USD20). Set it for new clients only. This small discount can serve as an incentive for them to order online.
To create a new promo using the platform:
Go to admin -> Marketing Tools -> Promotions -> Self-made -> Add promo deal.
Then, use the promo deal on a variety of materials:
In a social media post;
A poster that can be taped on location;
A flyer that can be distributed nearby and/or put in every bag to promote the website towards walk-ins and phone clients in the offline space;
A flyer that can be placed on every table in the restaurant.
Make sure you invite new clients to order by importing emails and phone numbers so the system could send them a one-time invitation on behalf of the restaurant - check out the Kickstarter section:
Monitor connectivity health
Good connectivity health means that the order-taking app is open and consequently, food clients are able to place orders.
Make sure to monitor connectivity health or train the restaurant staff to do it so as not to miss orders. To do that:
Go to admin -> Reports -> Online ordering -> Connectivity Health. The report will show if there are issues with the connectivity.
Try leaving a personal message on the box or package
One of the main restaurant's key success factors is the “personal” touch. This will always have an emotional impact on the food client and will result in more orders.
Here is an example of a food client that received this package and posted the photo on their Facebook page where they tagged the restaurant:
To summarize, finish the restaurant's menu, include food pictures, then publish it visibly on the website, and make sure to tell everyone that the restaurant now has online ordering through their website.
