5 Benefits of Online Ordering for Restaurant Owners

There’s little doubt that humans are hardwired for convenience. And with a smartphone in almost everyone’s hands, ordering food online has become as easy as texting a friend or asking Alexa to play your favorite music track. Today’s diners, especially millennials, prefer using technology to access restaurant services. With their fast-paced lives, they spend the highest share of their budgets on food deliveries. Therefore, it is hardly a surprise that restaurant owners need to have a strong online presence.

Has your restaurant implemented an online ordering system? If not, here are five benefits of online ordering to help you decide:

Efficient Customer and Order Management

An online delivery platform with an efficient order management system (OMS) streamlines the delivery process. It helps reduce delays, eliminate duplicate efforts, minimize errors, and raise the overall efficiency of your restaurant. It also assists to create systems of service and delivery for long-term growth. At heart, an OMS makes life easier for both the restaurant and the customer. The best OMS lets you capture orders, route them to the right location, and much more. In order to pick up the right OMS, assess your current business and expectations of future business growth.

Free Marketing

Web and online ordering is an absolute must for a restaurant’s survival. A strong digital presence enhances your brand’s recall value and boosts sales by adding new and returning customers. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram help you reach your target audience more effectively at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing. It’s a great way to bring your products and services to new customers.

Convenience of Mobile Ordering

The greatest advantage of ordering through a mobile phone is the flexibility it provides. To retain the interest of an increasingly digital customer base, restaurants must offer the convenience of offering the food anytime, anywhere. With an app on their mobile phones or tablets, customers can place an order without the hassle of talking over the phone. Ordering through mobile also eliminates human error, which improves order accuracy and customer satisfaction.

Built-in Loyalty Program

Loyal customers are more likely to place online orders and visit your restaurant frequently. A restaurant’s loyalty program also helps you improve the bottom line using up-selling and cross-selling. The rewards program could be in the form of discounts, rebates, merchandise, points, or coupons. The goal is to generate consistent sales. The biggest hidden benefit of having loyal customers is that you can make accurate sales forecasts.

Monitoring Your Cash Flow

Tracking and understanding your business’s cash flow is vital. As a business owner, you need to know how much money you are spending compared to the total expenditure. An online ordering system can give you precise information about the cash flow situation in your restaurant. Online ordering allows you to stay on top of your business’ revenue streams. You can use this knowledge to implement policies and procedures to increase your restaurant’s profitability. This ensures that your business is profitable and financially resilient.

Convinced? Total Touch POS can help you get an online ordering solution up and running in just a few short days!