Laura-Andreea Voicu, Online Marketing Specialist for the free Online Ordering System from GloriaFood (an Oracle company), looks at the many ways restaurants can leverage an online ordering app to increase revenues and loyalty.

Are you looking for ways to supplement your restaurant’s profits without spending a fortune? In that case, you should consider getting an online ordering app. More and more people expect the restaurants they love to offer food delivery and pickup.

So, why not make your customers happy while boosting your profits at the same time? Here are the main benefits you can expect from a restaurant ordering app.

1. Custom ordering experience
The most apparent benefit of having your own online ordering app is that it allows you to customize the ordering process to your liking. You control how many steps customers take to place an order, the information they have to provide, and the visual aspects of the app.

Make the most of this experience by choosing appealing photos of your food to place throughout the app and on the menu. Don’t forget to take advantage of the exclusivity by promoting your brand colors and logo.

2. Smooth navigation
The more smoothly customers can navigate throughout the app, the more they’ll want to reorder, leading to a boost in your profits. However, until that happens, it is your job to make sure the ordering experience runs smoothly.

Don’t overcomplicate the order process, and limit the number of actions required to place an order. Simplify even further by asking customers if they’d like the app to save their information for future orders. 

3. Cashing in 100 per cent of the profits
You might be tempted to add your restaurant to third-party delivery apps instead of investing in your own app. While that may work in the beginning by helping you attract new customers, in time, it will become more of a nuisance than an advantage.

The reason is that third-party apps can keep up to 30 per cent of your profits on every order. Sidestep that by creating your own app, where you get 100 per cent of the profits. The initial investment will pay for itself as more and more customers start using your app to place online orders.

4. Boosting online profits
Speaking of profits, if your revenue has declined due to the pandemic and having to put dine-in on hold, online ordering is a necessary addition to your services. If you already accept orders on your website, an app will help you boost online profits even further.

That’s because no matter how smooth the ordering process is on your website, an app is much more convenient and easy to use. Additionally, it’s handier for customers to use their phone when placing orders, since it’s a device they always carry with them.

5. Full control over the ordering process and your customers’ data
Another benefit of creating your own mobile ordering app for your restaurant is that what you want goes. You can make the best decisions for your business, from the design to the ordering flow, without someone holding you back.

Not to mention the fact that you will have access to your customers’ data, which you can then use (with their permission) for marketing and growth purposes. You can’t put a price tag on valuable customer information that will help you see what’s working and what you can improve at your restaurant.

6. Increased brand awareness
Not that many restaurants have an online ordering app yet, although this is a growing trend. Take advantage of it by creating an app before your competitors do. This will make you stand out in the crowd and attract more customers to your restaurant.

For that to happen, though, you need to give your app a little boost. Promote it everywhere, from your website to social media and on flyers and posters at your restaurant. Add tabletop flyers to every table to let dine-in customers know they can also order using your app.

7. No more order errors
If you used to take orders by phone, you’ve probably encountered order errors and had to deal with disgruntled customers. Accepting orders via an app significantly lowers the chances of human mistakes, which are the most common types of order errors.

This comes with an added benefit too. On the off-chance that errors do happen, you can talk to your customers directly, which doesn’t occur with third-party apps. This way, you can solve issues as they arise and avoid negative customer reviews.

8. Possibility for an in-app loyalty program
Loyalty programs are generally a good idea when you own a restaurant. They can help you get repeat customers and build a loyal customer base. An online ordering app can help you implement such a program without too much hassle.

Use it to offer different discounts, special offers, and unique benefits and promotions to your customers. Monitor the success of your loyalty campaigns by analyzing the numbers you get in the app to adjust your strategy and maximize profits.

9. Less pressure on your employees
If you’re still taking phone orders, you probably know a large chunk of your employees’ time goes into accepting those orders. Additionally, they have to talk to customers about their options or other order-related information.

With an online ordering app, you can appoint one employee to accept orders and forward them to the kitchen staff. Depending on how many orders you have incoming every day, this might take a part of the employee’s time. With the remaining time, they could take care of other tasks as well.

10. Lower running costs
The costs involved in running an app are minimal. You will have to pay an app developer to create it from scratch or choose a service provider that will generate one for you at a monthly or yearly cost.

However, maintaining and updating the app is insignificant price-wise in the grand scheme of things once you have it. Plus, the additional income that it will generate for your restaurant will more than make up for the administrative costs.

Conclusion
With these benefits in mind, it’s time to take matters into your own hands and invest in an online ordering app for your restaurant. In the current social and economic climate, it’s the best decision you can make for the success of your business.