How to Incorporate Online Ordering Into Your Restaurant Website

Whatever might happen in the world, one thing would never change – people's hunger and their need for food. Modern food lovers love good food that they do not have to cook by themselves. This brings into play an online ordering system for restaurants to boost their sales and profits. Having a robust online ordering system incorporated on the website itself is essential for showcasing the dishes, enabling customers to make table reservations round-the-clock and also getting paid safely and securely through multiple payment methods. 

34% of consumers state that they spend at least $50 when ordering online 

1. What is a restaurant website? It is your very own online platform to provide menus and accept direct food orders and payments from customers.  
2. How does it work? Build a restaurant website and manage online food orders as you get them through this online platform. 
3. What do you require? An internet connection, a restaurant website builder and a team that deals with live food orders as they keep coming. 
4. How to set it up? Use a professional restaurant website builder to set up deliveries and online payments before launching the website. 
5. How much will it cost? There are several free restaurant website builders. Some restaurant website builders will charge you only $6 per month. This charge will not exceed $40 per month. 

By accepting online orders through your restaurant website, you establish direct contact with the customers. They are able to order directly from you, keeping the entire business process in-house. You exercise total control over your transactions and enjoy middlemen-free, commission-free profits.  

But you must remember that you have to manage all the tasks yourself – from managing payments to getting the food orders delivered on time and in proper condition. 

Grow your business through an online ordering system on the website. Make use of this all-in-one business solution and deliver the experience that customers expect.  

Restaurateurs will find building their website using a website builder convenient as it requires just an internet connection to get started. Website builders are quick, require no technical coding skills, are extremely affordable (sometimes, even free!) and require very little or no maintenance. 

Online ordering is important for restaurants – now more than ever. The pandemic that hit the world in 2020 revolutionized the way the restaurant industry operates and the modes that customers choose to enjoy restaurant food. 

33% of consumers prefer more takeouts post the pandemic. 

13% of consumers state that they will continue to prefer off-premises dining even after the pandemic. 

An online ordering system incorporated into the restaurant website gives a restaurant owner complete control and benefits the business in many ways that include: 

1. Attracting new customers – An online ordering system helps reach out to customers who prefer food only via door delivery or curbside pick-up. Only if you provide them with such amenities will they be ready to give you a try. 
2. Providing more convenience – Online ordering makes it easier for existing and new customers to order food from their office or home after a hectic day. 
3. Retain your profits – Online ordering helps you keep more of your hard-earned money avoiding paying costly commissions to third-party food delivery apps like DoorDash. 
4. Improves efficiency in order management – Restaurants can fulfill pickup and door delivery orders without having to exhaust time on attending long phone calls or handling the issue of lost physical tickets. 

Follow these tips to create a powerful system to accept online food orders efficiently and effectively.  

1. Use high-quality images – The first sense organ that works for food is the eye. People relish the food first with their sight and then decide whether to eat or not. So, use food images with great clarity. Represent your food well to attract customers. The image should have adequate lighting and be an accurate representation of the size, color and quality offered in your restaurant premises. 
2. Write clear descriptions – An image and a title alone would not suffice. Include a brief description for each dish. Include details of the primary ingredients, flavors and the sides that are included. This will help in keeping customers with allergens well informed about what they are consuming. Use descriptive language narrating the taste, look and smell of the recipe.  
3. Allow diners to edit their orders – Removing or adding an item from or to the cart should be made extremely easy for customers. They should not be made to start the ordering process all over again. Everything that they want to do – add, remove or increase the number of items – should be made possible on the same page. The customers should not get frustrated or face unnecessary waste of time. 
4. Categorize menu items for easy ordering – Always categorize menu items so that diners do not face any difficulty in making informed choices. Matching the online menu with the hand-held menu is also a great way to create a uniform brand identity. Divide your menu offerings into groups like appetizers, salads, sandwiches, entrees, desserts, etc. 
5. Mention work hours and requirements clearly – Make details about your restaurant's working hours and order deadlines extremely visible on the website to avoid any kind of confusion. If not on the home page, be sure to make a mention at least in the footer on the ordering page. Also tell customers about the area you cover for door delivery and the minimum order amount to avail delivery services. 
6. Offer multiple delivery options – Since different customers have different needs, offer a variety of delivery and pickup options like curbside pickup, regular door delivery, premium express delivery, etc. You could offer these services at different price ranges. 
7. Allow diners to add notes and special requests – Customers should be given options to add notes of their special requirements like extra cheesy, sauce on the side, no contact delivery, burger cooked medium-well, less spicy and so on when they place their order. When such individual specifications are met, customers are delighted and keep coming back to you frequently. 
8. Upselling and customizations – Customers are additionally delighted when they are able to customize their online food orders. Restaurants can also offer upsells for certain items. For example, a pizzeria can offer people the opportunity to choose from dozens of toppings to create their unique customized pizza. A café can allow diners to choose from several cheese or bread options for their customized sandwich.  
9. Offer discounts for new customers or large orders – By doing so, restaurants can encourage new diners to try your food or large groups to make bulk orders. 
10. Think beyond meals – When it comes to loyal customers, they definitely seek something more than your food. They might look for merchandise like branded T-shirts, caps, magnets, stickers, etc. They might also look to purchase gifts cards through online transactions. So, ensure their non-food needs are met too. 

In order to face and beat the competition that exists in the industry, restaurants must do everything possible to expand their customer base. A major part of this includes setting up an online food ordering system right on the restaurant website. This will facilitate an additional revenue stream and also attract new diners. 

We can help you in creating a professional restaurant website in minutes. In case of further queries, get in touch for personalized advice on website creation and restaurant digital marketing activities.