In today’s fast-paced dining landscape, having a robust online ordering system is crucial for restaurants aiming to meet customer expectations and boost their bottom line. Slerp, an advanced online ordering platform, has emerged as a powerful tool for restaurants seeking to elevate their digital presence. Here’s a closer look at how Slerp helps restaurants achieve success:
One of Slerp’s standout features is the ability to fully customise the online ordering experience. Restaurants can create and manage their own online channels directly through their website or app, ensuring that the platform aligns perfectly with their brand identity. This level of customisation allows for unique menu displays, tailored promotions, and personalised customer interactions, providing a seamless experience that keeps customers coming back.
Slerp supports a wide range of order types, catering to the diverse needs of modern consumers. Whether it’s Click & Collect, same-day delivery, or pre-orders for special occasions, Slerp makes it easy for restaurants to offer convenience and flexibility. This versatility allows restaurants to meet customers where they are, whether they’re looking to dine at home or grab a quick meal on the go.
Managing deliveries can be a logistical challenge, but Slerp simplifies this process by automatically assigning couriers for delivery. The platform integrates with major courier services such as Uber, Stuart, and Addison Lee, ensuring that orders are delivered promptly and reliably. This automation not only reduces the burden on restaurant staff but also enhances the customer experience by ensuring timely deliveries.
In the competitive restaurant industry, understanding customer behaviour is key to driving growth. Slerp provides valuable customer data that restaurants can use to develop targeted marketing strategies. This data can be leveraged to create loyalty programmes, offer personalised discounts, and optimise CRM efforts, all of which contribute to increased customer retention and higher order volumes.
Exceptional customer service is a cornerstone of Slerp’s offering. The platform provides live support for both customers and restaurants, ensuring that any issues are resolved quickly and efficiently. Additionally, Slerp’s dedicated help centre offers a wealth of resources for troubleshooting and maximising the platform’s potential. This commitment to support helps restaurants maintain high standards of service, even as they scale their online operations.
Slerp’s ability to integrate with a wide range of systems is another key advantage. The platform easily connects with payment gateways, delivery services, POS systems, CRM tools, and loyalty programmes. This seamless integration streamlines operations, reduces the likelihood of errors, and ensures that all aspects of the restaurant’s business are working in harmony.
In addition to enhancing customer experience and driving revenue, Slerp also helps restaurants save on costs. By reducing reliance on third-party delivery platforms, restaurants can cut down on commission fees and streamline their running costs. This efficiency translates to better margins and more resources that can be reinvested into the business.
Slerp is not just about managing orders; it’s about growing the business. The platform enables restaurants to tap into new revenue streams, whether through expanded delivery options, pre-orders for special events, or exclusive online promotions. By diversifying their revenue streams, restaurants can achieve more consistent cash flow and greater financial stability.
Order accuracy is critical to customer satisfaction, and Slerp helps minimise errors by providing a clear, organised system for managing orders. The platform’s user-friendly interface ensures that staff can easily track and fulfil orders, reducing the risk of mistakes that could lead to dissatisfied customers.
At the heart of Slerp’s value proposition is its ability to help restaurants build lasting relationships with their customers. By owning their branded checkout and leveraging customer data, restaurants can offer a more personalised experience that fosters loyalty. Over time, these strong customer relationships can lead to repeat business, positive reviews, and word-of-mouth referrals.
Slerp empowers restaurants to maintain control over their brand throughout the entire online ordering process. By enabling branded checkouts, Slerp ensures that customers associate the dining experience directly with the restaurant, rather than a third-party platform. This not only enhances brand recognition but also strengthens the restaurant’s market position.
Slerp offers a comprehensive online ordering solution that goes beyond simply processing transactions. By providing customisation, diverse order types, automated delivery management, customer data insights, and seamless integration, Slerp empowers restaurants to grow their business, reduce costs, and build stronger relationships with their customers. For restaurants looking to thrive in the digital age, Slerp is an invaluable partner in achieving long-term success.
Knowing the data around your customer base is essential to providing the best service possible, effectively increasing sales and growing your business. When you can see your customer’s information, a wealth of possibilities are unlocked; you can make informed business decisions, increase your AOV and improve the overall customer experience. Here’s how transactional and customer data can be utilised to drive growth.
Personalised Upselling and Cross-Selling:
Dynamic Pricing and Discounts:
Menu Optimisation:
Enhanced User Experience:
Marketing and Promotions:
Referral Programs:
Customer Retention:
Operational Efficiency:
Expanding Customer Base:
Understanding Customer Preferences:
Customer Segmentation:
Feedback Analysis:
Brand Engagement:
Personalised Experience:
Consistency and Quality:
Innovative Experiences:
Transactional and customer data from online orders provide invaluable insights that can drive growth and enhance the customer experience. By leveraging data effectively, restaurants can increase average order value, attract more online orders, and boost overall revenue. Data-driven decision-making enables restaurants to understand customer preferences, optimise operations, and create personalised experiences that keep customers coming back. Ultimately, this strategic use of data leads to a more engaged customer base and a stronger, more successful restaurant brand.
The restaurant industry in the UK has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, with delivery services playing a crucial role in this evolution. As consumer preferences shift towards convenience and speed, delivery has become an essential channel for restaurants to expand their reach and maintain competitiveness. This report explores the importance of delivery in the UK restaurant industry, providing statistical insights into its growth, current trends, and future expectations.
The online food delivery market in the UK has seen rapid growth, with several key statistics highlighting this trend:
The delivery channel has become an indispensable component of the UK restaurant industry, driving growth and innovation while meeting evolving consumer demands. As the delivery market continues to expand, restaurants must adapt to emerging trends and invest in technology to remain competitive. By embracing delivery as a core business strategy, restaurants can enhance their reach, increase revenue, and build lasting customer relationships in an ever-evolving market landscape.
In our digital-focused world, marketing has become a surefire way to increase sales and guarantee growth for your business. Not only can it expand your customer base; it can also ensure that your existing visitors keep coming back, guaranteeing consistent orders throughout the year. So how can you set your business apart and show you’re the place to visit?
In short, marketing is the strategy you use to interact with your customer base, specifically online. This isn’t just a case of increasing your social media presence (though we will cover this!) – it’s addressing all the different ways of communicating with your customer, therefore growing a positive relationship.
Firstly, it’s vital to know some key points about your business – these can help you tailor your message and method.
Identifying who your current customers are, and who you would like to reach, is the first step in developing a strategy. Take regular visitors and location into account and consider who keeps coming back. It can be great to build up customer profiles here, to keep this person (or people) in mind when creating a strategy. Ask yourself if it would speak to that customer.
What makes your business special? Define this and make sure you use it as much as possible when creating your marketing. Consider what you can offer people, and execute it well. Are you a seasonal-focused place? Are you great value? Essentially, what do you offer that sets you apart? Ask yourself the following questions – and make sure you apply your customer profile to this:
Tailor your social and marketing presence to fit the physical location of your business. Whilst social is great, there are plenty of other fantastic ways to make the most of your location. Namely, tap into SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) to ensure you’re speaking to and appearing for the right customers. Discover how to up your SEO game here. [Link to blog post].
Now you’ve nailed these points, it’s time to put them into practice. With your new-found customer profiles and USPs, you will be able to identify the best way to reach your audience.
Social is a great opportunity to reach a new audience that may not have otherwise heard of you. Instagram is the best place to start – restaurant customers love visual marketing, and curating your profile with mouth-watering content will keep people engaged and likely grow your audience. A well-maintained Instagram has the power to keep customers up-to-date, encouraging them to return.
This is an essential way to keep customers up-to-date with the latest news, offers and changes in your restaurant. Got a seasonal menu? Do exclusive newsletter launches. Running an unmissable offer? Send it straight to their inbox. Building up a strong newsletter database allows you to talk directly with your customer – an invaluable point of contact!
Apps are an overlooked way to optimise returning customers. The ability to send offers, personalised deals, customised menu offerings and more direct to someone’s phone is a sure way to keep them coming back. You can also provide regular order updates once it has been placed, creating trust with customers.
Reward your customers! Creating a loyalty scheme is a fantastic way to keep people coming back – it shows you value them and offers deals and discounts, encouraging people to build up orders with you.
Using your knowledge of your customer, you can target those similar to ensure any marketing budget isn’t wasted. The persona profiles will help with this, but having comprehensive data on customers is key to ensuring you’re contacting the right people.
Keep things old-school and include leaflets in orders that have exclusive discounts. It’s just another way of getting in touch with your customer and encouraging them to order with you again.
With these tips, you’ll be able to understand your customer better, improve your restaurant marketing, and share your food with even more people.
Want to find out more about driving sales? Slerp can help with streamlining orders, building out customer profiles, increasing loyalty through programs, implementing apps, and so much more. Get in touch to chat about how we can help take your business to the next level.
In today’s fast-paced hospitality industry, understanding and optimising Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) is essential for sustained success. CLV represents the total revenue a business can expect from a customer throughout their entire relationship. By focusing on this metric, restaurants and retail brands can tailor their strategies to foster long-term customer loyalty and profitability. This article delves into the importance of CLV and offers actionable insights to enhance it, incorporating the latest trends and technologies in the food and beverage sector.
Customer Lifetime Value is more than just a financial metric; it’s a lens through which businesses can understand customer behaviours, preferences, and potential revenue streams. The hospitality industry can benefit from focusing on CLV in the following ways:
To effectively increase CLV, businesses in the hospitality industry must focus on several key areas:
Personalisation is crucial, especially for large pre-orders. By tailoring offerings to meet the specific needs of large groups, restaurants can enhance customer satisfaction and encourage repeat business. Consider the following strategies:
Convenience is a major factor in enhancing CLV. Restaurants should ensure that their ordering processes are as seamless as possible:
Retail brands in the hospitality industry can leverage e-commerce platforms to expand their reach and increase GLV:
Efficient delivery services are critical in the hospitality industry, impacting customer satisfaction and CLV:
Engaging customers through their preferred channels is key to increasing CLV:
Understanding and adapting to local tastes and preferences can significantly enhance customer loyalty:
To effectively manage and enhance CLV, businesses must have systems in place to measure and analyse the metric. Key steps include:
Customer Lifetime Value is a pivotal metric for restaurants and retail brands aiming to build lasting relationships with their customers and drive long-term profitability. By focusing on personalisation, convenience, effective communication, regional preferences, and efficient delivery, businesses can significantly enhance their CLV. Embracing the latest technologies and strategies in on-demand ordering, e-commerce platforms, and custom inventory control empowers businesses to make informed decisions that lead to increased customer satisfaction and success.
For further insights and strategies on maximising CLV, consider exploring additional resources such as eBooks, webinars, and industry reports. By continually learning and adapting to customer needs, businesses in the hospitality industry can ensure sustained growth and success in a competitive market.
In the competitive world of food delivery, your menu is your most powerful tool. It serves as the digital shop window of your restaurant, enticing hungry customers to choose your dishes over countless others. Here’s a comprehensive guide to creating a delivery menu that not only attracts but also keeps customers ordering from you time and time again.
Photos are the quickest way to get a customer’s taste buds tingling. High-quality, well-lit, high-resolution images can make your dishes irresistible. It’s worth investing in professional photography to display your food in the best light.
Pay special attention to your Hero Image, the photo that customers will see first as they scroll. Get up close and personal with your best dish, or showcase a range of dishes to create an inviting spread. According to analysis, partners who add menu photos see up to a 24% increase in orders.
Your menu description is the space to tell customers about the history and mission of your restaurant. Highlight the founders, the chef, and the inspiration behind your brand.
Describe your items passionately but avoid overpromising. Include details about ingredients and cooking methods, and don’t forget to add allergens and dietary tags to ensure customers are well-informed.
“Tender chicken skewers marinated overnight in lemon and garlic sauce, grilled and topped with fresh thyme. Served with rice or flatbread.”
Be adventurous with your categories. Instead of copying your dine-in menu, create engaging sections such as ‘Our Favourites’ for popular items or ‘Try Something New’ for dishes you want to promote.
Make life easier for customers by offering meal deals. Build these around themes like ‘Quick Healthy Lunch’ or ‘Dine In For Two,’ or focus on special events like Valentine’s Day. Ensure they include all the elements of a meal: mains, sides, and drinks.
Modifiers and add-ons, like extra cheese on a burger, are a great way to encourage impulse buys. Thoughtfully consider combinations to make them appealing and logical to customers.
By following these strategies, you can create a delivery menu that not only stands out but also drives more orders. Regularly update and optimize your menu based on customer preferences and market trends to ensure ongoing success.
Here at Slerp, we’re proud to offer integrated delivery services to take the stress off your business. Providing our restaurant partners with end-to-end solutions, our range of couriers on-hand allows a personalised, tailored approach to every order.
We’re now delighted to add three new courier services to our platform:
PediVan
Changing the way inner-city deliveries work, PediVan are an electric fleet of green and eco-friendly cargo bikes with express courier service. They’re 100% sustainable, ensuring that some of our restaurant partners can achieve the eco-conscious goals that matter to them.
Genii Transport
This London-based courier offers a range of vehicles from push bikes to vans, ensuring that orders of every size are covered.
Gophr
Available in cities worldwide, this courier offers fleets across the country ensuring every location possible is covered.
The expansion of our courier offering allows us to tailor the experience for our restaurant partners and their customers.
Pick the best courier & vehicle type for the job: Based on your settings, the size of the order, the distance travelled and the local courier availability, Slerp Dispatch will automatically assign and route the best driver to you for the job, plus provide the end-customer with live tracking.
No need to reconcile multiple courier invoices or set up accounts with each provider. Slerp takes the courier’s payment at source and provides you a breakdown of the fees charged, so the courier reconciliation is done seamlessly and automatically.
Our Dispatch solution is solely for our Partners and backed by a team of operators who manage courier jobs in real time, meaning if there is a problem (a courier breaks down, can’t find your restaurant, etc.) you have someone there to support you 7-days a week with an average response time of just 73 seconds!
Due to our scale, we have preferred pricing with our courier providers. We also make sure you can provide competitive prices to your customers, with an ‘optimised rate card’ – designed to maximise your order conversion and gross profit.
Want to find out more about delivery with us? Get in touch!
According to a survey by Toast, 45% of customers say that they would spend more with a restaurant if they could get exclusive deals.
Selling through a direct online ordering platform like Slerp results in a higher average order value compared to marketplaces in the hospitality industry for several reasons:
Customers booking directly through a hotel or hospitality provider’s website often have a higher level of trust and loyalty to the brand. This trust can translate into a willingness to spend more on their stay or services.
Direct channels allow for personalised marketing and upselling opportunities. Hotels can offer tailored packages, upgrades, and add-ons that are specifically designed to meet the needs and preferences of their direct customers, which can increase the overall order value.
The booking experience on a direct channel is typically more seamless and user-friendly, reducing friction and increasing the likelihood of customers opting for premium services or longer stays.
Marketplaces often charge commissions and fees on bookings, which can lead to hotels increasing their base prices on these platforms. However, when booking directly, customers may find better value offers, prompting them to spend more on other services.
Direct channels often provide exclusive promotions and discounts that are not available on marketplaces. These can entice customers to book more expensive packages or add-ons, thus increasing the average order value.
Hotels have full control over their inventory and pricing when selling directly, allowing them to manage demand more effectively and encourage higher spending through dynamic pricing strategies and exclusive deals.
Many hospitality providers offer loyalty programs that are only available through direct bookings. These programs can encourage repeat customers to spend more to take advantage of member benefits and accrue points for future stays.
Booking directly often comes with better customer service, as there is no intermediary. This higher level of service can encourage customers to spend more on premium services, amenities, or longer stays. Slerp has a Customer Satisfaction score (CSAT) of 92%. Real people to solve problems.
Research by PWC shows that 73% of customers point to customer experience as an important factor in their purchasing decisions, and are willing to spend up to 16% more for a better experience. Which is only possible through direct online ordering.
In summary, direct channels allow hospitality providers to leverage brand loyalty, personalised marketing, and better customer service, all of which contribute to higher average order values compared to bookings made through marketplaces.
In today’s digital age, maximising online orders is crucial for the success and growth of any restaurant. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms, restaurants must adopt strategies that enhance their online presence, streamline the ordering process, and engage customers effectively. Whether you’re leveraging a direct online ordering platform like Slerp, optimising your website for search engines, or using social media to reach a wider audience, these 10 strategies will help you boost your online orders and ensure your restaurant stands out in the competitive hospitality industry.
Boosting online orders for your restaurant requires a strategic approach that combines technology, marketing, and customer engagement. By implementing a direct online ordering platform, optimizing your online presence, and leveraging social media, you can enhance the customer experience and drive more online sales. As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, staying ahead with these proven strategies will ensure your restaurant not only survives but thrives in the competitive market. Embrace these tactics today and watch your online orders soar, bringing growth and success to your restaurant.
By prioritising a direct online ordering platform and integrating these strategies, a restaurant can effectively boost its online orders and strengthen its market presence.
In the bustling world of restaurants, customer loyalty and repeat business are the lifelines that sustain growth. One of the most potent tools to foster this loyalty and drive repeat visits is email marketing. At Slerp, we understand that retaining a loyal customer base can be the difference between thriving and just surviving.
Email marketing isn’t just about sending promotions—it’s about building a relationship with your customers. A single visit might bring in £20, but a loyal customer who returns regularly could contribute up to £2,000 per year to your business. This underscores the importance of nurturing repeat visits and increasing customer spend with each interaction.
Email marketing offers several benefits:
Creating and growing an email list is the first crucial step in your email marketing journey. This list is your direct link to every customer who has already shown interest in your brand.
Start with your current POS system. Most systems store customer emails and contact details. Here’s how you can access and utilise this data:
Ensure every transaction—whether in-person or online—results in collecting an email address. This can be achieved by:
If your current system doesn’t support these features, consider upgrading to one that does, as collecting customer emails is fundamental to effective marketing.
Encourage new sign-ups by offering something valuable in return. Here are some effective strategies:
Always provide a compelling incentive, like a discount or a special offer, to motivate customers to share their contact information.
To take your email marketing to the next level, integrate a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. A CRM helps you manage and analyse customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle, with the goal of improving relationships and driving sales growth.
Maintaining a regular flow of engaging emails keeps your restaurant top-of-mind for your customers. Here’s how to ensure your emails are varied and compelling:
Kick things off with a warm welcome email sequence. This is your chance to reintroduce your restaurant, highlight your new online ordering system, and offer an enticing discount, such as 25% off their first order.
Send a mix of different email types to keep things interesting and prevent unsubscribes. A typical monthly schedule might include:
This variety ensures that your emails are not only informative but also engaging and valuable.
Promotional emails are a powerful way to drive immediate action. Use these sparingly but effectively, focusing on offers that align with your business goals, such as:
Be strategic with your promotions to maintain profitability while attracting more business.
A well-designed loyalty program is a game-changer for customer retention. Here’s how to create a program that keeps customers coming back:
Encourage sign-ups with an attractive welcome offer, like a 15% off coupon. Maintain engagement by providing consistent monthly discounts and rewards. Focus on cost-effective items such as appetisers, desserts, or non-alcoholic drinks.
Regularly update customers on their loyalty points and how close they are to their next reward. Send emails after every purchase with their current point balance and next reward milestone. This keeps the program exciting and encourages frequent visits.
Design your rewards system to offer achievable and desirable incentives. Popular choices include:
Ensure the rewards are appealing enough to motivate customers to keep earning points and returning to your restaurant.
At Slerp, we make email marketing simple and effective with our CRM. Our platform automates your email campaigns, ensuring your messages are always timely, relevant, and engaging.
Ready to see how Slerp can transform your restaurant’s email marketing? Schedule a demo with us today and discover how our CRM can boost online sales
Schedule a Free Demo of Slerp’s CRM
By integrating CRM into your email marketing strategy, you’ll not only enhance customer relationships but also drive greater engagement and revenue growth. Let Slerp guide you through this transformation and elevate your restaurant’s marketing game.