We understand that choosing the right online ordering system for your business is not only an important decision but a difficult one too! It can be hard to see through some of the sales chat and identify the really important aspects.
The fact is though, if you’re not yet offering online ordering, you should be. Research undertaken by KPMG in the spring of 2021 found that over the past two years, Brits had increased their spending on takeaways by almost half (42%). Customers are used to and demand high speed, convenient online ordering systems.
But this is not a decision you want to commit to half heartedly. Because take it from us, it won’t work! Once you choose to have an up-to-date online ordering system, it needs to be a long-term commitment for your restaurant business. First things first though, you need to choose the right one for you. Here are some things we recommend considering.
If you’ve ordered online before you’ll know that buying something on a desktop can be a very different experience to your phone. The consumer is tired of having to waste time on a platform that is designed for a pc/laptop. We want to be able to order anywhere, anytime, with ease.
In response to this, many restaurants today have gone above and beyond just putting together a smartphone-optimised website, by having a complete branded iOS or Android app built. Such apps can make excellent use of the smaller screens of smartphones to give those ordering an intuitive and slick experience.
So, you might want to consider whether the online ordering system you’re considering includes the option of a tailored app… hint Slerp does!
Pre pandemic, about a fifth of customers in the country had used a ‘click and collect’ service for restaurant orders. So, it shouldn’t be revolutionary in 2022 to suggest that the online ordering system you invest in for your restaurant allows for this way of ordering.
The past few years have seen a definite shift from physical menus to digital menus. And with this came the emergence of ‘order at table’ technology. Again, this is something that your chosen online ordering system should allow for, so that your team can receive and process orders efficiently, minimise wait times, and turn tables quickly. Again…Slerp has you covered.
You also want to consider those customers who want their food to arrive directly to the comfort of their own home. You should be able to choose the delivery area, the delivery methods, and even the courier partners you work with. Slerp is well-integrated with trusted delivery partners that serve the local area, an entire city, or the whole of the UK.
No matter how impressive your chosen online ordering system may sound, you will want the company providing it to be constantly available to help you make the most of it.
Here at Slerp, for instance, our support team can be reached 7am to 11pm, seven days a week. We know you might not have the luxury of waiting until Monday to resolve unanticipated problems with your online ordering system and so we’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen.
To sum up, the best online ordering system provider shouldn’t dictate or micromanage everything. Instead, they should work alongside you or even simply operate in the background, giving you the resources and freedom to build your restaurant’s delivery services in the best way for you and your customers.
We may be a little biassed, but Slerp offers a fantastic online ordering system perfect for restaurants, for all of these reasons and more. So if you want to hear more about our system, and how it could support your restaurant, get in touch today!
The UK is, in many ways, a nation of takeaways. The longstanding tradition of our enjoyment is proven in the figures. Household expenditure on takeaways across the country has risen from £7.4 billion in 2009 to £11.2 billion in 2021, and is set to hit £15 billion by 2023.
But will your own takeaway business enjoy a share of that growth? To give yourself the best chance, you should be looking not just at the attractiveness of your brick-and-mortar business for ‘walk-ins’, but also at how your takeaway can better capitalise on the online space this year and beyond.
So, whether your takeaway has had some level of online presence for a while or you are only just beginning to set up a website or Google My Business listing, here are some of the steps that will really help power your takeaway business.
It doesn’t matter how big your marketing budget may be, if you lack a clear sense of what makes your takeaway distinctively attractive, you will struggle to see the success of your campaigns.
Are there unique foods or ingredients you offer? What’s your price point? Does your takeaway business specialise in ‘cheap and cheerful’ familiar favourites, or do you emphasise a particular food quality or level of experimentation with flavours, styles and shapes?
Customers are increasingly taking advantage of the variety of takeaways that give them the option to order online… and we aren’t just talking about having a standard website set up. Your platform needs to be prepared for a variety of different orders.
Some customers might want you to deliver directly to their home. Which means your system needs to be simple, intuitive and optimised for a swift delivery process, with no compromise to the quality of the food the customer receives.
Local customers might wish to take advantage of ‘click and collect’, which could be especially handy if they are on their phones and already close to your site. And speaking of phones, could now be the time for your takeaway business to have its own branded app?
Fortunately for you, these are all things that we can help you with! With Slerp by your side, your online takeaway ordering system will not only help your business to spread awareness online, but also operate more efficiently to ensure the utmost customer satisfaction and power growth.
As we’ve mentioned, it’s no longer sufficient to settle for a ‘bare bones’ online presence – unless you’re happy to miss out on a lot of potential business. This is true not only for your website and online ordering system but your whole digital marketing approach – and there will almost certainly be something more you could be doing.
Image orientated platforms like Instagram go hand in hand with food photography. Remember, you want to take advantage of your customers’ cravings, so experimenting with various angles and lighting for items from your menu will enable you to produce the most ‘instagrammable’ content to really get your customers excited.
There are so many impactful ways to promote your online takeaway. Are you using targeted ads to spread the word about your brand and products? If not, the team at Slerp can help incorporate this into your digital marketing.
The things that make a takeaway business successful these days have changed and progressed massively from the methods used 10 or 20 years ago. So it’s up to you to keep track of the latest trends and developments. Contact the experts at Slerp today, and we’ll help you get every aspect of your brand’s approach to online ordering and marketing just right.