Consumers want their products delivered faster and more efficiently and easily. Even before the COVID-19 flux of delivery orders, individuals were increasingly replacing takeaway orders with deliveries. However, as more people started using delivery services, there was also an increase in restaurants turning to third-party vendors, even though it costs a lot. Since restaurant businesses lose control over delivery by using these services, some things can be out of their control. Hotel facility planning in the initial stage can help with deciding whether you can set your own app or take the help of a third party.
Third-party vendors are useful to restaurants for various reasons. First, they are helpful to new restaurants that may not have the budget or structure to run their own delivery service. If you can save funds when a business is first starting out is great. Consumers familiar with the delivery app can just order if they find something interesting by clicking “order online” without having to go to another site or download another app.
Despite the many positives, there are still some downsides to using them for restaurants. Vendors often charge up to 30% service fee, which can hurt the restaurant’s bottom line. Further, delivery agents answer to the delivery company, not the restaurant.
Hotel facility planning helps to set up an app as a part of marketing in the initial phase of setting up a restaurant. Here are a few ways you can get customers to use your own online delivery platform, instead of third-party websites and apps.
Make Your Delivery Options Convenient: Delivery is only popular because of its convenience. The crucial part of this is how your website guides customers in choosing and confirming orders. It should be very straightforward. The first thing users see should be a clear, direct channel to your ordering platform. So invest in a simple, intuitive user interface and navigation that visitors can understand the first time they see. The good thing is, in-house deliveries give you greater control over the delivery process
Use Online Promotions: Most diners say that discounts and promotions influence their decision to switch between restaurants. So, if you’re providing eye-catching deals, you may win extra customers. Offering coupons as an investment, if properly executed, you could have a significant increase in traffic within a month, for instance. But the quality of your brand also plays a significant role in the effectiveness of coupons. So, you should maintain high quality in your food along with the size of the discount you are presenting.
Use Good Product Presentation: There’s no doubt that food aesthetics plays a vital role in customers’ decision to go with particular meals and eateries. This factor is crucial in the online world, where visual stimulation is king. If you hope to get more people to use your own platform, ensure that it’s brightened with beautiful photos of the food you serve. This gives them an idea of the treat that awaits them and makes them more eager to try out your recipes. Invest in a good phone or camera and don’t shy away from taking pictures.
Highlight the Unique Advantages of Using Your Restaurant: Customers are especially interested in the origin of their meals. If your food is unique in a way that customers are concerned about, be sure to highlight them on your delivery platform. For instance, you should make it known if your ingredients are organic or local, or only seasonal. Customers are also known to rank health as an important factor when it comes to choosing food and beverages, even more, important than convenience.
Make Your Online Delivery Platform More Efficient: Your customers should be able to see past orders they have made on your platform. This becomes important if they want to have the same on their next visit to your site. It should also be easy for them to provide feedback when they want to. Make contact information available on all pages, and across every stage of the process. There are many ways to integrate an online delivery system for your restaurant into the logistics of your restaurant’s operations.
Online food delivery is here to stay. It’s up to you to make the most of it. By optimizing your website for use by customers, you make it more likely that customers will opt to use your own payment systems that are easier to use to purchase food from your restaurant. Hotel facility planning can definitely help if you are not sure about how to go ahead with creating your own delivery app or website.