Best Ways to Digitise Your Restaurant
With Android/ IOS App
Digital is the new normal.
Now each and everything is digitalized. Every industry is changing with advanced technologies and tech-savvy techniques to reach out to a maximum number of customers and hence thrive in the domain.
So are you still planning for digitalising your restaurant business with a website or online ordering apps?
Then it is the right time to start it. Because digitalising is one of the finest ways to display your online presence to your target audience. Also, it will help to enhance your brand awareness among the customers and help you to make more profits.
Most of the restauranteur in cities like London, Edinburgh, and Manchester analyse the spectrum of measurements and understand how it helps them to transform and enlarge revenue through an upgraded customer experience, new product innovation, data, and business structure innovation. Now you should ask yourself some important questions based on your needs and what you expect from the business.
Why should I consider investing in changes or using new technologies?
Upgrading your system according to the recent changes or technology is highly mandatory because change is the only constant and it is highly necessary to keep up with the competitive world. In the restaurant business adapting to such change is essential because new technologies can highly influence the four major pillars of your business, namely, customer experience, products, and service innovation, data, and business model innovation.
• Customer Experience
Advanced technologies like POS software leverage contactless service to your customers even without waiting for a long time. Also, such touchless systems eliminate human error since the orders are directly passed to the kitchen from the customers. Offering a flawless omnichannel experience between the customer and the restaurant even without the barriers of distance or time. Online ordering systems also ensure a high level of safety and confidentiality to the customer database and boost trust and loyalty.
• Data
Data or insights provided by online ordering systems give more precise information about customer demographics, their interests, and behaviour. You can use these insights to engage your customers accurately and also leads in repetitive business. Loyalty programs based on insights will drive repetitive sales by keeping the brand stand out from the crowd and launch customer-centric ads across different digital platforms.
• Service Innovation
Service innovations are essential for met customer demands and enlarge new business spaces, supportably transform and stand out the company from the competition, and enrich customer loyalty. Digital channels are the best way to provide customised services to your customers seamlessly. Online takeaway apps bestow the ability to adapt to all the current trends easily and quickly.
• Business structure innovation
Expanding and launching new business structures is something that every restauranteur is dreamt of and the best ways to accomplish it is by using the assistance of innovative and advanced technology. Discovering the areas that generate new earning sources such as meal subscriptions and consumer parcel food is possible through online ordering systems.
According to the survey by the restaurant organisations in London says that 55% of people like contactless and door delivery services. All such requirements show the need for digitalising your restaurant business.
So let's take a look at the best ways to digitise your restaurant:
1. Online Food Ordering
Having an online ordering system can help in managing the day-to-day tasks more efficiently and hassle-free for a restaurant. On the other hand, when your buyer places an order for food online, they will spend more time browsing the menu because of the appealing and alluring pictures and descriptions provided on the app and get more aware of add-on deals and special discount offers that your restaurant must be offering. This can pilot to a massive increase in the total sale value per order.
So if you are planning to invest in online delivery apps, consider the below options or features also.
Review feature:
Restaurant review apps are more like directories that provide more details and real-time feedback about the restaurants. Genuine reviews are recorded in such apps which helps you to maintain your good quality about your brand as well as points out the areas that need improvement.
Menu feature:
An attractive and easy navigating menu is the first step towards providing a better user experience through your online food ordering app. The restaurant POS systems offer customisable SaaS solutions for restauranteurs who want to digitise and streamline their ordering process and offer access through any handheld device to improve their customer experience.
Table reservation facility:
Online table reservation is an add-on facility that most customers are preferred especially during the unprecedented time of Covid 19. During the busy hour, customers find it a very convenient way to book a table without any hassle.
2. Online Payment
Online payments make the purchase easier, convenient, and time-saving. By having an online payment option your restaurant can give your customers an option to pay from the different online payment gateways which are convenient for them from around the world and make purchasing a hassle-free process. It also helps in diminishing the large number of paper statements that will be printed and used to provide bills. One can effortlessly make the purchase comfortably even without setting out of the home. The gateway to undertake payment online offers instantaneous alerts of the transaction that makes the customer persist secure of the purchased items.
For a restauranteur, a choice to get online payment can boost the brand's reputation, permitting it to acquire the trust of the customers. Moreover, when your competitors have the facilities of online payment systems, you cannot afford to say no to online payment options or even ask for payments via cash because then your strategies will significantly sound outdated.
Also, many times, restaurant owners throw special discount deals to attract more customers. If you can receive online payment on your takeaway ordering app, a buyer can grab a deal even at the last minute. This will definitely increase sales and productivity.
Buyers today frequently consider those restaurants more trustworthy that accept payment online through their online delivery sites. It inspires them to do more purchases with the brand. At the same time, online payment statements provide consumer fraud protection that guaranteed their money back if they don’t get the food item purchased online through your food delivery website.
3. Delivery Tracking
Efficient delivery tracking systems assist restaurant owners to rebuild the way of their systematic procedures, narrow down on wretched steps and boost customer experience while empowering them to work savvy, quickly, and with expertise. Building a robust and finer relationship in the domain, among your delivery staff, and customers, the brand-new technology of delivery tracking system offering better operational management and advanced deliveries, thus leading to increased customer satisfaction.
The insight provided by the online food ordering apps about the exact location of the delivery person and the vehicle number gives, position all together gives a clear picture of an approximate delivery time, enhance transparency in connecting, and provides the most desired characteristic of real-time status update about each delivery. The right amalgamation of increased proficiency and dynamic communication leads to quicker and precise delivery plans, eventuating in better customer experience, positive customer reviews, and upgraded customer loyalty. This leads the path to more repeat buyers, better employee experience, and high productivity.
4. Social Media and Review Integration
According to the studies of the National food association in 2020, suggest that before placing an order online, 73% of people have a high tendency to check the reviews and ratings about the restaurants. Offering good and convenient service to customers is an ideal way to earn more good feedbacks. As we know, buyers look at the reviews and ratings before choosing a restaurant, the same rule is applicable to the app also.
Along with good reviews, a consistent online presence is also an eminent factor in keeping up with the competitive world. The best and finest way to accomplish it is by the proper use of social media platforms for brand building. If you are not using social media platforms to the fullest, then definitely you’re missing out on a quicker, inexpensive, and productive way to reach out to almost half the world’s population.
Social media platforms give you the opportunity to communicate with customers and followers from anywhere at any time. Always make sure to keep your social posts interesting and informative, and also platforms like Facebook, Twitter can be used to run your loyalty programs since they have a vast number of users. Your users and followers will be happy to see your news and regular content in their feeds, keeping you top of the list so you are their first choice when they’re thinking about making a purchase.
The online food ordering app has many benefits and advantages over the conventional methods and has a proven track record of increasing ROI in most restaurants. Such an online food delivery system does not only help your restaurant but also boost the customers’ overall takeaway and dining experience. That's why you should consider utilising one for your restaurant business.