All types of businesses are shifting to online mode because it is a great medium to reach more customers. Not leveraging online food delivery services would be a foolish move in the current scenario, as going online will increase sales and profit margins. There are many food delivery platforms already, like Zomato, Swiggy, and HathMe, that deliver food to customers at restaurants.
Online food delivery services have gained popularity, so much so that they have given rise to cloud kitchens. This cuts down on their cost of renting a place for dining as they focus mainly on food delivery.
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How can you improve your restaurant’s sales by ordering and delivering online?
Almost every other restaurant these days accepts food orders online. In such a situation, a restaurant business must make sure that they have effective and smooth delivery services.
In this article, we will be discussing some of the most important factors in online food delivery.
Making use of technology
- Online food delivery has become popular among people, and it is one of the most popular mediums for online food ordering. Food delivery services like Swiggy, Zomato, and HathMe have taken the food delivery industry by storm. They are efficiently delivering food orders and making it easy for restaurants.
- Choose a point-of-sale if you have partnered with more than one food delivery service, as it will help you collect orders automatically from various partners. The requirement to do everything manually is diminished, and the food delivery and ordering experience is made easy for both customers and restaurant owners.
- Focus on SEO and the content on your website. An SEO optimised website with clear content and effective CTAs will improve conversions.
- Prioritising clear communication
Training your staff to better communicate in order to receive orders and handle customers well over the call will minimise the chances of taking down wrong orders. Train your staff to be polite and to confirm the orders they have received with the customers.
- Create an interesting online menu.
Create a very interesting menu that is clear, concise, and easy to read. Upload your menu to every food ordering and delivery partner you have partnered with so customers know what they can order from you.
- Assigning and tracking orders with technology
Leverage technology for assigning and tracking orders. Through HathMe, a food delivery partner, you can assign orders and keep track of delivery in real-time. Real-time order tracking helps you understand the status of the food delivery agent and helps you analyse the average delivery time for an order. This enables you to find out the estimated delivery time for every location.
Provide excellent service
Serving clients at restaurants should not be the only aspect of delivering a first-rate customer experience. Online meal delivery services should also provide good customer service.
- The food that is delivered must be hot. When customers come to your restaurants, you must be serving them hot food. The same logic should apply while delivering food. This can be achieved by packing the food properly and delivering the food order on time.
- Delivery agents should be provided with insulated bags in order to keep food items hot and cold items cold.
- Food should be packed in such a way that there is no spilling. Spilled food will lead to food waste as well as tarnish your image as an online food delivery service or restaurant.
- Give special attention to customers’ requests and add-ons. A customer might have requested some changes in the meals, and if he or she is delivered without the necessary changes, it can disappoint them and turn out to be bad for your business. Similarly, add-ons like oregano, chili flakes, extra cheese, dips, condiments, and napkins need to be added along with the order.
If you, as a restaurant owner, keep taking care of details like these, then your ratings will improve. Especially if you have partnered with a third-party app, then it becomes even more important to take care of tiny details as they record customers’ ratings. If you maintain it consistently, then your online food order will increase.
Outsource delivery agents
You can also outsource certain services or things if you do not want to manage everything on your own; it also saves you some investment. There are food delivery partner apps like HathMe, Zomato, and Swiggy that provide a platform as well as a delivery fleet so that you do not have to worry about a thing.
Reconfirming the right address and providing delivery agents with a GPS
Reconfirm with customers their address before taking out their orders. This should be done, especially when the address seems incomplete. This will help delivery agents make timely deliveries. Employ CRM software that will keep track of their names, contact details, and addresses.
- Focus on good packaging.
Good packaging is an important aspect of food delivery. Focus on packaging to ensure that there is no spillage and the food reaches the customer in good condition. Adding your restaurant’s logo will also be a good move, as it will improve your brand recall.
- Ensure a smooth delivery procedure.
Your responsibilities do not end once you outsource restaurant delivery partners; your own staff needs to be equipped with packing and handling over the packages to delivery agents so there is not an incorrect order.
- Offering discounts and coupons
Discounts and coupons can be offered to attract customers and increase sales. If a dish doesn’t sell well, then its price can be reduced. It can also be coupled with a popular dish in a combo offer. Free delivery can be offered at a minimum order rate.
Partner with HathMe, a food delivery service, to increase your sales in 2024.
HathMe is connecting businesses with consumers through its platform, where they can grow mutually. Joining HathMe as a restaurant owner is extremely easy. The first step consists of registering with HathMe, which is free of charge. Once you have successfully registered, you can enlist your restaurant, for which you will be paying a very minimal amount of commission. The platform offers free delivery to merchants and also releases their earnings within a few days.
The HathMe application has a very friendly user interface, making it easy for customers to browse through the app and place an order. It is a holy grail for business owners, as it has many perks for them.
For customers, HathMe offers food at cheap prices while retaining its quality. This draws more customers and gives the restaurants a greater customer base, eventually increasing their online food delivery sales.
There are other features on the app to make things smoother for customers, like live-order tracking, options for reviews, 24×7 customer support, multiple payment options, a variety of cuisines, timely delivery, and affordable rates.
Conclusion
We hope the solutions suggested in this article will help you improve your restaurant’s online food delivery sales in 2024. You can do it independently with your own food delivery service or partner up with a third-party delivery app like HathMe. Delivery platforms make sure to have an app with interactive user interface so the process of food ordering is made easy for users.
Download the HathMe merchant app to take your restaurant business online and increase your sales.