Five Common Mistakes Restaurants Encounter When Designing an Online Ordering System

When it comes to boosting take-out sales, convenience is key to bringing hungry customers through your doors. Establishing the perfect online ordering system will ensure your customers can quickly place their meal order between the many other tasks dominating their day. Since convenience wins out in this realm, the system must work without causing frustration to keep your customers utilizing that tool for their future orders. You can design the perfect online ordering system by simply avoiding the five common mistakes discussed below.

Lack of Menu Updates

When customers navigate your digital menu, they expect to see the latest offerings currently available from your restaurant. If your menu is outdated, the customer experience declines in value, potentially leading to disappointment that discourages them from trying your restaurant again. Encourage new customers to give your restaurant a try, and facilitate repeat visits, by updating your online menu frequently. Verify your online menu monthly to confirm that your images, descriptions and prices correctly reflect your offerings.

Unclear Navigation Buttons

Your navigation buttons must act as a clear call to action to encourage customers to add the items to their cart and checkout. They should be easy to find as your customers browse through the menu offerings and should clearly define each action that will occur with a click of each button. Keeping the message simple and to the point usually works best for online menu systems. Lastly, this is crucially important for your mobile site. When possible, use the native functionality available for the user’s device so your customers are not forced to try use small buttons on their mobile phone to modify their menu items.

Omission of Advance Order Functions

Unoptimized online ordering systems fail to integrate the advance order function into their available operations. Unfortunately, the absence of this option drives away customers looking for a convenient meal ordering experience. The advanced order function allows your customers to plan their meal in advance and have it ready to go at their selected time. Without this option, your customers have to log in and order immediately before the pickup window, which may not conveniently work into their schedule.

Absence of Coupon Codes

Coupon codes reward loyal customers by offering them a one-time discount on their order or even a free appetizer or side. A recent online ordering study notes that more than half (56 percent) of survey respondents said they expected discounts when ordering online. When you fail to offer coupon codes, your customers may feel like their ordering experience was not as enjoyable as it could have been. Your coupon codes do not have to offer huge discounts to effectively boost the ordering experience. Even decreasing the order total by a few dollars helps customers feel valued and rewarded while ordering food from your restaurant.

Poor Marketing Techniques

Your online ordering system can only live up to its true potential if your current and future customers know it exists. You must utilize marketing techniques to share the word about the integration of online ordering into your restaurant experience. Tap into the power of social media to quickly spread the word about the convenient digital menu and ordering options available for your location. As noted, pair your marketing campaigns with coupon codes to give early adopters a reward for taking this journey with your restaurant.

Creating Your Perfect Online Ordering System

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