Advertise Your Restaurant’s Online Sales Channels

Technology has revolutionized the restaurant industry. In the past, customers had to visit the restaurant in person to enjoy a meal. Today, however, online ordering systems have transformed this experience by offering diverse online sales channels. Now, customers can simply use their mobile phones or laptops to place orders for delivery or pickup. Many restaurants have recognized the significant advantages of such systems, including increased convenience, improved order accuracy, and faster processing times. 

Consequently, these establishments have adopted online ordering solutions. If you are a forward-thinking restaurant owner who has embraced this trend, the next step is to promote your online sales platform. Encourage your customers to take out their phones and place an order, making their dining experience easier and more efficient.

Whether you’ve opted for the TapTasty system or another online ordering platform, this article will help ensure your customers—and potential customers—know your options. Read through the entire article and apply the tips provided to maximize your investment fully.

Types of Customers

Before you start your advertising efforts, you must understand the types of customers you target. From the perspective of online orders, there are three main categories: Loyal Customers, Hunter Customers, and Visiting Customers.

Loyal Customers – These customers frequently dine at your restaurant and are satisfied with the services, food, and prices. Essentially, they are fans of your brand.

Hunter Customers – These customers are like hunters who keep a lookout for what’s around, and the moment they spot a discount or some other benefit at your restaurant, they seize the opportunity. These customers do not order regularly and are not necessarily motivated by service quality, although it is obviously a factor that influences them. What motivates them are the various offers and promotions.

Visiting Customers – These customers rarely dine at your restaurant. They are typically out-of-towners looking for a place to eat. If they were to order from your restaurant, they would most likely use marketplace apps.

In a basic customer analysis, it is clear that the ones you want to attract to your online ordering system are the loyal customers and the hunter customers. But how can you do this?

Initial Promotions

For loyal customers, simply informing them they can now order from your restaurant via a mobile app or website may be sufficient. However, you’ll need to offer enticing initial promotions to attract other customers. Even loyal customers could benefit from an extra incentive.

Depending on your system’s capabilities, create initial promotions to encourage app downloads or website use. For instance, the TapTasty system allows for the creation of the following promotions (NOTE: All examples consider the functionality of the TapTasty system):

• X% off the first order
• X% off during the launch month
• Loyalty points
• A free product for the first X orders

Repeat Order Promotions

Once you’ve attracted customers to your online sales channels, you’ll need to make an extra effort to retain them with additional offers. As mentioned earlier, some customers only order when there are promotions, but you can use this to your advantage. While some will keep the app on their mobile just to watch for promotions, others will become loyal customers. Here are some promotion ideas:

• Marathon of Offers: Create themed weeks, such as Pizza Week with discounts on all types of pizza or Salad Week with discounts on salads.
• Free Product: Offer a free product with an order, like a can of cola with a pizza or other combinations.
• Loyalty Points: Award loyalty points based on the amount spent. These points can then be used as discounts on future orders.
• Special Menus: Create exclusive menus, like a daily special or a weekend combo, available only through online ordering channels.
• Free Delivery: Designate certain weeks where all customers who order through the app or website receive free delivery.
• Customer Segmentation: Segment customers based on the number or value of their orders and offer loyal customers different coupons, free products, and other incentives.
• Loyalty Card: Implement campaigns like “For every coffee ordered, you get a digital stamp; collect five stamps and receive a free coffee.”

Where and How to Notify Your Customers

One of the first places to announce your online ordering channels and promotions is at your restaurant. Customers who visit your location are likely already familiar with your offerings and are more inclined to order from you again. Inform them they can now conveniently order using the mobile app or website.

How can you let them know?

• Banners and Roll-Ups: Place these in visible areas of your restaurant, such as at the entrance and the cash register, to present the new online ordering options.
• Flyers: Distribute flyers on tables and at the cash register.
• QR Code: Create a QR code that redirects to the mobile app. Place this code on flyers and banners for easy access.

Flyers are another effective way to inform customers about your app and website. Include an information leaflet about your online ordering channels with every order placed at your restaurant through marketplace apps, highlighting the benefits of your online ordering channels.

Word of Mouth: Ask your employees to promote the app and website to customers. To incentivize the customers to download the app, offer a dessert or a drink on the house in addition to the promotions available in the app.

Social Media: Post updates about your online ordering channels and promotions regularly. Additionally, create paid ads to reach a broader audience.

Contests: Host contests with attractive prizes. Create a post about the mobile app, asking customers to tag friends and share it. At the end of the contest, select winners. This approach will increase the awareness of your online ordering channels among your customers and their friends.

Influencer Collaborations: Partner with a well-known influencer to promote your online ordering channels on social media. Offer them benefits at your restaurant in exchange for their promotion. Share their posts on your social media accounts as well.

Local Businesses and Industrial Parks: Distribute flyers showcasing your website and mobile app to businesses and industrial parks in your city or near your restaurant. To attract corporate orders, present special offers such as the menu of the day, business lunch deals, or group order discounts.

Residential Buildings: Post flyers in residential blocks or new buildings to inform tenants that they can easily order from your restaurant without traveling across the city—just by using their phones.

While there are many other promotional ideas, the key to successfully promoting your restaurant’s online sales channels is to start somewhere. Consider the ideas above, see which ones suit you best, and implement them. This way, not only will you have an online ordering system, but your customers will also be aware of and use it. Ultimately, you’ll find that the investment in such a system was well worth it. Good luck!

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