Online Ordering Mistakes Restaurateurs Can’t Afford to Make

If you are a restaurant owner, you must be aware of the fact that surviving in this $799 billion industry isn’t an easy task at all. And, if that isn’t enough, there also is a whole new online food ordering system that has taken the restaurant industry by storm, where everyone is trying their best to extract the most out of it. You must have dived in this pool too, right? But, what if you are doing certain mistakes that might hurt your business in the long run? Isn’t it important to avoid such online ordering mistakes? After all, 64% of the purchasing behavior of customers solely depend on the buying experience they receive from a business. Therefore, here’s a look on online ordering mistakes restaurateurs shouldn’t and can’t afford to make.

Ambiguous information on restaurant’s website: Just having a website for your restaurant isn’t enough. It should be well designed with precise and accurate information about your restaurant. If your website doesn’t provide clear information about its location, prices, and menu, you might lose significantly on traffic as customers these days want everything at a glance and that too instantly.

Unavailability of the mobile responsive website: With 83% of customers using their smartphones or tablets for finding a restaurant, it becomes critical to have a mobile responsive website. And, if you lack one, you will lose out on customers heavily because, without a mobile-optimized website, the probability of customers not finding your restaurant is quite high.

Not having a customized restaurant app: The statistics say that 73% of customers feel that mobile technology improves their dining experience significantly. And, nothing matches the convenience a customized mobile food ordering app provides. After all, the ability to explore a whole of digital menu and order food from the comfort of home just through a click is so cool, isn’t it? Also, with 69% of customers ordering food through mobile devices, not having a mobile app is definitely not going to do your food business any good. Think about it and create a food ordering app right away.

Lack of a proper location management strategy: If your business doesn’t have a good location management strategy, it’s going to lose you customers as conflicting timing and location data on various geo-location sites can confuse customers. Imagine having your restaurant’s timing or address wrongly mentioned at any of such websites. What if customers go through it and end up reaching your restaurant when it’s closed or even worse, reach the wrong place? Wouldn’t it frustrate them? Hence, make sure to avoid any such negative brand experience and incorporate proper location management strategy.

Not utilizing social media effectively: Ignoring social media is not just a mistake but, a sin. With the whole world dancing to the tunes of social media, not having a social media presence can damage your business greatly. From Facebook, and Instagram to Twitter and Pinterest, your business needs to be active everywhere. And, trust me, it’s no rocket science. All you need to do is schedule posts regularly, upload enticing photos of your lip-smacking dishes every now and then and you are sorted while your brand reaches new heights of success.

Ignoring reviews and not encountering negative feedback: Remember, the customer is the king. They can make you or break you in no time. So, make sure to keep a track of all the reviews you get irrespective of it being positive or negative. While you can show some gratitude on positive reviews, you can surely improve your services in case of negative feedback. This way, you not only make your customers feel valued but, also capture their loyalty for a pretty long time.

Lack of proper word of mouth promotion: While your restaurant staff is busy managing the diners, make sure to utilize their other talents as well. Wondering, what can it be? Well, a little word of mouth promotion always goes a long way, doesn’t it? Hence, making your staff mention about the new dishes on board, the offers available and the mobile food ordering app your restaurant has is going to help your restaurant brand itself in a better way.

Ignoring in-store marketing strategies: Certainly, the technology has changed the way businesses function, but, there are certain things that shouldn’t be ignored. So, while you incorporate new technical strategies in your restaurant business, don’t forget to have some in-store marketing strategies on board. From pamphlets to signboards promoting your mobile food ordering app and new dishes, these in-store strategies let customers know about your endeavors every time they visit your restaurant.

Always make sure you avoid committing any of the above-mentioned mistakes as a restaurateur but, even if you have, don’t fret. Just rectify it instantly. And, what could be a better way of doing it than going the app way? Yes. Create a food ordering app for your restaurant and see your sales and revenues scaling up.