Coronavirus precautions such as indoor dining limitations and social distancing have transformed our behaviors throughout the past two years. Consumers have become accustomed to the convenience of ordering food right from the comfort of their homes. Meanwhile, food and beverage businesses also universally adopted food delivery as a new source of income.

In 2021, the food delivery business grew more than 46.4 percent YoY. And in 2022, the trajectory of the growth will continue to improve with increased order quantity and value per order. Though the future of the market seems bright, the competition is just as fierce. Hence, business owners should equip themselves with the necessary tools to sustain their profitability in the long run.

In this article, we go through 4 steps restaurant owners could take to attract more orders, increase business longevity, and deliver goals more efficiently.

Invest in user-friendly ordering channels

Social media channels may be the first platforms that come to mind when taking a business online; however, they aren't ideal for taking orders and managing deliveries.

Joining a food delivery platform is probably the quickest and least complicated solution to start selling online. It boosts brand visibility to a vast pool of users and attracts more sales. However, it is difficult for businesses to flourish in the long term as the communication with customers and access to backend data are usually limited.

Creating your website with a complete ordering system in place is a more sustainable way to grow your business. Some advantages of taking orders through your brand website include:

• Ease of browsing and ordering: customers no longer have to zoom into photos and type out their orders.

• Increased order accuracy: customers can add options or comments (such as add/remove ingredients or allergies) to each item on the ordering page.

• Optimize on-site manpower: now, diners can order and pay by themselves on the website, meaning the need for an admin to standby and monitor chats is significantly decreased. Businesses can cut down the number of staff on this task or re-assign them to other departments.

Integrate a third-party delivery service

Restaurants and cafes can now deliver their food using delivery services from a list of providers to avoid the bulk costs of in-house delivery and ensure timeliness. These services relieve businesses’ burdens by supplying a pool of drivers always on standby for affordable rates. So, the staff can keep rolling orders out even during peak hours.

For greater efficiency and control of your service quality, consider adding the delivery capability to your website. This way, you have a system that automatically searches for a driver once you receive an order. Your employees can monitor the delivery process directly on the store’s backend dashboard. And in case of late arrivals, your team can track the cause and promptly resolve the issue.

Acquire and retain customers with a CRM system

Integrate CRM tools with your website and social media channels to improve customer satisfaction and keep them coming back. Fundamental features that you should look for are:

• Digital membership cards
  For a specific total of purchases made on the website or at restaurants, customers receive points that they can save up and use to reimburse for future orders and exchange for discounts or products.

• Online coupons and an omnichannel loyalty program
  Guests can redeem digital vouchers seamlessly anywhere. Online, customers can claim discounts automatically on the website. And at physical stores, employees simply scan coupon codes on customers' phones.

Personalize your communications with the customer database

Brands should also look for data analytic tools to build a client database and learn their customers' preferences or purchasing patterns, such as their favorite cuisine or ordering routine. By catering personalized ads for different audiences, you can improve the performance of each campaign and optimize your marketing costs.

Practicable payment methods

Diners now have abundant choices of brands and platforms to order from. To prevent your potential customers from dropping off, it is crucial that you keep the checkout process brief and convenient.

Customers are likely to drop their orders and purchase their food elsewhere when they can't pay with their payment option of choice. It is, therefore, suggested that shops accept common payment options such as mobile banking, credit/debit cards, and e-wallets.

Restaurants should also enable real-time automatic payment verification to automate the payment process and look for the one-click checkout (remember card) feature to keep repeated purchases just as easy and the regulars satisfied.

Build your full-cycle delivery website with Hato Hub

Hato Hub, an Omise partner, is a food delivery platform designed to help food businesses and grocery stores build their delivery empire from scratch. They offer the solutions and infrastructure F&B business owners need to operate their online business efficiently in the long run.

1. Ordering and delivery platform — custom-built delivery website with a complete dashboard, readily connected to delivery services and a payment gateway

2. Omnichannel CRM system — digital membership cards that your customers can use to redeem privileges online and at restaurants or cafes.

3. Data analytic tools — know your customers and cater the right marketing communications.

Discover more about Hato Hub’s partnership with Omise here, or get in touch with their team today for a consultation.