How to Create a Functional Online Ordering System for Your Restaurant

06.10.21 02:17 PM By Aishwarya

How To Make Food Ordering Website



New Delhi, India

AnyTechTrial.Com


Restaurant operators that want a piece of this pie will need to set up an online ordering system or risk losing consumers. Setting up an online ordering platform for your restaurant gives an extra revenue stream and allows you to compete in an already competitive market.


There's a way to adapt online ordering that best suits your business, whether you want comfort and convenience or wants to keep as much profit as possible. When it comes to setting up an online ordering system for your restaurant, there are three options.



How to set up an online ordering system for your restaurant: three options

  • Set up an in-house online ordering platform on your website (approach 1)


What this it: Using a website designing tool or WordPress, create your own website and receive orders directly from clients.


How it works: Customers place orders directly on your restaurant's website, and you take care of payments, pickups, and orders as they come in. Customers can make an order on a website and pay when they pick it up with basic online ordering software. You can add an online payment processing app for a monthly fee as your online ordering traffic rises.


What you'll need: A website-building platform as well as a crew to handle customer orders and deliveries.


Pros of this approach:

  1. In-house control of your entire online ordering process. You have complete control over your restaurant's online ordering and pickup/delivery experience, including the menu, price, and delivery area.

  2. Get direct access to all client data submitted on your website. This can also provide you with a better understanding of your customers' preferences, which you can use to guide your marketing and communication efforts (such as offering discounts and launching a loyalty program).

  3. Keep 100% of your profits. Receiving and handling customer orders means your company keeps all of the earnings instead of paying delivery or hosting fees to a third-party order or delivery provider.


Cons of this approach:

  1. Additional expenditures and upkeep. To have absolute control, you must be able to manage every part of your website. Consider whether you'll be able to handle these technical difficulties. Will you be able to fix your website in-house, for example, if it goes down? Will you be able to give customer service if a consumer has an issue with their order?


  1. There is a limited amount of marketing outreach. You won't be able to grow your consumer base organically if you have an in-house service embedded within your website.

  • Utilize a stand-alone, third-party internet ordering platform (approach 2)

What it includes: Thousands of restaurants use third-party online ordering apps (such as DoorDash and Uber Eats) to take orders and deliver meals to clients.


How it works: Customers place an order through a third-party online ordering app, which is subsequently sent to your restaurant. You manually enter the order into your POS system, and the app's delivery service takes care of picking up and delivering the product to your consumer.


What you'll need: Each app has its own set of requirements. DoorDash, for example, demands basic information about your restaurants, such as its name, address, email, phone number, and menu. To begin receiving orders, and onboarding consultant will provide instructions.


Pros of this approach:

  1. Gain access to a big number of customers. The majority of third-party internet ordering apps already have a sizable following. By registering with one or more of them, you'll gain access to a ready-made group of clients who are actively looking to place a meal order.

  1. Manages your restaurant's deliveries. A third-party platform can handle all aspects of delivery, including hiring drivers and cars, to ensure that your deliveries are completed successfully.

 

Cons of this approach:

  1. Fees for commissions. Third-party internet ordering platforms might take 15-35 percent of each sale, snatching up a significant portion of your income.

  1. Access to the customer base is restricted. Customers' personal information is retained by third-party platforms, making it difficult to analyze the customer trends in order to build marketing promotions and outreach.


  • Approach 3: Connect your POS to a third-party online ordering platform.


What it is: A third-party online ordering platform that receives online orders directly from your restaurant's POS system.


How it works: A third-party online ordering platform, such as DoorDash, connects to a point-of-sale system, such as Square for Restaurants. The customer places an order on a third-party online ordering site, which is then forwarded to your POS automatically.


What you'll need: An account with a third-party online ordering platform, as well as a POS integration program like Chowly, depending on your POS.


Pros of this approach:

  • It simplifies the ordering process. If you plan to use many online ordering apps and manage a large volume of orders, merging them via POS system integration will assist automate the process. You won't have to manually enter orders into your POS because integration takes care of it for you, saving you time and reducing errors.


Cons of this approach:

  • It's possible that this is the most expensive option. This will be the most expensive of the three options because you'll be paying for two apps: a third-party online ordering platform and an additional connection software to connect your restaurant POS if your POS doesn't allow native connectivity.


Are you ready to launch an online ordering platform?

Restaurants that wish to stay afloat in this competitive industry must continue to grow their consumer base. Setting up an online ordering system to support an additional revenue stream and attract new diners is a key part of that.


That is something we can assist you with. To compare top options and filter items based on your business's demands and budget, visit our restaurant POS software directory.




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