When NetWaiter brings you a new online ordering customer, our statistics show the likelihood is that they will return to place their second order within 14 days.  This is important.  New customers, and specifically ones that come back again and again, are one of the principal engines of growth.

It is safe to say that the convenience of online ordering is what draws them in, and is part of what keeps them coming back. What can you do to make sure your online ordering process is as convenient as possible, so they keep coming back to your restaurant?  Here are some quick tips:

Make the pickup process smooth and easy.  If you can, have a separate area for pickup orders, preferred parking, and your most personable employee working the counter.  These are all things we’ve talked about before, but are worth repeating.

Take advantage of NetWaiter’s pre-payment capabilities.  While one industry study indicated that less than 19% of online customers pre-pay for orders, that number is significantly higher with NetWaiter.  When given the option, 68% of all NetWaiter customers choose to pre-pay online.  The figure jumps to 77% when looking at just delivery orders.  Be sure to enable online payments and receive funds directly to your merchant account.

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” Those were the words of the late Peter Drucker, one of the top management experts, an educator, and consultant with businesses across the world.  Knowledge is power!

So, what do you know about your takeout customers?  If a customer called to place their order – you probably don’t know anything about them.  If they ordered online, you know a lot.

An added value of online customers (above and beyond their larger orders) is the customer information you receive, and something you don’t get from phone orders.  You can see patterns, track results, and view a customer’s history/profile.

With this in mind, NetWaiter will soon be offering enhancements to the NetWaiter Management Console that allow restaurants to access more statistics about their online customers.  Owners and managers will be able to quickly break down and compare information regarding mobile vs. non-mobile orders, pickup vs. delivery, orders that are paid online vs. orders that are paid in-person, and group ordering.

Follow NetWaiter on Facebook, Twitter, and through our Blog for news on when these new features become available.

A recent industry white paper cites ten percent of online purchases come from a smartphone or tablet computer.  The same source predicts that by 2017, that percentage will be up to 50 percent.

There is no doubt that online and mobile commerce is getting more pervasive.

Some may refer to this as the beginning of Web 3.0, the convergence of social and commercial media, or what is becoming known as social commerce, wherein smart marketers use the power of social media to drive word-of-mouth information and then offer customers a way to make an immediate purchase.

As we look towards the future, we see social commerce as a turning point for online businesses.  It gives users the power to make direct purchases of products recommended by friends.  Their credit card, address and personal information may even be eventually synced with their social media accounts.  The act of making purchases will be easier.

NetWaiter has provided restaurants an early avenue into social commerce for several years in the form of our Facebook integration.  When a customer places an online order through NetWaiter, they have the opportunity to use their Facebook account to login, which also provides the option to post a message about their order to their Facebook page.  Not only does the post give restaurants immediate promotion, but there is also a link back to the restaurant’s NetWaiter site for others to view the menu and place their own orders.

The truth is - customers have always had the power of word-of-mouth advertising.  For the most part, it was simply passed on in personal conversations.  Because much more is on the web now, word-of-mouth advertising provides restaurant owners significantly more leverage and the ability to capture additional sales.

Google's Think Insights recently published statistics that reminded us that not only is it important to have a mobile website, but it is also important to have a mobile website that delivers users quickly to what is important.

First, the broad view:

• When they visited a mobile website, 74% of people say they're more likely to return to that site in the future.
• 67% of mobile users say that when they visit a mobile website, they're more likely to buy a site's product or service.
• 48% said that if a site didn't work well on their smartphones, it made them feel like the company didn't care about their business.

Then there is the importance of a functional mobile website.

• 61% of users said that if they didn't find what they were looking for right away on a mobile website, they'd quickly move on to another site.
• 79% of people who don't like what they find on one site will go back and search for another site.
• 50% of people said that even if they like a business, they will use them less often if the website isn't mobile-friendly.

Think in terms of what an online ordering customer is looking for. Menu is at the top of the list. On the mobile website pages NetWaiter makes available for client restaurants, we design them so that the prospective customer is taken directly to the menu.

When designing a mobile  website, make sure a link to the menu is clearly visible on the first screen. 

A recent article in the online version of QSR quotes a 2012 Nielson study revealing that more than 90 percent of consumers say that recommendations from friends and family have the biggest effect on their purchasing behavior.

The Zocalo Group, a marketing agency in Chicago, reveals which social media tools work best for restaurants.

Although it is frustrating that they don't include any quantifiable numbers in the article, according to Paul Rand, the CEO of Zocalo, the #1 most credible source is YouTube. This is followed by someone liking a brand page and sharing it. The third favorite online vehicle for consumers is online brand reviews. 

The information was collected for Highly Recommended, a book Rand will release soon.

Rand says brands also shouldn’t be afraid to ask guests to give a recommendation. “Whether you’re large or small, give people opportunities to do what you want them to do," he told QSR Magazine. "People will recommend all day long when you ask them to do it.” 

Takeout continues to grow as a percentage of takeout business for restaurants. No wonder when many popular meals are more expensive to make at home (according to this Yahoo article) than ordering at a restaurant. And that says nothing about your time involved in putting the meal together. 

Take full advantage of that takeout market with online ordering from NetWaiter.