Posted by Tim on June 20, 2014
The number of smartphone users now rivals desktop users, says a recent report. Online
visits from smartphones, however, are nearly twice the number of desktop visits.
If you doubt this, think about how many times you check things on the Internet using your phone while on the go. It makes sense, huh?
Mobile is often the only tool used for making buying decisions when it comes to restaurants. Even better, restaurants have the highest conversion rate from a search to a purchase/visit – it’s a whopping 80%!
Here are some more head-turning numbers:
• 50% of restaurant searches are done on smartphones.
• When asked about the most important medium for making a buying decision, 42% say it is their mobile phone.
• 51% of mobile users use their device at the start of the purchasing process and nearly half of those rely on their mobile device all the way through the purchasing process.
• When it comes to restaurants, a mobile customer is a hot lead. Two-thirds of those looking for a restaurant plan on making a purchase the same day (or within minutes).
With NetWaiter as
your restaurant's online ordering service, you don’t have to worry about your
mobile site – we’ve handled it for you because we realize how important mobile is in today’s competitive restaurant business. Make sure your customers know they can visit your online site with their mobile device!
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Mobile Ordering,
Mobile Website,
Takeout,
Takeout Food,
NetWaiter,
Need States
This is Part 2 in a series of articles about attracting the “need states” of online customers - the needs and key decision-making points of each customer segment. The last piece addressed
Special Occasion Customers. Today we address Routine Customers.
Routine Customers. According to a recent survey in the restaurant industry, about 30% of patrons account for 60% of the traffic in a restaurant. These are the customers you want. What interests these Routine Customers?
• Convenience. There are things you can do to enhance convenience beyond just the
ability to order from a mobile phone – specified takeout parking and a separate pickup line for takeout orders inside your restaurant are both great. If possible, you can step it up another level and add curbside delivery in your parking lot.
• Outreach to the local area. We know of a sandwich shop that partnered with a property manager, supplying complementary salads as part of a tenant appreciation day at a local office complex. Each complimentary salad included a card with an online ordering promo code. Every person within the office complex immediately knew about their restaurant, how good their salads are, and had a discount on their next online order.
• More outreach. Respond to what’s going on in the community. Harsh weather? What kind of special offer can you email to your customers to help alleviate their pain? A well-known burger chain in California sent their mobile truck to the site of some local flooding a number of years ago and handed out free burgers. Talk about developing word of mouth!
Up Next: Part 3 - Attracting impulse customers to order online.
Posted by Tim on October 18, 2014
You may have noticed NetWaiter recently released some upgrades to its
restaurant online ordering system. So far, the customer feedback has been great and we hope you’re hearing good things too. Here are a few of the upgrades:
More Attractive Site – NetWaiter has created a smoother, more attractive site for customers as they navigate their way through your online ordering site. The general ordering process has not changed much, however, please feel free to evaluate your custom site design to determine if any ‘refreshing’ may be warranted.
Enhanced Mobile Ordering – Your site is now more user friendly on mobile devices. Your previous mobile site has been upgraded for easier navigation and performance. NetWaiter has also extended the Group Ordering feature to be available from mobile devices. Previously, customers could only join a Group Order from their mobile device. Now you can initiate a Group Order from any device/computer.
Stronger URL Branding – Previously, when a customer visited your NetWaiter online ordering site, the URL would be shown as
www.netwaiter.com/Your_Restaurant. Now, your restaurant name is shown first, to better reflect your restaurant and brand:
Your_Restaurant/netwaiter.com. You do not need to make any changes to the links you have on your website – customers will automatically be redirected.
Posted by Tim on October 18, 2014
Making sure your
restaurant attracts as many online customers as possible depends, in part, on understanding the “need states” of customers – the needs and key decision-making points of each customer segment. This is the first of three articles looking at the various types of online customers and their specific needs. Part 1 looks at Special Occasion Customers.
Part 2 will discuss Routine Customers, and Part 3 will address Impulse Customers.
Special Occasion Customers. These patrons want to celebrate a special event – i.e. a birthday or job promotion - with a special takeout meal they can enjoy at home or at some other special location.
• Reliable, dependable service. Customers know they can depend on you to come through when it really counts. Their online order is ready when they come in, and the food is always great.
• Attractive, leak-proof containers. No one wants to mar the occasion by having to clean up a mess. Also, make sure those containers allow for the best presentation of the meal. Customers don’t want to open a container and be confronted with “takeout mush.”
• Special Offers. You might be able to make an extra sale if you offer something special - like a pair of candles to complement their nice meal. This customer can be easily upsold items because they are ordering for a “special” dinner. The best way to capture that extra revenue is to cross-sell, like suggesting side orders with entrees.
• What type of special occasion? You can ask the customer as part of the checkout process: Is this a special occasion? If so, what type? Based on their answer, you may be able to provide them something special to recognize their celebration.
