Here are some tips on how to use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to increase the awareness of your restaurant and online ordering site.  Most digital cameras have a video function, so consider substituting still photos for video when the opportunity arises.

Show, Don’t Tell - People love pictures.  Ask one of your takeout customers to pose with their order when they come in to pick it up.  Maybe include the employee that assisted the customer too.

New Dishes - Offering a new takeout item on your menu?  Offer it first on your NetWaiter site, and promote it with photos sent out via social media: “Checkout our new dish – available only online!”

Pitch Your Promotions - Offering an incentive for ordering online?  Perhaps 50% off a dessert for orders over $15?  Make sure that gets posted via social media and include a photo of a dessert.

Tip of the Week – A lot of restaurants let their customers in on recipes.  Promote it online (as long as it’s not a secret family recipe).

Updates - New things are always happening at your restaurant.  Talk about them on Facebook and other platforms.

Tell Stories - Catering a special event, or hosting it at your restaurant?  Talk about it online.  Maybe a customer has a special story?  Ask them if you can share it online.

Launching later this month, NetWaiter's new Group Ordering feature will allow offices and other groups to order more easily.

When someone visits your NetWaiter online ordering site, they will have the opportunity to organize a Group Order.  To start a Group Order, the organizer simply invites friends or co-workers to join their group.  NetWaiter provides the ability to easily enter the email addresses of invitees, along with the option to include a message.  Each person receiving the email can accept or decline the invitation.  If they join the group, they are immediately guided to the restaurant’s menu to select their items.  When done, their items are submitted back to the organizer.  Once all orders have been collected, the host can submit the Group Order, along with payment and their desired pickup/delivery time.

The organizer can view their Group Order and the progress of each invitee.  The Group Order status shows the organizer who has accepted/declined the invitation, who is browsing the menu, and the order information from the people that have completed their order.

The group ordering function includes several convenient features for organizers, including the ability to save invitees.  The next time an organizer places a Group Order, they can automatically select people to include that they previously invited.  The host can also delete names as needed.  In addition, if someone was left out of a Group Order that should have been included, the organizer can invite them, even if the order is in progress.

Online group ordering is a major benefit for both customers and restaurants.  For instance, if an office is having a staff meeting during lunch, it’s easy for employees to initiate a Group Order at a local restaurant.  This saves the hassle of everyone ordering individually.  From the restaurant’s perspective, the orders are larger and more organized for easy preparation.

Group Orders mean more convenience, and for restaurants, more convenience means more business.