In today’s fast-paced world, convenience is king. Customers no longer want to call and place an order over the phone or wait in long queues. Instead, they prefer to order food online quickly, easily, and directly from the restaurants they love. For restaurant owners, this shift presents a huge opportunity to drive more sales, improve customer satisfaction, and increase brand loyalty.
With platforms like Teem, enabling online food ordering from your restaurant’s website or branded app is easier than ever. In this blog, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know from setting up a seamless system to promoting your new ordering platform.
The restaurant industry has changed significantly in recent years. Customers now expect to be able to browse your menu, customize their meal, and complete their order without leaving their couch. Here’s why you should let your customers order food online directly from your restaurant:
1. Increased Sales and Order Volume
Online food ordering increases both the frequency and size of customer orders. Unlike in-person orders, customers aren’t rushed; they can take their time and explore the entire menu. This often leads to upsells and higher average ticket values.
2. Direct Connection with Your Customers
When you use third-party apps, you don’t get full access to customer data. By offering direct online food ordering, you can collect emails, phone numbers, and preferences helping you build loyalty and run targeted marketing campaigns.
3. Better Brand Experience
Customers interacting directly with your website or mobile app enjoy a consistent, branded experience. You control the look, feel, and user flow from browsing to checkout.
4. Avoid High Commissions
Food delivery apps charge commissions between 15%–30% per order. By using your own restaurant ordering system, you keep 100% of your revenue.
Now that we’ve established the benefits, let’s explore how to actually set up online food ordering for your restaurant.
Step 1: Choose the Right Online Ordering Platform
First, select a platform that’s built for restaurants and offers features such as:
Teem is a powerful solution that allows restaurants to launch their own online food ordering platform without the need for technical expertise or third-party dependence.
Step 2: Set Up a Digital Menu
Your digital menu is the heart of your online ordering system. Ensure it’s:
A well-designed digital menu can significantly increase conversions.
Step 3: Integrate Secure Payment Options
Provide multiple secure payment options including Apple Pay, credit/debit cards, wallets, and even cash on delivery. This increases convenience and trust.
Step 4: Configure Order Management
Make sure the backend dashboard allows your staff to accept, decline, and manage orders in real-time. Teem’s restaurant dashboard is designed to keep you in control and avoid any missed orders.
Your website is the first point of contact with potential customers. A poor experience can cause drop-offs. Here’s how to optimize it:
1. Make It Mobile-First
Over 70% of customers use their phones to order food online. Ensure your site loads fast and looks perfect on smaller screens.
2. Add High-Impact CTAs
Encourage action with buttons like:
These CTAs should be clearly visible on all key pages.
3. Use SEO-Optimized Content
Ensure that your homepage and menu pages include keywords like:
Maintain a 1% keyword density to stay aligned with Google’s ranking guidelines.
You’ve set everything up. Now it’s time to attract traffic and boost orders.
1. Social Media Marketing
Use Instagram, Facebook, and even local influencers to spread the word. Share tempting food visuals with links to your online ordering system. Use hashtags like #OrderOnline or #DeliveryNearMe.
2. Google Business Profile
Update your Google Business listing to include your online food ordering link. This can help boost visibility in local searches.
3. SMS and Email Campaigns
Send promotions to your customer list with limited-time deals or coupons. Encourage customers to order directly from your website instead of third-party apps.
4. Run Google Ads for Local Search
Use keywords like “order food online near me” or “best restaurant delivery [city name]” to run targeted ads. Teem integrates well with marketing tools to help you scale faster.
Now that you’re getting orders, make sure you deliver a flawless customer experience.
1. Communicate Timely
Send real-time order status updates via SMS or push notifications. Keep your customers in the loop to avoid frustration.
2. Maintain Food Quality
Packaging is crucial. Use containers that keep the food fresh, warm, and presentable. Your packaging reflects your brand.
3. Gather Reviews
After delivery, ask customers for feedback. Use positive reviews to promote your service, and learn from negative ones to improve.
Mistakes can happen, but avoiding these can help you retain more customers:
All of these issues can affect your order volume and repeat customer rate.
Teem is more than just a website builder. It’s a complete restaurant ordering system that helps you go digital without losing your brand’s identity. Here’s why restaurants love Teem:
Whether you run a single outlet or a multi-branch restaurant, Teem helps you streamline your operations and grow online.
As consumer preferences evolve, restaurants that adapt to digital trends will stay ahead of the competition. By allowing customers to order food online directly from your restaurant, you gain control over the customer experience, boost your margins, and build brand loyalty.
It’s time to skip the third-party commissions and start owning your orders. Partner with Teem and launch your restaurant’s online food ordering platform with ease.
