8 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Restaurant’s Online Ordering Website

Setting up an online ordering platform for your restaurant is one thing but getting traffic to your platform is another. To increase online sales, you need to find ways to promote your online ordering website. However, it takes strategic efforts and the right tools/technologies to succeed.

Join us as we explore the top 8 ways that restaurants can establish and market their online ordering website, including how a platform like GonnaOrder can help them achieve their goals.

Importance of Creating Online Ordering Website

The business world has undergone significant transformation courtesy of the ever-evolving digital technology. The increasing digitization has led to hospitality businesses embracing various tools such as online ordering websites to attract customers online. This has helped accommodate the changing customer needs and preferences, where the majority of the customers prefer online ordering.

An online ordering website is a digital platform that enables users to browse, select, and purchase products or services over the internet. Such tools have proved beneficial in streamlining order delivery and improving customer convenience. For instance, customers do not need to go to the restaurant and wait for long queues before their orders are processed. Instead, they can order meals and drinks online and have them delivered at their doorstep. Alternatively, they can order online and go to pick them at their pleasure through pickup ordering.

Making Your Online Ordering Website Visible

Creating an online ordering website alone isn’t enough to guarantee success. Like any other project, you need to ensure existing and potential customers and search engines can discover your website. And that’s where the concept of promoting your online ordering website comes in handy. By promoting your online ordering website, you increase its visibility, attract customers, and boost sales. This enhances the overall success of your hospitality business in today’s digitally driven economy.

Here are 8 ways to promote your online ordering website:

Embed Digital Ordering on Your Website

Embedding digital ordering on your website allows customers to easily find the ordering page and place an order when visiting your website. This streamlines the ordering process and promotes online sales.
GonnaOrder allows you to embed digital ordering into your website in several ways. For instance, you can embed it on your website header by putting a link or a button on your website. Also, you can use a widget which you can embed on your online ordering website as an iframe. Simply copy and paste the code of the GonnaOrder widget on your website pages. Customers can quickly place orders and view your menu directly on a page in your website.

Enable Facebook Ordering

Facebook is a widely used social media platform worldwide. In fact, it had about 3 billion monthly active users (MAU) as of the second quarter of 2023. This platform provides a great opportunity to promote your online ordering website through Facebook Ads, page posts, and the messenger app. You can target specific demographics, reach a wider audience, and offer direct ordering link to your website.

One of the standout features of Facebook is its ordering capabilities. Facebook allows you to enable ordering of food and drinks on your Facebook page. This feature can help you promote your online ordering website – and GonnaOrder can help you achieve this goal.

You can easily promote your GonnaOrder Menu via your Facebook page, encouraging customers to order online. Also, you can customize the button to “Order Food” and insert Gonnaorder store link. This significantly streamlines the ordering process, driving higher sales.

Check out a detailed guide on how to enable ordering through your Facebook page.

Share Flyers on Every Delivery Order

Restaurants often use flyers to promote their menus to customers in the neighbourhood and prompt customers to order via the phone. Flyers provide a physical touchpoint to engage customers. When a restaurant has an online ordering website it is important to include a QR code and a link to the online ordering website to promote customers to order online. Sharing flyers with every delivery order is crucial in reminding customers to order through your own ordering website. This informs your customers about your digital presence and encourages them to explore more about your offerings online. As a result, it can attract traffic to your online ordering website, encouraging more customers to order from there.

GonnaOrder allows you to easily download and print ready-made store flyers for your restaurant. These flyers provide an overview of how customers can contact or reach your store. Also, the flyers contain your store’s cover image, logo, address, and social media handles. This way, customers can learn more about your store’s offerings, visit the URL, view your menu, or place orders by scanning the QR code, and initiate a conversation on social media. All these actions promote your online ordering website.

Contact Customers via a Newsletter

A newsletter is a regular publication, usually distributed through email. It contains information, promotions, articles, or updates related to a specific business or organization. Also, it keeps subscribers engaged, connected, and informed about your business.

Newsletters are a great way to promote your online ordering website. For instance, you can promote new menu items, send special offers, and share discount vouchers with your loyal customers. By collecting customer email addresses through your ordering website, you can use them for email marketing campaigns.

With GonnaOrder, you can capture phone numbers and emails when customers place their orders in your store. Download this information and add it to your customer relationship management (CRM) software or newsletter platform. This will help you create targeted newsletters to capture your audience’s attention, promoting your online ordering website.

Create Online Ads

More people browse looking for different things online, from ordering food to looking for local restaurants. Therefore, creating online ads to promote your online ordering website can help you reach a broader audience as they surf online. These online ads increase your online visibility. However, before creating ads, you must understand how they work to effectively reach your targeted audience. For instance, you must understand the target audience to create relevant ad content.

What’s more, you must select suitable advertising platforms to promote your online ordering website. For instance, you can work with social media, Google, or display ads. Understanding your audience is key to choosing the advertising channel and creating ads that resonate with your audience.

Tools such as GonnaOrder recognize the value of your marketing efforts. It allows you to measure how your Facebook and Google Ads are performing through Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics. This helps you assess the effectiveness of your ad campaigns and optimizes targeting.

Create a Google Business Profile

Most buyers discover new restaurants and stores via online reviews and search engines. Google has made it even easier to make your business visible online through Google Business Profile. Listing your online ordering business on Google enables you to appear on Google Maps and local search results.

However, creating the profile alone isn’t enough. Optimize the Google Business Profile to rank higher on Google Maps and attract customers. Also, include relevant details about your store, such as contact, address, photos, and website. This will enhance your business credibility and attract customers.

Additionally, include the link of your ordering website to receive orders. You can embed your GonnaOrder ordering link to promote faster and seamless ordering for your store.

Add Your Store QR Code on the Paper Menu

Traditional paper menus are still used in restaurants. However, we live in a digitally advanced era, where more people prefer online ordering services. Therefore, transforming paper menus into “promotional” materials for your online ordering website is crucial. But how do you achieve this goal?

One of the ways to promote your website is by adding your store QR code on the paper menu. The QR code allows customers to instantly scan and view your restaurant’s menu using their phones. A customer that is satisfied with your restaurant’s services would save the online ordering website of your restaurant, so that they can order online in the future. GonnaOrder enables you to quickly enhance your paper menu with a QR code of your online ordering website.

Use Messaging and SMS Marketing

It’s no secret that people spend a lot of time on their phones. Therefore, text messages can be effective in connecting with your customers. Also, you can craft your SMS to funnel the customer to your online ordering website.

If you haven’t done SMS marketing before, you may take trial and error before creating the right text. Here are a few tips to consider when crafting your messages that encourage the audience to visit your online ordering website:

  • Include your website link in every message.
  • Use a call to action (CTA) prompt.
  • Send new product alerts.
  • Request customer feedback.
  • Include text-only coupons

What’s more, you can use other messaging platforms to market your online ordering websites. For instance, you can use WhatsApp, Viber, or other popular alternatives to SMS. This will help you reach more potential customers across different channels.

Conclusion

Promoting your online ordering website can be challenging. However, if done correctly, it can unlock your business to new growth opportunities, taking it to the next level. While the list may not be exhaustive, these 8 strategies can be a great starting point to promoting your online ordering website. Note that partnering with the right platforms, like GonnaOrder, is crucial, as it can help you market your online ordering website faster and more efficiently.

So why wait? Sign up and start promoting your online ordering website with GonnaOrder today!

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