Millions of people are ordering food online—through computers, tablets, and smartphones—because it’s fast, convenient, and easy.

Read on to learn more about this movement, and how you can satisfy customers, boost efficiency, and increase orders.

Provide On-demand Customer Convenience

Today’s connected consumers are accustomed to convenience and speed at their fingertips. Online ordering provides these customers with the expedient, on-demand services they are used to:

• Easy Service. Online ordering platforms allow diners to order food anywhere, any time with just a few clicks, and also check online order status.
• Faster Ordering. According to Grubhub, 70% percent of adult diners attribute technology with faster service. Diners quickly get the food they crave without the hassles of having a lengthy phone conversation or waiting in line to place and pay for their orders.
• Improved accuracy. Customers browse menu details thoroughly online, while pulldown menus and pre-determined options help reduce the opportunity for errors.
• Speedy re-ordering. With their payment and order details captured, repeat customers enjoy even faster checkout times on return visits.

Restaurants Operate More Efficiently

Online ordering helps restaurants streamline operations, so there’s more time to make great food and concentrate on other aspects of the business. Implementing an online ordering system can lead to many improvements throughout your restaurant, including:

• A more productive staff. Accepting orders online frees up front-of-house staff. Instead of being tied up on the phone, or in the back processing orders and payments, front-line staff has more time to service other customers.
• Easier order fulfillment. Online orders make it easier for kitchens to fulfill orders accurately. Orders come through in a consistent, thorough manner with less chance of miscommunication and human error.
• Faster processing. Automation streamlines the ordering process, allowing restaurants to fulfill more orders. For instance, in The Restauranteur’s Guide to Online Ordering, the owner of Atomic Wings in NYC reports his restaurant is able to process two orders every minute using Grubhub.

New customers, increased profits outreach

Those who haven’t integrated online ordering yet are essentially cutting themselves off from a steadily-growing revenue stream of hungry, technologically-demanding diners. Grab your share of their online orders to gain new business and keep pace with the competition:

• Competitive Edge. Conveniences like online ordering are often must-haves for new customers. For instance, technology is a factor in choosing restaurants for 24% of diners, and even more so for millennials choosing quick-service restaurants (32%). Don’t let a lack of technology be the reason a new customer selects another restaurant over yours.
• Discover a New Customer Base. Attract modern diners who prefer to order online. Online ordering puts your restaurant on the map for these customers who would otherwise ignore your restaurant.
• Delivery Opportunities. Restaurants that already deliver will see a boost in delivery orders by implementing online ordering. Those who don’t deliver yet will find that online ordering provides an easier path to this lucrative segment of the restaurant business.

Implementing Online Ordering Is Easier with Grubhub

After considering the benefits and rewards of online ordering, you may be ready to get started.

Grubhub can help you make the jump in as easy and convenient as possible, by providing you with an ordering link to add to your existing website, allowing diners to place orders right from your website.

Learn more about how online ordering increases efficiency in your restaurant.

Ready to reach new customers and grow your business with Grubhub? Sign up today!