Despite the obvious challenges and setbacks that 2020 has thrown our way, it has also been a year in which takeaways have flourished, with a 93% increase in Foodhub orders between February and May!*
That being said, takeaways can always be doing more to increase their sales and encourage customers to keep coming back for more. Read on for Foodhub’s top six tips on increasing your sales:
Make sure your online presence is up to scratch
Promote the ease of ordering online
Once you have your online presence established, you need to make sure you are promoting it to your customers – both new and existing. Especially as we move closer and closer to a cashless society, it’s important to promote the fact that customers can order online and pay by card. This can be done by in-store advertising to showcase the option of online ordering to walk-in customers, but also by utilising digital tools such as paid advertising.
Make sure your user experience is as good as it can be
This may be the third point about online ordering, but that should only serve to reinforce the importance of ordering online to takeaway lovers! If you’re promoting the ease of ordering online, you need to make it genuinely easy – with easily navigable menus, clear pricing and a straightforward checkout procedure. Consumers won’t return to your app if it’s difficult to use or long-winded.
Respond to every review – good or bad
In the present day, it’s a fact that people love to write reviews – and with endless platforms on which to do just that, it can seem like an uphill struggle to keep on top of them. However, it’s important to respond to as many reviews as you can, particularly on your own site or social media, as that’s where people will often turn to make their opinion heard. As well as showing empathy with customers who may not have had a good experience, be sure to thank those who have left positive reviews, as these are a fantastic resource to promote your brand to other potential customers.
Offer personalisation, but make sure orders are accurate
Another indisputable fact is that people love to personalise their food orders. Extra cheese, no onion, swapping ketchup for mayo… Customers increasingly expect to be able to personalise their meals, and you need to offer that option on your app or website. The follow up to this is obviously ensuring that orders are then accurate, with special requests catered for. Adding this element of flexibility to your menu will go a long way with picky customers, and will give your food the personal touch!
Be reactive
A key step towards being at the forefront of people’s minds is being reactive to what’s going on in the world around you. During the COVID pandemic, we have all seen brands offering special offers to NHS workers, or producing different items than they normally would in order to provide key items. Whilst this may not be completely applicable to takeaways, there are still ways in which takeaways can be agile and quickly react to unfolding events – offering special discounts in an area which has been locked down for example, or selling promotional items seasonally e.g. for Halloween or Christmas.
For more information on how Foodhub can help your takeaway reach the next level, visit foodhub.co.uk/become-a-partner.
*Based on Foodhub data – 305,188 orders in February, 590,291 orders in May.
