Customers love the convenience of online ordering (it’s the reason why Amazon is so popular, after all!). This holds true not only when it comes to shopping, but also dining. And now that diners can order from your restaurant with the click of a button instead of a phone call, you’re on track for success! Beyond the convenience of online ordering, it can also benefit your business by driving higher order values and increased revenue.
But here’s the catch: if no one knows you offer online ordering, you won’t reap these benefits. To truly make the most of this additional revenue stream, you need to know how to promote your restaurant online ordering system.
In this guide to online ordering promotions, you’ll find:
- 4 easy ways to market your online ordering
- Free templates for signage, QR code flyers, and social media graphics to help you spread the word
Download these social media templates to spread the word about online ordering at your restaurant.
Simple Ways to Promote Your Online Ordering
Picture this: it’s a busy Friday night and you’ve gotten lots of online orders, but not a single phone call to your restaurant asking whether you offer online ordering. Consider this a sign of marketing done right!
Try these restaurant promotion ideas to get the word out to your customers.
1. Update Your Website & Social Media
Today’s diners start the search for their next great meal online. So, if you haven’t already, be sure to add a bright, bold “Order Online” button to your website in a location where visitors will be sure to spot it.
Next, update your restaurant’s Instagram, Facebook, and Google Business profiles with your ordering link, so that any customers who find you on social media instead of your website can easily click through to place an order.
Pro Tip: Create a post on Instagram and Facebook announcing or reminding customers that you offer online ordering. Pin it to the top of your feed and share it as a story. As with all of your restaurant marketing, be sure to use branded images and captions for your online ordering social media content. We’ve got you covered in the template section of this article!
2. Email & SMS Marketing to Existing Customers
Your loyal customers already love your food, so why not make it even easier for them to order? Send a short email blast to your diner list encouraging them to order online, and include a link that’ll take customers directly to your online ordering platform.
Try SMS marketing, too. You can send a short, simple message, such as, “Your favorite dishes are just a click away! Order online here: [Link]”
Pro Tip: You can sweeten the deal by offering a small first-time discount for all online orders. It’s as easy as including a few words in your email or SMS message saying, “Get 10% off your first online order!”.
3. Train Your Staff to Promote It
Your servers, hosts, and cashiers can be an incredible front-line marketing team – as long as they know how to market your restaurant. So, ask them to mention online ordering to every customer they speak to in person at your venue or over the phone, and ensure they have the information they need to promote it properly.
For an added layer of promotion, you can also include a business card with every receipt you print or every takeout order you sell that will guide customers to your online ordering platform. This way, they can quickly access it in the future.
Pro Tip: Our customizable templates include a printable flyer for in-store promotion. Don’t forget to grab yours at the bottom of this article.
4. Run a Limited-Time Promotion to Drive First-Time Orders
Want to jumpstart your online orders? A temporary deal will get diners clicking fast. Start by creating a one-time discount or offering a free item as an add-on to all online orders. Then, announce the promotion on social media, to your email list, and on in-store signage.
The key here is to use the time-tested marketing tactic of urgency when you describe the promotion: “This week only – get a free side with your first online order!”
Pro Tip: Don’t start from scratch when you run this promotion. Use our social media templates to announce the offer. It’ll be a piece of cake!
Free Customizable Templates to Get You Started
We know it can be challenging to invest time into promoting online ordering when your to-do list is as long as a record-breaking strand of spaghetti. To take one thing off your plate, we’ve created a few marketing assets to help you spread the word about online ordering at your restaurant, including templates for social media to promote online ordering during various peak holiday times.
Why these particular templates? First, a simple way to make sure you promote online ordering regularly is to tie social media posts to restaurant holiday promotions with relevant messaging graphics in the time leading up to the big day. And our templates below will help you do exactly that!
Second, people celebrate holidays with food, so they’ll be looking for restaurants to help them mark the occasion. When customers find out via social media that you offer online ordering, it could entice them to celebrate that special holiday with you (and order again in the future, post-holiday season).
All of our holiday online ordering templates were created using Canva, which is a free, easy-to-use design tool. With Canva, you can download each template as-is, or customize it to match your restaurant’s unique branding. We’ve even included a general template that you can use to promote online ordering at any time of year.
All you have to do is:
- Click the button below each template to visit the corresponding Canva page.
- Create a free Canva account or log in to your existing account if you have one.
- Customize the graphics with Canva’s easy drag-and-drop tools to match your restaurant’s branding. You can also easily resize the images if needed.
- After downloading your final graphics to promote your online ordering, customize our pre-written sample social media post text to pair with your post.
- Schedule these posts using your social media scheduling tool of choice.
- Then, carry on with business as usual and watch the online orders roll in!
1. Christmas Template
Use this online ordering promotion template in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Let customers know that if they want to stay cozy at home for the holidays, but don’t want to cook, your restaurant has got them covered! Pair the graphic with the sample text below.
Sample Social Media Post Text:
“While you’re busy buying gifts for loved ones this holiday season, don’t forget to treat yourself! Skip the cooking this year and order a delicious Christmas dinner from our family to yours. Online ordering is available.”
2. Thanksgiving Template
Thanksgiving is all about sharing great food and gratitude with your favorite people. Capitalize on these generous feelings – and big appetites – by tying this social media template to Thanksgiving-time online ordering promotions. Mid-September in Canada and early November in the U.S. are good times to start sharing this post.
Sample Social Media Post Text:
“Happy Thanksgiving! This holiday and every day, we’re grateful for our customers. Celebrate with us by ordering online. Because a great meal is even better when you don’t have to prepare it.”
3. Valentine’s Day Template
People who show love through food will be looking for a delicious meal on Valentine’s Day. Share the love with those who prefer to dine at home by sharing this Valentine’s Day template at the end of January and early February to promote online ordering.
Sample Social Media Post Text:
“You + your favorite meal = the perfect match! Order online this Valentine’s Day and enjoy something special just for you, or to share with someone you love.”
4. Mother’s Day Template
Use this template to incentivize customers to order a meal to enjoy at home with Mom on Mother’s Day. Share it on social media in the weeks leading up to the big day, and afterward, send an email to all guests who ordered, inviting Mom to sign up for your loyalty program after her meal.
Sample Social Media Post Text:
“Celebrate Mom from the comfort of home! Order online and enjoy a delicious meal together – because she deserves the best, today and every day.”
5. Summer Template
When temperatures rise, people want to spend less time in the kitchen. Take advantage of this summer vibe and help your customers make family meals easier by using this seasonal template to boost online ordering promotions.
Sample Social Media Post Template:
“Treat yourself all summer long – no reservations needed, and no vying for a spot on the patio. Order online and enjoy your favorite dishes, wherever summer takes you!”
6. Generic Template
While holidays are excellent times to promote your online ordering, you can encourage customers to order from you at any time of year! This generic template helps you do exactly that.
Sample Social Media Post Template:
“Cravings don’t wait, so why should you? Order online anytime and enjoy your favorites from the comfort of home. Easy, fast, and just the way you like it!”
Get Online Orders Coming in Today
Diners love the ease of online ordering. Giving them the ability to order from your restaurant with a click instead of a phone call can turn first-time customers into raving fans. It can also mean greater revenue for your business. Amplify your online ordering with these four simple strategies and our free customizable templates, and you’ll be driving more orders in no time.
Megan is the Content Marketing Specialist at TouchBistro, where she uses her passion for food to write about the restaurant industry. She’s a big “foodie” at heart, and you can always find her enjoying a delicious meal at a restaurant with friends and family, or cooking one up at home. She also loves relaxing with a good book and making progress at the gym.
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