Hey there! Setting up online food ordering can be a game changer for driving revenue growth at your restaurant. As someone who‘s helped restaurants boost profits for over 15 years, I‘m excited to share this comprehensive guide on how to easily add online ordering to your WordPress website.
Let‘s dive in!
Contents
Why You Should Be Offering Online Ordering at Your Restaurant
Here are the main reasons why online ordering is a must-have these days:
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According to Toast POS, online orders have a 20% higher average ticket size compared to phone orders. That‘s serious revenue left on the table without it!
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A survey by Square found that 61% of customers prefer to order food online rather than call the restaurant. Catering to this preference is key.
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Online ordering allows customers to view your full menu and order anytime, anywhere. The convenience leads to more orders and fewer missed sales opportunities.
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With custom branded ordering forms, customers get a seamless ordering experience that builds loyalty to your brand.
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Taking orders online can reduce errors that are common with phone orders, improving customer satisfaction.
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An online ordering system cuts down staff time spent taking orders. This frees them up to focus on preparation and service.
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In a competitive market, an online ordering option has become a must-have that customers expect. It‘s vital to stay up-to-date.
Clearly, integrating online ordering into your restaurant business is one of the best ways to boost your bottom line.
Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Started
Here‘s an overview of what you need to set up online food ordering with WordPress:
1. Get a Reliable Restaurant Website
A website gives customers a place to go to order food from your restaurant online.
WordPress is the best platform for restaurant websites. Here‘s how I would recommend getting started:
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Choose a domain – Pick a domain name that matches your restaurant brand, like yourrestaurant.com.
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Get hosting – Bluehost is the top WordPress hosting service. Sign up for their recommended plan that includes free domain registration.
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Install WordPress – Use Bluehost‘s 1-click installer to get WordPress up in under 5 minutes. No tech expertise needed.
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Select a theme – Pick a restaurant-specific theme like Foodica to design your entire site.
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Add menu/hours/contact pages – Create essential pages for your menu, restaurant hours, about us, contact, etc.
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Include key details – Like your phone number, address, delivery zones, etc so customers can place orders.
This will give you a fully functioning restaurant website built on WordPress as the foundation for online ordering.
2. Build an Online Order Form
Once your site is ready, you need to create a customized order form where customers can place orders.
For this, I recommend using WPForms, the most beginner-friendly WordPress form builder. Here are the key steps:
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Install WPForms and activate the license.
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Create a new form called "Food Order Form" or something similar.
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Add single line text fields for name, phone number, email address, etc.
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Use drop-downs for your menu items, delivery time, etc.
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Enable multiple selections for menu items.
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Add a paragraph field for special instructions.
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Make address field required to get delivery details.
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Set up order confirmation message.
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Use provided templates as a starting point.
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Customize fields, layout, colors, fonts as needed.
Your branded order form lets customers easily place orders on your site 24/7.
3. Collect Payments from Customers
You‘ll want to collect payment when customers place an order. Here are some options:
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Accept payments through PayPal by integrating it with WPForms. Easy checkout.
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Connect Stripe to accept payments directly on your site.
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Choose "Cash on delivery" for in-person payment collection.
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Add a "Total" field that calculates order amounts.
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Redirect to payment gateway after order submission.
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Send email receipts with payment info.
Collecting payments upfront ensures you get paid for every online order.
4. Manage Orders Across Your Systems
To run your restaurant efficiently, you need to:
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Set up email notifications to the right staff when orders are placed.
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Include order details like items purchased, quantities, etc in emails.
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Print orders directly from your WordPress admin.
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Sync online orders into your POS and accounting systems using plugins like OnePOS.
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View orders under "Entries" in WPForms for easy access.
Seamlessly managing online orders is vital for order accuracy and speedy delivery.
Tips to Optimize Online Ordering Performance
To maximize benefits, here are some additional tips:
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Promote online ordering across your website with buttons, banners, etc.
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Train staff on efficiently processing high online order volumes.
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Offer discounts or freebies for first-time online customers.
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Track metrics like conversion rates to improve your system.
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Set up email/SMS reminders for customers to order online.
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Highlight online ordering on Google Business and social media.
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Test ordering process thoroughly before launch. Fix any issues.
Optimizing your online ordering system helps drive more sales and happy customers!
I hope this step-by-step WordPress guide gives you clarity and confidence to get online food ordering set up for your restaurant. Reach out if you need any help or have additional questions!
