Perhaps you’ve read the studies. Certainly you’ve heard it from online ordering providers. Restaurants embrace online ordering in part because ticket averages are higher. But is this pure magic? Do customers automatically order more just because they are ordering online? Is it guaranteed to work for your restaurant?
So yes, you will likely see higher online ticket averages no matter what. But to maximize this benefit be sure to take advantage of the suggestive selling tools available in your online system. Here’s a few to consider.
According to a 2012 Technomic study, 90% of consumers say that visual food appeal is an important or very important factor influencing fast casual food purchases. When customers order online, appealing images of your food help to stimulate the appetite! Take every opportunity to present pictures, and make sure that your food is presented in the best possible way with well-staged, well lit and consistent photographs.
One of the most profitable ways to boost online ticket averages is to suggest add-ons for each item. Take a look through your online menu and try to ensure that every item has an option for an upsell or addition to the item itself. Adding chicken, or avocado to salads, add extra cheese or double toppings to pizza, even adding extra dipping sauce choices to your wings, is a popular and easy way for customers to indulge. Small add-ons may be inexpensive and thus easy for a customer to justify, but if you regularly add $.50 or $1.00 to an entree item, you’ll notice a big impact over the course of the year. Studies show that customers lose their inhibitions when ordering online and are much more likely to pile on toppings or extras - as long as you make it easy for them!
Every item that is available on your menu should have a complement. If you order a sandwich, you want to add fries or chips. If you order an entree, add a baked potato. If you order pizza, you’ll definitely want to add a drink or a family-sized salad. A good online ordering system will let you set up these combinations and will effectively present these options to the customer, as they are selecting their items. Intelligent systems even pick from several possible complements, based on what the customer has or has not already ordered. By providing these natural suggestions throughout the ordering process, you are introducing customers to items they may be unaware of, and reminding them of some of their favorites.
When the customer chooses to check out, it’s a great opportunity to review their order and make a final suggestion for any items they may have forgotten. If they have not included a drink, appetizer or dessert, a small prompt at the end of the order will encourage them to do so.
Unlike a harried employee who may forget to mention your new products, your weekly specials or your suggested upsells, your online ordering system is always consistent and reliable. Once you set up a solid suggestive selling plan, you can count on the system to execute correctly for every order. So make sure you are taking advantage of the power of upselling in your online ordering system, and watch those ticket averages increase!
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