You’ve signed up with YUMBI and you’re motivated and focused to start making a real difference in your online food ordering effort. But before you roll out your new online food ordering platform and go-live, here’s what you need to do for a successful launch.
- Grab the opportunity to inform your customers
First up, you need to inform and educate your customers about your launch. At this point, they’ll be blissfully unaware of your intentions. Provide your customers with as much information as you can about your new online restaurant. Here are some details to include in your communication
- Announce the launch of the app and website, and the specific date you will go-live.
- Inform customers that your quick-service restaurant will be available on the app, website, desktop, and mobile – on Android and IOS.
- Mention a few key features that will benefit your customers – easy ordering, personalised profile, and safe and secure payments.
- Give your customers the value-adds – promos, specials, vouchers.
- Provide the download links to the Google Play and Apple App Store.
- Embrace conventional communication
Advertising your quick-service restaurant food ordering website and app to customers in-store allows you to answer any questions they may have face-to-face. Your customers may be pleasantly surprised to know that they can order ahead and skip the queue, or place an order directly for delivery by using your restaurant’s website or app. The material you can use in-store to reach your customers includes:
- Banners
- Leaflets
- Table Talkers
- Pull-up banners
Whatever in-store materials you use, keep your messaging clear, simple, and to the point. Use messaging like:
“Skip the queue: order online for collection in-store. Download our app.”
“Online-only deals: Download our app now to qualify. Ask us how.”
Penetration into your surrounding community can be effectively accomplished through the targeted use of “knock and drop” flyers. Distribute them to nearby homes, offices, public transport hubs, institutions of higher education, sports clubs, and more to get tongues wagging. Remember, word-of-mouth is just as powerful as it ever was!
Live reads on regional radio stations are also effective at reaching your local community at large. Substantially cheaper than conventional radio advertising, regional stations are often happy to negotiate good deals and packages for you.
- Remember the human touch
Many restaurants have had great success with Online Ordering Ambassadors based in their restaurants. These Ambassadors interact with walk-in customers, creating launch awareness and assisting with app downloads or online registrations. The result is immediate customer engagement which allows them to start ordering online at your restaurant without delay. It’s a win-win situation all around.
- Allow yourself to be packaging proud
Packaging can be used in many creative ways, encouraging customers to use your website and app to place orders. This is an excellent way to steer any walk-in customers towards ordering online. Promoting your online channels on your packaging also offers an indirect awareness upside. For example, if a voucher code redeemable for a customer’s first online purchase is included on your packaging, this is a tremendous incentive for an in-store customer to switch to online ordering.
- Take a moment to think about online awareness
There has never been a better time in history than right now to create genuine awareness. This is especially true when it comes to online. Social media sites abound. But tread cautiously here. Decide which platforms are best suited to your customer base, and very importantly, which of these you can pay real attention to in terms of regular post updates. Look at the ‘Big Four’ – Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Select 2, maybe 3 of these platforms. Tell your community you’re launching and get excited about it – responsibly. You can post text messages, in-store photos with text messages, and even short videos. Always make sure your spelling and punctuation are correct. Use good grammar. Use good-quality photos and videos. Do this and you’ll create a great deal of interest. Encourage app downloads, all the while providing short posts that inform, educate and excite.
- Mix and match for best results
Using the guidelines above, mix and match your advertising approach for best results. You don’t need to use every suggestion we’ve provided, but consider each and then decide which combination will work best for your QSR customers specific to your area.
If you need any further advice, remember, our Customer Success Team is always at hand to provide you with professional, specialist advice.
Not yet on the YUMBI platform? Contact us at connect@yumbi.com for a free demo.