At the moment, many companies are looking into food delivery either as a primary or secondary source of income. It makes sense, especially under social distancing restrictions and government lockdown. However, there’s a few things you’ll need to consider if you’re going to find success in a competitive market.

In this article, we’ll outline a few of the things you’ll need to not just facilitate food deliveries, but to establish a customer-base and make a return on your investment.

Taking Orders

Processing a takeaway order isn’t as simple as it used to be. Gone are the days when you just needed a phone line, a pen, and some paper – companies like Just Eat and Deliveroo have normalised online booking, raising the standards and leaving telephone-only restaurants behind. 

Getting on Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats and so on is an obvious choice. Not only is this the preferred method of purchase for many customers, but it exposes you to new customers who might be browsing for a new experience, rather than looking for their already-established local.

However, taking orders through your website is another underused and undervalued option. Firstly, these third-party delivery apps can take a significant cut of your sale, anywhere from 20-30%. This is a significant cost, especially in an industry where margins are already fine. Taking orders directly means you can avoid these fees entirely. 

The benefits don’t stop there though. Having an ordering system on your site also makes things as easy as possible for customers who might have Googled your business for more information or to see your menu, creating a smooth and effective sales funnel. 

There are a lot of options from third-party plugins to custom-coded solutions. Our web development team will listen to your exact needs and budget, and suggest a solution which is perfectly tailored for your business. 

Getting the Word Out There

Whether you’re a new business or established and offering a new service, letting customers know you’re delivering is vital to success. Luckily, there are lots of effective ways to do so:

Print

Although the internet has changed the food delivery industry, print still has a fundamental place. Printing off menus and posting them through the doors of every home in your service area remains effective. Plus, because of the way print prices scale, getting 5000 menus or leaflets doesn’t cost much more than getting 100!

Social Media

As with all modern business, social media will play a fundamental role in your marketing plan. Through targeted advertising, you can make sure you pop up on the newsfeeds of everyone in your service area, without wasting money on those outside of it.

Furthermore, once you’ve built an audience of established customers and would-be customers, you can post pictures of all your most tempting dishes and deals to make sure there’s only one place they are going for their Friday night meal.

Social media for restaurants and takeaways is more simple than most industries in terms of getting attractive content, but it’s also incredibly competitive. Make sure your campaign is in the right hands to ensure a return on investment and speak to our digital marketing team today.

Email

Email marketing is only an effective option for established companies who have built up an email database, but if you’re a new company it’s something you should start working on straight away. 

Getting an email into the inbox of a customer at the right time will make sure you’re the chosen destination for their weekend order – especially if you attach an offer they can’t refuse!

Brand Your Niche

If you live in a fairly urban area and search for nearby takeaways, you’re going to find countless options. Another issue is that a customer will typically find one that they can rely on and stop trying elsewhere. The question is, how do you make sure they pick you?

It’s all about finding your niche. Of course, you may be providing a type of food that doesn’t have a lot of direct like-for-like competition, but you’re still just one place in a sea of other restaurants and food providers.

Other than word-of-mouth, branding is the only thing that will set you apart from competitors. Let’s face it, the majority of takeaway branding hasn’t changed since the 1980s, and it’s a great time to be offering a modernised, sleek, and up-to-date option for customers looking for something that bit more special.

Your logo, design, printed materials, website, social media content, and anything else with your name on it is what will set you apart from the competition – our designers have helped a number of food and drink brands, from producers to the service industry, to stand out. Speak to us today about how we can help your restaurant to shine.

There Has Never Been a Better Time!

The vast majority of businesses have suffered severely during recent disruption, but takeaway and food delivery services have thrived. Now is the time to invest in marketing to make sure your business doesn’t just survive, but thrives during lockdown. 

It’s up to you to organise your kitchen and drivers for a smooth service, but Red Media will take care of the marketing giving you one less thing to worry about. Get in touch and let’s have a chat – there are enough customers out there, and we’ll make sure they find you.