The Restaurant Community - View Single Post - Online Ordering : The 21st Century Consumers’ Requirement

Smarter Takeout · 06-26-2009, 03:16 AM

According to the Nielsen research, the US is in the 13th position among the top 47 countries with the highest Internet penetration rate (June, 2008). This research also shows that nearly 75% of Americans have Internet access and use Internet technologies at a large scale to simplify their personal and professional tasks and make retail purchases.

It’s obvious that every business must adjust to the times and satisfy up-to-date demands of their customers. Adapting business to include cutting-edge technologies these days will help you to obtain a competitive edge for your business. Catering is not an exception. Restaurants successfully utilize Internet technologies to increase productivity, improve relationships with current customers, attract new ones and cut down on advertising costs. Internet-savvy customers are always looking for faster ways to get things done, that is why they expect their favorite restaurants to provide them with quick, convenient and user-friendly online services.

Keeping a customer waiting on hold to place an order or standing in a long line is no longer acceptable in this digital era we live in. Integrating new technologies into your business is now as important as having an oven in your kitchen. So if you don’t provide your customers with a convenient online ordering service that they expect you to have, they are more likely to turn to your competitors.

In accordance with AIS media study, 90% of consumers initially research a restaurant online before visiting it and 60% of them then check out the restaurant’s website. The next natural step would be to place an order through the website.

With the number of computers is growing continuously and with web pages that have replaced phone books, when it comes to viewing menus restaurant owners have started to understand the importance of integrating online ordering services into their workflow. Online ordering has become a requirement of consumers of the 21st century. That is why restaurants are already in the online ordering race.

It’s not surprising that online ordering is doing really well in college towns and areas where a large percentage of population has high-speed Internet access. Online ordering is now extremely popular amongst business customers and college students as well (PMQ magazine, January/February 2008).

PMQ 2007 Industry Census reported that out of 300 pizza business operators, 27.5% already offer online ordering or plan to do in the next 6-12 months. The more recent PMQ 2008 newsletter survey showed that 55% of the interviewed were already offering online ordering or planed to within the next 6 months.

Any innovation demands a wise investment. If going online is on the list of your business objectives you should certainly get an idea of the ROI. The following simple calculator would be a good place to start:

Your comments and thoughts are greatly encouraged!

06-26-2009, 03:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
Smarter Takeout Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Irvine, California Posts: 5 User Status: Offline	Online Ordering : The 21st Century Consumers’ Requirement According to the Nielsen research, the US is in the 13th position among the top 47 countries with the highest Internet penetration rate (June, 2008). This research also shows that nearly 75% of Americans have Internet access and use Internet technologies at a large scale to simplify their personal and professional tasks and make retail purchases. It’s obvious that every business must adjust to the times and satisfy up-to-date demands of their customers. Adapting business to include cutting-edge technologies these days will help you to obtain a competitive edge for your business. Catering is not an exception. Restaurants successfully utilize Internet technologies to increase productivity, improve relationships with current customers, attract new ones and cut down on advertising costs. Internet-savvy customers are always looking for faster ways to get things done, that is why they expect their favorite restaurants to provide them with quick, convenient and user-friendly online services. Keeping a customer waiting on hold to place an order or standing in a long line is no longer acceptable in this digital era we live in. Integrating new technologies into your business is now as important as having an oven in your kitchen. So if you don’t provide your customers with a convenient online ordering service that they expect you to have, they are more likely to turn to your competitors. In accordance with AIS media study, 90% of consumers initially research a restaurant online before visiting it and 60% of them then check out the restaurant’s website. The next natural step would be to place an order through the website. With the number of computers is growing continuously and with web pages that have replaced phone books, when it comes to viewing menus restaurant owners have started to understand the importance of integrating online ordering services into their workflow. Online ordering has become a requirement of consumers of the 21st century. That is why restaurants are already in the online ordering race. It’s not surprising that online ordering is doing really well in college towns and areas where a large percentage of population has high-speed Internet access. Online ordering is now extremely popular amongst business customers and college students as well (PMQ magazine, January/February 2008). PMQ 2007 Industry Census reported that out of 300 pizza business operators, 27.5% already offer online ordering or plan to do in the next 6-12 months. The more recent PMQ 2008 newsletter survey showed that 55% of the interviewed were already offering online ordering or planed to within the next 6 months. Any innovation demands a wise investment. If going online is on the list of your business objectives you should certainly get an idea of the ROI. The following simple calculator would be a good place to start: Your comments and thoughts are greatly encouraged!