We are continuing our series of articles on how you can add a little va-va-voom to your marketing. If you read part one, you'll understand that fostering customer loyalty and repeat orders is a powerful way of growing your business.
When a customer orders from your takeaway either in your premises or via your food ordering app, you're in the zone. The hard work is in ensuring they come back - and often. That's where the real rewards lie.
Business boffins call it ‘lifetime customer value’. Research shows raising customer loyalty by 5% can increase ongoing profits by over 25%. And let's not forget, today's customers have enormous power. The popularity of food ordering apps means customers can easily find an alternative vendor.
So, to build on the ideas from part one, here are five more ways to help you attract, retain and better serve your loyal clients.
Do a survey
Conducting a customer survey is a superb way to get opinions on how you're doing. Ask for feedback re food quality, timeliness of delivery, staff support and intention to reorder.
Using a 1 to 10 scale from 'satisfied' to 'unsatisfied' will help you understand how enthused clients were with your service.
It's always good to ask how you could have done better and any special mentions about staff members. If you want to incentivise responders with a free starter or similar, that might help encourage their next order!
You can use tools like Survey Monkey to make this process easy.
As simple, is to call a few customers soon after their orders and ask what they think. You might need to develop a thick skin as it sometimes may be uncomfortable to hear. Remember, a complaint is often more valuable than a glowing report as there's something you can look to change.
Explore New Food Trends
When orders are lower during the hotter months, there's an ideal opportunity to explore new ideas such as up-and-coming food trends in your sector. Maybe it's vegan dishes, meat-free, plant-based or updated presentational formats. All are things to consider.
For example, some Indian takeaways now offer the ever-popular 'rice and three' option as a sharing platter. Innovations like this don't need significant investment, just a slight change to how a dish is prepared and presented.
Take some time to find and try new ideas and get set for a successful winter season. Right on time for when punters are looking for some cheery takeaway treats as a respite from the cooler weather.
Refer A Friend
Schemes which encourage customers to refer friends and family are always worth a try. All you need is a leaflet or web landing page for clients to access the offer and get rewards for their custom. Maybe give a modest discount, extra loyalty points or entry into a monthly draw for a free meal to oil the referral wheels.
Word of mouth marketing is one of the most effective and lucrative techniques around. And if you can kick start this promotional technique, you'll be on to a winner.
Surprise Your Clients
There are plenty of opportunities to surprise clients, and none are expensive or complicated. Here are some ideas: Around Easter, chuck in a couple of chocolate eggs with big orders. Ask delivery staff to wear an elf hat when dropping off Christmas food. If you can collect customer birthdays, then a cupcake and candle with a celebration order will go down well.
Use your imagination and app data to identify your most loyal customers and dream up ways to delight them.
Get this right, and they'll remember your efforts for a long time, especially when they again want to order some takeaway food!
Cook And Deliver Great Food
This one's a no-brainer. We're sure all our app users will go out of their way to make and deliver the best grub they can. After all, that's what you do, isn't it?
That said, taking a few hours to review your processes is time well spent. With a few tweaks, can you cook the orders more swiftly? Can you get the food piping hot to the door every time? Do you need to change your packaging to accommodate new dishes or presentations? Have you explored all the clever features of your food ordering app that make your life easier?
We're Here To Help
We've designed our app to help you generate enduring loyalty. There's lots of useful features and a wealth of data that will give you all the insights you need.
So if you fancy having a go at any of the above ideas from this or our previous blog, get in touch. Our team will be delighted to help you explore your app. From there, we can put together some delicious marketing pushes that will take your food business to that mythical 'next level'.
Unlike other food ordering platforms, we're committed to your success, so call our team today on 0161 222 7672 or visit www.orderdigital.co.uk to find out more.