These days, if people can’t order food easily on their phone, they’ll just move on to a restaurant that makes it easier. It’s no surprise that a mobile-friendly online food ordering system is no longer a luxury but a must-have. With most food orders coming through mobile devices, your restaurant ordering system needs to deliver a smooth experience. And that’s not all—being tech-savvy can also increase your chances of landing a restaurant award, boost customer loyalty, and grow your sales.
Let’s dive into why going mobile is essential for your restaurant’s success and how it can give you a serious edge over the competition.
1. Most People Order Food on Their Phones Now
How often do you catch yourself ordering food while scrolling through your phone? Your customers are doing the same. Research shows that over 60% of food orders come from mobile devices. When they’re hungry and searching for “takeaways near me” or “order food online,” they want quick results.
If your online food ordering system isn’t user-friendly on mobile—maybe the pages load slowly, or the menu layout is clunky—they’ll abandon their cart and order from someone else. A smooth mobile experience makes sure you grab those orders before your competitors do.
Pro tip: Try placing an order through your system on different phones to see if it’s easy to use and fast enough.
2. Make Customers Happy and Boost Sales
People love convenience. A mobile-friendly restaurant ordering system lets your customers order quickly without hassle, which makes them happy, and happy customers are the ones who come back.
When ordering is easy, you’ll see more sales, and that means better reviews too. And if your restaurant keeps racking up positive feedback, you might even get recognised with a restaurant award like the Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards (ARTA). The right ordering platform gives you the kind of customer satisfaction that builds loyalty and brings in more business.
3. Google Loves Mobile-Friendly Websites
If your online food ordering system isn’t optimised for mobile, Google might not even show your restaurant when customers search for “Indian takeaway near me” or “order food online.” Google ranks mobile-friendly websites higher in search results, so if you’re not keeping up, you’re handing traffic to your competitors.
Investing in a responsive design (one that works well on both phones and desktops) not only improves the experience for your customers but also helps your restaurant show up at the top of search results. The higher your ranking, the more orders you’ll attract.
4. Reduce Abandoned Carts with a Seamless Mobile Experience
There’s nothing worse than a customer filling their cart and giving up at the last step because the checkout process is a nightmare. A complicated system means abandoned carts and lost sales.
A smooth, mobile-friendly restaurant ordering system makes checkout fast and easy. Offer multiple payment methods like Google Pay or Apple Pay, and let customers check out as guests. Little things like these make a big difference in whether they complete the order or not.
Quick win: Use push notifications to gently remind customers about unfinished orders—they might just return and complete them!
5. Get Ahead of the Competition with Mobile Convenience
Restaurants are popping up everywhere, and the competition is tougher than ever. But here’s the good news: many of your competitors still struggle with clunky ordering platforms. If your online food ordering system is mobile-optimised, you’ve got a big advantage. Customers stick with restaurants that offer fast, reliable ordering.
And here’s the kicker: a sleek, easy-to-use system also gives you a better chance of being noticed by award panels. Restaurant awards today consider everything—from food quality to customer experience, including how well you’ve adapted to tech trends. With a mobile-friendly system, you’re setting yourself up for industry recognition.
6. Speed Up Deliveries with Better Communication
When your restaurant ordering system is mobile-friendly, everything runs smoother, from the kitchen to delivery. Orders are clear, there are fewer mistakes, and drivers can be kept in the loop. Faster deliveries mean happier customers and fewer “Where’s my order?” calls.
Many modern ordering systems also let customers track their deliveries in real-time. If your delivery service is fast and reliable, you’ll keep customers coming back for more. And let’s face it, better reviews mean more business!
7. Build Loyalty with Personalised Offers and Discounts
One of the best things about having a mobile-friendly restaurant ordering system is that it opens the door to personalisation. You can keep track of what your customers like and send them offers they’ll love, like 10% off their favourite curry or exclusive app-only discounts.
Running a loyalty programme? Make it easy for customers to earn and redeem rewards right from their phone. These small touches go a long way in keeping customers loyal, and loyal customers are more likely to recommend your restaurant to others.
8. Meet Changing Customer Expectations
The way people order food has changed—there’s no going back. With the rise of mobile apps and online food ordering systems, customers now expect everything to be quick, easy, and mobile-friendly. If your ordering system feels outdated or difficult to use, they’ll switch to someone else.
Keeping up with these expectations brings in more business and increases your chances of getting noticed by industry award panels. After all, restaurant awards today recognise more than just great food—they reward restaurants that deliver top-notch customer experiences.
9. Use Data to Make Smarter Business Decisions
A good restaurant ordering system doesn’t just take orders—it also helps you gather insights about your customers. With the right data, you can see what dishes are popular, which offers drive the most sales, and when your peak ordering times are.
Having this information helps you tweak your menu, run smarter promotions, and meet your customers’ needs more effectively. The better you understand your customers, the better positioned you’ll be to win their loyalty—and maybe even an industry award.
Wrapping Up
In today’s competitive world, a mobile-friendly online food ordering system isn’t just a bonus—it’s essential. From boosting customer satisfaction to improving your search rankings and increasing your chances of winning a restaurant award, going mobile makes a big difference.
It’s simple: if customers can order from your restaurant without hassle, they’ll come back again and again. If your system isn’t quite there yet, now’s the time to upgrade and reap the benefits.
So, is your restaurant ready to take things to the next level? If not, it’s time to get a mobile-friendly ordering system that’ll keep your customers happy, boost your sales, and help you stand out in the crowd.
