Food delivery services like DoorDash have become the lifeline that connects restaurants with hungry patrons. If you’re a restaurateur on a quest to amplify your presence on DoorDash and drive your order count, you’re about to embark on a culinary journey like no other.
This article unveils a treasure trove of ten ingenious tips, specially crafted to infuse your restaurant with DoorDash dynamism. So, let’s embark on this delectable adventure and savor the secrets of boosting your DoorDash orders.
1. Optimize Your Doordash Listings
Make sure your restaurant’s Doordash listings are complete and accurate, with high-quality photos of your food and menu. You should also offer competitive prices and discounts. When optimizing your listings, make sure you’re doing these:
- Including complete and accurate listings: When customers are searching for local restaurants on Doordash, they are more likely to click on listings that are complete and accurate. Make sure your listings include all of the relevant information, such as your restaurant’s name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and menu.
- Adding high-quality photos: Photos of your food are essential for any restaurant listing, but they are especially important on Doordash. Customers are more likely to order food from a restaurant if they can see what it looks like. Make sure your photos are high-quality and well-lit, and that they accurately represent your food.
- Creating competitive prices and discounts: Most customers are always looking for a good deal. Make sure your prices are competitive and that you offer discounts to Doordash customers. You can also offer special deals during peak times to attract more orders.
2. Set up a Dedicated Doordash Pickup Area
This will help Doordash drivers find your restaurant easily and pick up orders quickly. Clients enjoy contactless delivery, however, with a dedicated pickup area, it’s far more convenient and includes:
- Faster order pickup: A dedicated Doordash pickup area will help Doordash drivers find your restaurant easily and pick up orders quickly. This means that customers will receive their food faster, which can lead to better customer satisfaction and more orders.
- Reduced wait times: A dedicated Doordash pickup area can also help to reduce wait times for both dine-in and delivery customers. This is because Doordash drivers will not have to wait in line with dine-in customers to pick up orders.
- Improved order accuracy: A dedicated Doordash pickup area can also help to improve order requests and accuracy. This is because Doordash drivers will be able to easily locate their orders and pick them up quickly, which reduces the risk of errors.
3. Partner With DoorDash Drive
DoorDash Drive is a white-label delivery service that allows restaurants to use their own drivers to deliver orders through the Doordash app. This can help you save the most money on Doordash fees and improve your customer experience.
- Increased reach: DoorDash Drive is a white-label delivery service that allows restaurants to use their own drivers to deliver orders through the DoorDash app. This means that your restaurant will be available to a wider audience of potential customers, as DoorDash Drive customers can order from any restaurant on the DoorDash platform.
- Reduced costs: DoorDash Drive charges lower delivery fees than DoorDash’s third-party delivery service. This can help you to increase your profits and reduce your costs per order.
- Improved control: When you use DoorDash Drive, you have more control over the delivery process. You can use your own drivers, vehicles, and branding, and you can set your own delivery rates. This can help you to improve your customer experience and build a stronger brand identity.
Although DoorDash Drive might seem like a viable option for most restaurant owners, you may want to consider looking for ways on how to create a delivery app yourself to avoid hefty DoorDash fees.
4. Offer Promotions and Discounts
Offer exclusive promotions and discounts to Doordash customers to attract more orders. You can also partner with Doordash to offer special deals during peak times. By doing so, you can expect to:
- Attract new customers:Promotions and discounts can attract new customers who may not have tried your restaurant before. When customers see that you are offering a discount, they are more likely to give your restaurant a try.
- Increase customer spend: Promotions and discounts can also encourage existing customers to spend more money at your restaurant. For example, you could offer a discount on orders over a certain amount. This would encourage customers to order more food and drinks, which would increase your sales.
- Boost repeat business: Promotions and discounts can also help to boost repeat business. When customers have a positive experience at your restaurant and they know that you offer good deals, they are more likely to come back again.
Add your new clients to your restaurant loyalty program and turn them into your forever guests. Reward them each time they order from you with a number of points which they can use to redeem prizes at your business.
5. Provide Excellent Customer Service
Make sure your staff is friendly and helpful to Doordash delivery drivers. Your DoorDash delivery driver is more likely to be friendly with your customers if they’re treated fairly and respectfully.
Additionally, you should also respond quickly to any customer demand, inquiries or bad restaurant reviews. Doing so shows that you care about their experience at your business. Here’s how doing so can benefit your business:
- Satisfied customers are more likely to return: When customers have a positive dining experience, they are more likely to come back and order again. As for customers who had a bad experience at your business, you can get them back by offering a comped meal and a sincere apology.
- They’re more likely to recommend your restaurant: Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most effective ways to attract new customers. When customers have a good experience at your restaurant, they are more likely to tell their friends and family about it.
- Positive reviews can improve your online presence: Online reviews are becoming increasingly important for businesses. Customers are more likely to order from restaurants with positive reviews. By providing excellent customer service, you can encourage customers to leave positive reviews online.
6. Encourage Customers to Leave Reviews
Positive reviews are the doorway to increased sales. You can offer incentives, such as a discount on customers’ next lunch and dinner order to encourage them to leave reviews. Here’s why reviews are key to driving orders:
- Positive reviews can attract new customers: Customers are more likely to order from restaurants with positive reviews. This is because they know that they can expect good food, good service, and a good overall experience at your restaurant.
- Positive reviews can improve your online presence: Restaurants with positive reviews rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), which means that they are more likely to be seen by potential customers.
- Positive reviews can build trust and credibility: When customers see that other people have had good experiences at your restaurant, they are more likely to trust you and give you a try.
7. Track Your Doordash Performance
When juggling multiple orders at once and trying to offer great customer service during peak hours, your restaurant analytics are compiled automatically. Doordash’s analytics tools track your restaurant’s performance on the platform, allowing you to identify areas where you can improve.
Here’s how that can benefit your business and help you increase DoorDash orders:
- Identifying areas for improvement:By tracking your Doordash performance, you can identify areas where you can improve. For example, you may notice that your order acceptance rate is low, or that your delivery times are slow.
- Optimizing your menu for Doordash: By tracking your Doordash sales data, you can see which items are most popular and which items are not selling as well. This information can help you when menu engineering for Doordash and to make sure that you are offering the items that customers want.
- Getting more exposure on Doordash: Doordash rewards restaurants that perform well. Restaurants with high ratings, fast delivery times, and high order acceptance rates are more likely to be featured in the Promoted Listings section of the Doordash app.
8. Use Social Media
Promote your Doordash partnership on social media to let your followers know that they can order your food through the app. You can also use social media to offer exclusive promotions and discounts to Doordash customers. Here’s how that can convert into more orders:
- Reach a wider audience: Restaurant social media marketing via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram give you the ability to reach a wider audience than you could with traditional advertising. This means that you can expose your restaurant to more potential customers.
- Generate excitement and buzz: Social media is a great way to generate excitement and buzz about your restaurant. You can do this by posting photos and videos of your food, sharing customer reviews, and running contests and giveaways.
- Drive traffic to your website and Doordash page: When you post about your restaurant on social media, you can include links to your website and Doordash page. This will make it easy for potential customers to learn more about your restaurant and to place orders.
9. Partner With Other Businesses
Partner with other businesses in your area, such as grocery stores or businesses with similar target audiences, to offer Doordash delivery to their customers. This can help you reach a wider audience and increase your sales. Here’s how that works:
- Cross-promotion: You can cross-promote each other’s businesses to your respective customers. For example, you could offer a discount on your food to customers of the other business, and vice versa. You could also co-host events or promotions.
- Increased reach: Partnering with other businesses can help you reach a new audience of potential customers. For example, if you partner with a local office, you could offer food delivery to their employees.
- Enhanced brand image: Partnering with other businesses can help to enhance your brand image. By partnering with reputable businesses, you are showing potential customers that your business is also reputable.
10. Run Targeted ads
You can run targeted ads on DoorDash and other platforms to reach potential customers who are interested in ordering food from your restaurant. Doing so allows you to personalize your ads to match your business tone of voice and theme. Here’s how doing so drives Doordash orders:
- Reach a specific audience: Targeted ads allow you to reach people who are interested in food, restaurants, and DoorDash deliveries. This means that you are more likely to reach people who are likely to order from your restaurant.
- Increase brand awareness: Targeted ads can help to increase brand awareness for your restaurant. When people see your ads repeatedly, they are more likely to remember your restaurant and to order from you when they are hungry.
- Generate leads: Targeted ads can help to generate leads for your restaurant. This could include people who visit your website or who sign up for your email list. You can then follow up with these leads to encourage them to order from your restaurant.
DoorDash offers great marketing and ads, however, implementing whitelabel restaurant marketing tools gives you more freedom to control marketing activities. Plus, you have restaurant sms marketing for more direct messaging.
Additional Tools for More Food Orders
Although DoorDash can help batch multiple orders and makes delivering food and providing great customer service a breeze, it does have some limitations. Instead, consider running your business with the help of a restaurant management system that offers tools like:
- A restaurant CRM: This tool allows you to gather customer information and store it all in one place. From contact details to purchase history—this data can be used to generate reports and even create personalized marketing messages, encouraging clients to order again.
- Whitelabel online food ordering: An online ordering system for restaurants is an essential tool. Although DoorDash offers this option, it does have limitations. A whitelabel ordering system allows you to customize your menu and ordering page in real-time.
- Restaurant website builder: With a restaurant website builder, you’re in control of your virtual storefront. Change fonts and color schemes, or try out restaurant website templates to see which design matches your branding and gets you more orders.
- Your own restaurant mobile app: A restaurant mobile app is the perfect tool that puts your business in your customers’ hands. Building an app for your business can cost thousands, but solutions like UpMenu significantly reduce that cost.
- Advanced marketing features: Although DoorDash offers impressive marketing features, commissions can get expensive. Merchants can expect to pay anywhere from 5%, 25%, or even a peak pay of 30%, based on varying levels of built-in marketing. Instead, look for solutions like UpMenu, which have a 0% commission fee.
FAQ
Why am I not getting more orders on DoorDash?
If you’re not receiving the order volume you expected on DoorDash, several factors could be contributing to the issue. Here are some common reasons why restaurants may not be getting as many orders as they’d like on DoorDash:
- Visibility and Ranking: Your restaurant’s position in the DoorDash app or website can significantly affect order volume. Restaurants with higher ratings, more reviews, and optimized listings tend to appear more prominently. If your restaurant has just joined DoorDash or has few reviews, it may take time to build visibility.
- Menu Optimization: An overly complex or poorly structured menu can deter customers. Ensure that your menu is clear, well-organized, and features appealing descriptions and images of dishes. Highlight popular items and make sure pricing is competitive.
- Pricing and Discounts: Offering competitive pricing and occasional discounts or promotions can attract more customers. Compare your menu prices with local competitors and consider running special offers to entice DoorDash users.
- Customer Reviews: Positive reviews can significantly boost your restaurant’s credibility and attract more orders. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and respond promptly to any negative feedback.
- Delivery Speed and Accuracy: Consistently accept orders and deliver them within the estimated time frame and ensuring order accuracy is crucial. Customers are more likely to reorder if they have a positive experience.
How do I get more customers on DoorDash?
- Optimize Your Menu: Ensure that your menu is well-organized, with clear descriptions and appealing images. Highlight popular dishes and consider offering a variety of options to cater to different tastes and dietary preferences.
- Competitive Pricing: Keep your menu prices competitive with local competitors. DoorDash users often compare prices before ordering, so being in line with or slightly below the market average can attract more customers.
- Leverage DoorDash Marketing Tools: Consider using DoorDash’s marketing features, such as sponsored listings or banner ads, to increase your restaurant’s visibility within the app. These paid promotions can put your restaurant in front of potential customers.
- Online Reviews and Ratings: Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews and ratings on DoorDash. High ratings and positive reviews build trust and attract more customers. Respond promptly and professionally to any negative feedback.
- Promotions and Discounts: Offer occasional promotions or discounts to incentivize new customers to try your restaurant. DoorDash provides options for creating and promoting these deals.
How much does DoorDash give per order?
Generally, DoorDash’s payment to Dashers (delivery drivers) consists of a base pay, which varies by market, plus any additional earnings from promotions, tips, and bonuses. Customers have the option to leave tips for their delivery, and Dashers receive 100% of tips.
Is Ubereats or DoorDash cheaper?
However, it’s important to note that the cost of delivery can vary depending on a number of factors, including the restaurant you’re ordering from, the distance of the delivery, and the time of day.
