Integer’s Top Tips for Getting More Orders (Part I)

Ever looked back on something and said to yourself, “oh…if only I knew that before!”? It’s happened to all of us. Hindsight is always 20/20, as the saying goes.

Well, we have a few ideas for all you takeaway owners out there, both up-and-coming, and long-established, who might just appreciate a fresh pair of eyes, and a helping hand to freshen up those menus a little.

It’s always good to take a look at what’s not selling from your menu. It can be all too easy to fall into the trap of having excessive amounts of menu items because you want to cater to all your customers, and it’s completely understandable to want to please everyone - however, and it’s a big however, it can often be to the detriment of your business.

There’s a couple of reasons why you should aim to keep your menu smaller rather than bigger:

  1. It can make the ordering process a much more pleasurable task for customers. Psychologically, there’s something named ‘decision fatigue’ - this is when customers feel overwhelmed by too many choices, and ultimately end up feeling displeased with whatever they order. Have you ever just sat there and flicked through the TV channels for ages, complaining that “there’s nothing worth watching” despite having 200+ options to choose from? It’s basically the same thing. Not good when you’re relying on customers ordering from you again. Even if what they ordered was good, they’ll associate it with a negative memory.
  2. It can make customisation easier. With allergies and intolerances now being a huge factor in online food ordering, alongside the rise of various dietary choices like paleo, keto, and veganism, the less items you’ve got on offer, the easier it is to modify your menu items to suit each of these requirements.
  3. You can actually save money. You’ll be ordering fewer individual ingredients, but you can order in greater bulk quantities - this means you’re very likely to be in a position to negotiate a better price with your vendor(s) and keep your food costs to a minimum.
  4. You know the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none”? The definition is “someone who dabbles in many things averagely, but has never attained the skills by focusing on one thing” - that same logic applies to the food industry. Be wary of spreading yourself too thin and having 75+ average items which might keep new customers coming to try them for a limited time, but won’t keep them coming back for more. Some of the most successful restaurants we work with have as little as 20 items on their menus, and when reading their Google Reviews, you can see the same items being talked about for months, even years later.


Part II of Top Tips is on its way very soon. Stay tuned, Integer Fam!

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