5 simple menu tweaks to smash mobile ordering sales

Having a mobile ordering solution in your service offerings is a great way to extend your business outside your doors. But do you have it set up as a powerful tool to drive sales?

Let’s check out the top 5 tips from hospo operators who are smashing sales on mobile ordering apps like Regulr!

Tip 1 - Keep it clear & simple

Spend some time to plan out a simple, easy-to-navigate menu that you want to present. Do you need to add every item on your PoS menu? Or could you purpose-build some items to keep it streamlined?

Here’s an example… Use mods to reduce the number of items you display. Could you even reduce coffee to one item button? And use a note for those rarely ordered options - e.g. the Cortado?

We caught up with the amazing Jacqui from Good Day in Orakei to talk about Regulr. She noted her main users of Regulr are people out walking or taking the dog for a trot with no room for large wallets and purses and also people that love efficiency!

Keeping the menu simple for those with one free hand… genius!

Tip 2 - Make your big sellers stand out

The top sections of your mobile menu are your visual “high traffic” areas and also your moment to shine! Now you’ve streamlined your menu, how about getting your big sellers and specials to stand out. One way to do this is to create a menu section with specials at or near the top of your menu. Make it easy and efficient for your customers to order them and give them a visual reminder that they exist.

Use wording that will resonate with your customers. Use power words like “decadent” where possible to generate FOMO or add in that “special - for mobile customers only” (reward them for their loyalty).

To back this up, a recent 2020 Statista survey showed that the majority of diners use restaurant mobile apps to view menus/prices (55%), search for specials (38.2%) and order food online (30%).

Tip 3 - Don’t forget about your GP leader items

Similar to the tip above, do you know what items on your menu make you the most profit? With the Bustle Control add-on and recipe builder, you can see what items make you the big $$$.

Run the Bustle GP (Gross Profit) on items moved report over a couple of recent months and sort by Gross Margin %. The high 70+ percent GP items are your money makers and should be the ones you push.

And if you can find a stand out GP Leader item that’s also a big seller like the ones outlined in the pic above… GOLDEN! Watch the magic happen after you add these wonderful creations to your top section in Regulr or your mobile ordering app.

Tip 4 - Up-sell using mods

Up-selling is an amazing skill when done right, but can it work in the digital world?
Indeed it can!

Mobile orders have proven to be slightly larger than in-store purchases, so tempting your regulars using Tips 2 and 3 above will help - but you could also sneak in a little up-sell into the item itself - using mods.

Once you’ve tantalised their buds with your amazing dishes, suggest an up-sell with some strategically placed add-ons, boosting that spend per order!

Chain restaurants, amongst the biggest users of mobile ordering platforms, were advising even back in 2016 that orders placed via mobile ordering were 30% larger -Business Insider

Tip 5 - Review and Tweak

If at first you don’t succeed, try adding something else! Yeah, we know… that’s not the saying but you have a fantastic set of culinary delights at your fingertips (we’re sure). Try changing it up and tweaking your online menu and specials, and take the time to review the results. What items are working and what aren’t? What specials are catching people’s eyes? What add-ons are getting your spend per order up? You got this!

Our current stats show our customers are averaging 5% of their turnover with Regulr mobile sales - and the bigger achievers are closer to 8-9%.

Using the tips above and combining this with an effective marketing plan (hey, that’s what our next blog’s about!) can really help get those sales up!

‍