5 ways an optimized website can supercharge restaurant sales

This MGH survey confirms what we’ve known for a while – a great web presence is way more than a nice-to-have for businesses – especially restaurants. In fact, the survey found that 77% of diners visit a restaurant’s website before dining in or ordering out. What’s more, 62% of diners have been discouraged from ordering takeout or delivery from a restaurant simply because of its website.

So, whether  you’re struggling to DIY yourself to a strong website or paying expensive agency fees to build and host a site that sells your restaurant, engages customers, and enables online orders, never fear. Clover’s got you covered.

Clover Merchants, meet our newest addition to the Clover team: BentoBox

We’re excited to introduce BentoBox, a digital marketing and commerce platform provider, delivering a seamless guest experience that helps restaurants thrive. Over 7,500 restaurants worldwide already rely on BentoBox as their digital front door and a best-in-class customer experience, built for growth. Designed especially for restaurants, the BentoBox platform offers websites with built-in marketing tools, event management software, and a suite of online commerce products (direct online ordering, pre-order & catering, gift cards, merchandise, and event tickets). Through the Clover^® from Fiserv integration, BentoBox helps connect your online and on-premise experiences for a single, modern restaurant experience.

5 ways BentoBox can supercharge your restaurant

1. Elevates your design 

Doordash recently discovered that more people start the ordering process on a restaurant website rather than on a third-party platform. What’s more, when visitors view a business’ website, they’re often evaluating its brand and its offerings based on that website. For restaurants, a lackluster website may lead visitors to think your food and establishment are lackluster, too. If your website is sleek, engaging, and easy to use, on the other hand, consumers may assume you put the same effort into your food and ambiance as you do your site. And that could land you more customers.

BentoBox helps you position your brand, highlight your menu, and convert consumers into diners both on- and off-premises. Its best-in-class websites are designed specifically to help restaurants turn online visitors into customers. Learn more about the design. 

2. Boosts your onlines sales (and potentially reduces commission costs)

According to a recent National Restaurant Association report, 64% of adults prefer to order directly through a restaurant’s website, compared to 18% who prefer to order through a third-party app. What’s more, between March and October 2021, diner preference for third-party ordering apps decreased by 50%. With BentoBox, you can diversify your revenue streams – think passive revenue sources – and stop paying high-commissions to delivery services. In the past 12 months alone, BentoBox restaurants have saved $38.5 million in commission fees via online ordering. 

3. Offers technical design best practices

With BentoBox, you get technical expertise baked right into your site. Think, SEO and ADA expertise. And, you can offer consumers a user-friendly experience across multiple devices – including mobile. That can mean higher conversion and purchase rates – something so many restaurant websites struggle with.

4. Helps you build a lifetime of diner engagement

83% of adults are more likely to visit a restaurant with a customer loyalty program, according to this State-of the-Restaurant Industry survey. BentoBox helps you nurture customer loyalty by capturing email addresses and increasing the lifetime value of each customer through automated email marketing and online loyalty programs. In fact, BentoBox restaurants drove 200% more revenue through loyalty programs in the past 6 months than in the previous 6 months. Further, in the past 12 months, BentoBox restaurants drove 193% more revenue through email marketing than the previous 12 months.

5. Maximizes operational efficiencies

Since the start of 2017, service industry employers pay 25% more for each staff hour worked as compared to a mere 10% increase across all industries combined. With hourly wages and worker shortages on the rise, technology has become a vital resource for many restaurants. BentoBox helps you augment your staff with guest-facing technology that reduces manual work and saves time. For instance, BentoBox Pre-Order & Catering Beta saved restaurants a whopping 3 hours per day on order fulfillment. 

Get started with BentoBox

With BentoBox, you’ll have a team of pros to set up your site and ensure it stays ahead of market trends. Here’s what you get:

• Full-Service Setup – That’s best-in-class design and powerful commerce features designed especially for restaurants. 
• Ongoing Enhancements – They stay ahead of evolving market trends to help your brand stay current. 
• Reliable Support Team – Their dedicated team is available to help your restaurant 7 days a week – all year. That’s dedication!

Getting started with BentoBox is as easy as cake. Simply schedule a demo to learn more. And be sure to check out these beautiful BentoBox customer sites for inspiration.

Editorial Team

Ecommerce, Full Service Restaurants (FSR), Marketing, Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), Run your business

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