2012: The Year of Online Food Ordering

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Phone ordering has been the main way we place an order for delivery or takeout for many years now. There really hasn't been any alternative unless you were one of the 7 people who faxed in an order over the past few years. But times have changed and there are now many convenient ways to order food online without having to pick up the telephone.

The younger generation of people ages 18-30 were born and raised online and with cell phones. This demographic is the future of online food ordering as they will continue to order online and teach their kids to order online, etc, etc. And now that the older generation is becoming more and more computer savvy, they are also taking to the internet and doing most of their business online. The phone isn't dead, but it sure does have a severe limp and a few broken bones. The knockout punch is coming soon for the phone and you'll be hard pressed to find someone that is grieving its loss.

Online ordering is so popular because the person ordering is in control. They don't have to feel rushed by the person taking the order, they don't have to worry about the person understanding them and getting their order correct, and they don't have to search around in the phone book for a restaurant's number or address. (Do they still make phone books?!)

College kids, office workers, moms on the go and busy professionals are all wanting to order food online. The main issue for these people is finding restaurants they like that actually offer this service. You'd be surprised how few restaurant's actually have this capability. There is a huge market out there they are missing and by not offering a solution to this problem, they have no idea how many customers they are missing out on each day. Their only saving grace is that their competitor or the consumers alternate choice may not offer it either. Right now it's a game of who is going to figure it out first and reap the benefits of all these new customers.

Add in the ability to order through Facebook and the online ordering sector is well fulfilled. I would guess that about 99% of people that go online each day either visit Google or Facebook. I would also guess that about 99% of these people eat every day. Having an online ordering solution for these folks is not a luxury item anymore. It is a necessity if the restaurant wants to stay in the game.

Jason is a food and technology blogger about software, restaurants and anything related to online food ordering. Technological advancements and a shift in the online society have led to an increase in how many people order food online. Restaurants will soon be relying on this technology for most of their business, meaning less reliance on the phone altogether.

Posted in: Online,Ordering