How to Convert Customers from Delivery Apps to Direct Orders

Apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats are almost unavoidable for restaurants now. 77% of operators report offering delivery through third-party apps and Doordash ended last year with 42 million monthly active users.

‍

Third-party marketplaces are great acquisition tools – they put your menu in front of hundreds of potential customers. They help restaurants scale delivery quickly without a big investment in their own fleets. But using these apps come with major trade-offs.

Why You Should Encourage Direct Orders

Marketplaces are great for landing the first date with a customer, but if you want to turn your relationship into something long-term, you need to build a direct connection. Every third-party order that you convert into a direct customer can:

• Increase your profit margins by avoiding hefty 20-30% commission fees
• Strengthen your brand, since you control the entire experience from cart to drop-off
• Build loyalty, because customers interact with your business instead of scrolling through a list of other restaurants
• Give you invaluable data to learn about your audience’s preferences and help you remarket to drive repeat business

‍

Let’s say you do $10,000 in sales on third-party platforms. That’s $2000-3000 in commission fees every month. If just 10% of those marketplace orders switched to direct orders, you could save $200-$300 monthly, or $2400-$3600 every year. That’s money you could be reinvesting into your ingredients, marketing, and employee development.

‍

So how do you encourage customers to turn to your website or app instead of the big guys? Here are five steps to take to promote online orders.

1. Use flyers with promo codes in every order

When you have the opportunity to build a relationship with a new customer, even if it’s off-premises, seize it. Include a branded flyer with every marketplace order to encourage customers to order directly from your restaurant next time. Include:

• A warm thank you to show appreciation for their order
• A compelling promo code, like 15% off, $5 off a $25+ order, or a free side when they order direct
• Your website, phone number, and/or a QR code that links to your online ordering page
• The benefits of ordering directly from your restaurant, like lower fees, supporting local, or earning rewards through your loyalty program
• A friendly request to leave a review on your Google Business Profile, ideally with a QR code that goes straight to the page

‍

‍

Easy tools to create your flyer

You don’t need an in-house marketing team to design your flyer. Try these free or low-cost options.

• Free design tools: Platforms like Canva or Adobe Express are easy to use for beginners and offer free templates. Just search for “restaurant flyer”, “takeout flyer”, or “promo code” templates and add your logo, colors, details, and QR code.
• Affordable design help: If you’re not confident you can do it yourself, websites like Fiverr and Upwork connect you with freelancers who can deliver flyer designs as low as $50. 
• Free copy with AI: Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Gemini can write flyer text in seconds. Copy and paste these prompts to get your creativity flowing:
  
  • "Write a short, friendly flyer for a pizza restaurant. Thank customers who ordered through delivery apps and offer them $5 off their next order of $25 or more if they order directly from our website. Include promo code WELCOME5 and our website link."
  • "Write a brief message encouraging customers to leave us a Google review after enjoying their meal. Keep it under 50 words."
  • "Brainstorm 3 different offers we could put on a flyer to encourage direct orders through our website for a Mexican restaurant."
• Free QR code creation: These are easy to find online with a quick Google search, like QR Code Creator or QRCode.io. Add the link that the QR code should go to and download the image. Upload it to your design platform or send it to your freelancer. Make sure it’s large enough to scan with a smartphone.

2. Promote your direct ordering on all customer touchpoints

Make sure every customer knows that you offer online ordering through your website, app, or phone number.

Website

Anywhere you have a digital footprint, include info about your online ordering. It should be prominent on your website, with an “Order now” button on your homepage and navigation bar. Make it stand out by using a sticky button that stays on the screen as they scroll, or add a pop-up that highlights a welcome promo for first-time direct orders.

Social Media

Your Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok bios should include the order link, as well as your Google Business Profile. Make social media posts and stories encouraging customers to order directly, or offer short-term promotions with discount codes. Share videos of how easy the ordering process is or clips of your team packing orders. Promote screenshots of good customer reviews. 

‍

You can run ads through Meta (Facebook and Instagram) to target people within a certain radius of your restaurant. The good news is you don’t need a big budget – you can start small and the platform will show you the projected reach.

In-Store

Place tabletop signs or stickers at your front counter and pick-up area advertising your direct online ordering. Add it to your takeout menus, window posters, and sidewalk signs. Like we mentioned in the last section, add a flyer in to-go orders or consider printing the website and QR code directly on takeout boxes and bags.

3. Offer loyalty perks for direct customers

A big perk of direct online ordering over third-party marketplaces is that you own your customer data. Strengthen that relationship and build repeat business using a loyalty program. 

‍

Here are different ways to set it up:

• Digital punch cards: This simple structure works if you frequently sell similarly-priced items, like “Buy 10 coffees, get 1 free.” 
• Points: Customers earn points for every dollar spent, which they can redeem later for discounts or free items. This system is slightly more complex than punch cards, but you have more flexibility. For example, you can run double points on slow days or slow seasons.
• Tiered rewards: Rather than redeeming points, customers get perks for reaching certain thresholds within a time period. For example, if they earn 1000 points within a year, they can get free delivery, birthday gifts, and access to tasting events for new seasonal items.
• Exclusive offers: This arrangement has no purchase necessary – customers just subscribe to your email list for info about special promotions and events that aren’t available on third-party marketplaces.

‍

Many POS systems, as well as online ordering platforms, offer integrated rewards programs to encourage customers to order more food more often. You can also try a dedicated loyalty software for more customization and extra marketing features.

4. Use Shipday to handle direct delivery like a pro

What if managing your own deliveries could be as easy as using third-party deliveries, but for less money? Shipday is designed to help restaurants manage their direct delivery operations easily and efficiently. It handles auto-dispatching, GPS tracking, and customer communication, so you can spend more time connecting with your customers and your team.

‍

With Shipday, restaurant operators have the flexibility to deliver with their own fleet or tap into the courier network of major apps. Manage your own drivers, automatically create optimized delivery routes, and track their live locations. When your drivers are at max capacity or unavailable, you can set rules to send orders to third-party drivers like DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct instead. Customers still order directly through you, but the app drivers complete the delivery. You pay per delivery instead of a percentage of the sale, and you can reach a wider radius and offer longer delivery windows with this hybrid model.

‍

Shipday also helps mimic the third-party app experience with a branded tracking link for customers. They receive a link via text or email where they can see their order status and get live tracking, all on a page that matches your restaurant’s branding. 

‍

Avoid disruptive calls to your restaurant by proactively notifying customers when their order is received, picked up, on the way, and delivered. Drivers can even collect proof of delivery with a photo or signature to reduce order disputes. After they complete delivery, Shipday will ask customers for feedback and send happy customers a link to leave a 5-star Google review.

‍

Shipday connects with many popular POS and online ordering systems for seamless data transfer. Don’t lose information between systems. Get control over your delivery experience and protect your profit margins. 

5. Encourage reviews to build social proof

33% of consumers say they would never eat at a restaurant that has less than four stars on their review page. Good reviews are digital recommendations for your brand and they’re virtually free marketing tools. Since 83% of consumers use Google to find reviews, you should focus on your Google Business Profile: the page that shows in Google Maps.

‍

Make it easy as pie for your customers to leave a review after delivery:

• In packaging: Like we mentioned in step 1, include a QR code on a flyer, takeout box, or bag that links to your Google review page.
• Text or email: If you send order confirmations and delivery updates through email or SMS, send a follow up message after delivery is complete asking customers to share their experience with a review. Shipday can automate feedback collection, and you can set it up to only ask for a review if the customer is happy.

‍

Positive reviews can improve your visibility in search results, which means your restaurant will show up more often when diners are hungry and searching for food. Other ways to improve your Google Business page include keeping your restaurant information up to date, uploading high-quality photos of your menu items and ambiance, and responding to all reviews, good and bad.

Conclusion

You don’t need to abandon third-party marketplaces entirely. Just acknowledge they’re best for discovery while you actively work to build direct relationships with the new customers you earn. Get more control over your brand, profitability, and your customer relationships.

‍

Follow the steps outlined in this guide to convert more customers to order directly from your restaurant. Make sure every customer knows about it in-store and online. Print promo codes on flyers and offer unique rewards for direct customers. Then create a review engine by actively encouraging reviews from satisfied customers.

Make it easy and rewarding for customers to order delivery directly from you. Use tools like Shipday to smooth the transition for customers from third-party apps to direct delivery. Try Shipday for free today.