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How to Increase Sales at Restaurants Through WordPress

Apr 21, 2023

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You're incredible. Your restaurant business is intact after the pandemic. You've demonstrated your strength and demonstrated a lot of grit and business acumen. That's probably the reason why you're there!

Costs are rising and a slowing economic growth could cause other business owners to look at their feet in the sand. But yours is different. You're aware that you must be proactive and progressive in order to boost sales at your restaurant and continue to grow your business.

This tutorial will show you how to configure your WordPress site to receive orders, without the use of a third party platform, and regain the full control over your online order.

We'll help you discover the immense potential your internet presence and community hold for your company.

Learn the best ways to maximize the value of your WordPress website and cash in on the popularity of the membership model which is taking the restaurant industry by storm.

What Tools You'll Need

If your site is merely an online platform to post your menu as well as offer contact details for reservations You're in need of catch-up to do. However, that's fine.

It just takes a few plug-ins and integrations to make your WordPress site into an effective selling tool, and to compete against giant chains.

It's also super simple with a tiny bit of inside information. There's no need for a whole lot of tech skills to accomplish this.

WordPress as well  and have made it easy for people who are not tech-savvy to operate their businesses online. There is no programming required.

These are the tools you will require:

  1. WordPress is the most used content management system (CMS) running around 810 million sites.
  2. Easy Affiliate: The "all-in-one" affiliate-related program software that works with WordPress

How to increase sales at restaurants Through WordPress

Step 1: Select the WordPress Host and Theme.

If you don't have your own WordPress website (sorry, but well-known builders such as Wix and SquareSpace don't come with all the necessary features) you'll need select a hosting provider.

After you've registered your domain you'll have to select an WordPress theme for your restaurant.

Step 2. Install the plugin

is the most popular WordPress membership and monetization plugin with a good reason. Its growing library of integrations and add-ons makes it extremely flexible, which means you can design the perfect subscription program for your clients.

watch >> for instructions on how to install wordpress

With , you can:

  • Profit from a rising trend in the restaurant industry of subscription services with recurring annual or monthly fees.
  • Increase sales in restaurants by offering rewards for loyalty or discounts only available to members boost sales in restaurants by offering loyalty rewards or member-only discountsfor regular diners,
  • and build a community that is comprised of loyal and loyal customers.

Not just large chains are making use of subscriptions. In the future, we'll dive into more detail on how restaurants that are all kinds of sizes are taking advantage of their websites to create innovative membership programs.

Step 3: Add WPCafe as well as WooCommerce plugins

You've worked hard to develop an excellent menu, offer outstanding service and increase your customer base. So, why should the third party platforms charge outrageous fees and commission rates?

DoorDash costs a staggering 30% for its full built-in marketing strategy. However, even if you choose to opt out of their advertising and pay the 15 percentdelivery cost, your company will still be marketed to your competitors.

So you could refer your customers to these apps from third parties. But who's to say you won't lose out to competitors spending money on marketing that is prioritized?

Additionally, you're also in the hands of their changing policies and terms.

With WPCafe it's easy to publish your menu, determine your hours of operation and the number of reservations available as well as cancellation policy, and much more.

Through WPCafe and WooCommerce it is possible to keep your full autonomy and controlover your operations at just half the price of hosting platforms.

Step 4. Upload Your Menu

The time has come to the menu items you want to add.

In WooCommerce, under Products add descriptions. include tags and categories like starter, main, soft drink cocktails, gluten-free vegetarian, etc.

You also have the option to upload pictures of your food items so that people will be able to view what you're serving them.

5. Build customer loyalty with a membership Program

Now you have all you need to run your restaurant on the internet without third-party platform, it's time to get creative and find ways to create the loyalty of your customers.

A happy number: a 5% increment in loyalty to customers generates more than 25% rise in revenue.

It pays to keep the existing patrons to return.

 However, customer loyalty is in crisis.

Costs are rising and impacting how customers are feeling about their favorite brands.

Here are some not-so-happy stats A third (30%) of customers say price increases affect their trust in brands, while 22% of them say that they feel their loyalty to brands is decreasing.

Businesses need to find ways to create value (or in the case of perceived value) to the customers they serve. And membership programs could be the ticket.

With a membership plan, you can incentivize returning customers with exclusive deals and online content. It is also possible to use your new platform to cross-sell or upsell products as well as drinks.

Keep an eye out for helpful ideas and examples of how to run effective membership programs.

This setup can provide steady and predictable income that makes budgeting and forecasting a much easier.

Additionally, if you provide different levels of membership your customers are able to upgrade their plans when they are more involved in your establishment.

All of this is possible and made easy with.

Step 6: Create the Snowball Effect with Simple Affiliate

In the industry of restaurants the goal of increasing customer satisfaction has another effect which boosts the overall revenue: it draws many more patrons in!

Eating out is an activity that is social. That's what makes restaurants different to, say, retail outlets. People are looking for a good dining establishment and be able to share their experience with loved ones, friends or partner.

This is why the importance of customer loyalty is especially importantin the world of restaurant. Make sure your customers come to you, and they'll be bringing many more guests with them. Remain loyal to their guests and bring even many more guests along with them.

Take a look it's what's known as the snowball effect!

Membership programs can increase the"snowball" effect. Give rewards to guests who bring relatives or friends to restaurants, and also encourage them to enroll in the membership program, too.

So you're not just making sure your customers are returning, but you're also driving more customers to your doors.

 Affili-what?

Affiliate programs are where individuals are rewarded for sharing your business with other people. Each "affiliate" is given an exclusive URL to your website. If someone buys or joins a club by using your hyperlink, you may reward them!

With Easy Affiliate, you'll be able to be rewarding your members for in bringing their family and friends to become members. How do you do that.

  1. Add Easy Affiliate's plugin to your WordPress dashboard
  2. In the WordPress dashboard, navigate to Simple Affiliate and then Settings..
  3. Click on from the affiliates tab.
  4. Then, where it is written Registration Typeat the top, It says Registration Type at the top,select the Private option.
  5. You can turn On the Auto-Add Affiliates feature so new members receive an affiliate link for your website.
  6. Head to The Advanced tab.
  7. Modify the Welcome emailto describe how it all is working to members of your organization.
  8. There is the option to choose to edit the Create Affiliate Sale Emailto automatically send an email with such a voucher reward each time someone signs up by using the promotional code.

Important: Easy Affiliate is designed to reward affiliates with the possibility of earning a cash commission for every sale from their unique link. If you'd like to provide vouchers to customers who can be used in your establishment, ensure that you modify the settings and Ts&Cs to reflect this.

Strategies to reward members and increase sales at restaurants

Incentivize Frequent Diners With Special Offers

Be aware that by keeping your loyal customers satisfied, you're saving on costs in the future.

Discount high markup menu items

If you're worried about cutting the margins of your business already strained Offer discounts on items from the menu that have significant markups, such as appetizers and drinks.

Set minimum orders

It is also possible to set the minimum order requirement (e.g. no drinks when you pay $X for the main) to make sure you're getting the most benefit from the deal.

Make a special happy hour only for members.

Or you could run only for members happy hour promotions to drive sales in slower times. Whatever makes the most sense for your business while still increasing the perceived value of your customers.

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You must ensure that your house always wins!

Be Strategic in Order to Increase Size

Participating in a membership-based restaurant program will give you numerous opportunities for increasing the sales of your establishment and also to cross-sell or up-sell items.

 The time has come to become smart.

Think about how you can make use of promotions in your membership programs to encourage patrons to boost their spending.

One common way is the use package or combo offers. A patron who usually only orders a main and soft drink for $20 might be tempted by a combo deal with dessert and wine worth $28.

You could use data from existing customers' purchases to tailor deals based on items they've already bought.

In this case, for example, if your patron typically orders the same meal every time you visit, give them a discount on a wine that pairs well with the food. Offer a discount on a meal at a higher cost that shares a similar taste profile.

There's a chance that you'll find your own new one, a more expensive order that they'll keep coming back to.

Create an exclusive online hub

Membership programs aren't only about deals and discounts. It could also be an area where customers feel respected and as a part of a community that is exclusive.

The setup procedure for installation is quick and simple and bbPress offers you a unified admin area that allows you to easily handle and manage forums.

If your customers are getting the most from their memberships, the longer they'll stick to your restaurant. This is a win-win situation for both of the parties.

Five Examples of Membership Programs that can boost sales at restaurants

1. Drink Clubs

They are also high-priced. the relatively low cost and a high perception of value, drinks are a great option to take advantage of membership offers and discounts.

Offer them discounted drinks, and guess where they're planning to eat out? In your restaurant obviously.

Below are three examples of companies that center their membership programs around alcohol:

 Cooper's Hawk Wine Club

Cooper's Hawk restaurant offers monthly membership to its wine club.

The members can take home three bottles of the restaurant's "wine that month" with tasting notes and pairing recipes.

The club can be chosen from wine clubs that are red, white, sweet, or variety wine clubs, based on their taste preference. They can either enjoy the wine at home with their meal or have them delivered.

Members also get access to various other benefits including a $15 birthday gift and 10% discount on carryout or catering and also discounts on wine-tasting events.

Cooper's Hawk also offers gift membership! It's a great choice to wine enthusiasts as well as corporate gifts. It's a great avenue to boost sales at restaurants as well as introduce clients to their company.

Boris and Horton Coffee Club

East Village's very first pet-friendly café has a subscription to coffee for a month.

The members get eight drinks a month (which typically costs as much as $40) for $25.

The program is particularly ideal for independent, small businesses with a solid community. This is the case with B&H's dog-loving patrons.

 Panera Sip Club

Panera introduced an $8.99/month unlimited coffee subscription beginning in February 2020 and it was a great success. The following year, customer loyalty had eclipsed 40 million.

Three years later, Panera has extended its offering to include a variety of cold and hot drinks.

In an interview with Fast Casual, Panera's chief branding and concept officer Eduardo Luz, explains the success of the free-of-cost model:

"Subscription services can be considered table stakes in many different industries. Coffee was a service we could see as fitting in with that model for a better and cost-effective option [...] as well as providing the opportunity to earn recurring income."

2. Frequent Diner Member

This model is a membership system that allows diners to are charged a fee for access to discounts and deals. If more people dine in your restaurant, the more they maximize their savings, and the more revenue that you can earn from them. everyone benefits!

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Everyone gets to win!

 Blood & Sand

At St. Louis restaurant Blood & Sand, members have to pay just $15 to enjoy various discounts including:

  • Discount of 20% on their bills
  • 30% wine to-go
  • Complimentary sparkling wine and appetizer
  • New member sign-up bonus
  • Table assignment with preference
  • Guaranteed midweek reservations
  • Cocktails are complimentary each time you visit 10 times.

3. An Exclusive VIP Experience

In this type of model, members pay a premium to feel extra special. It's not about creating the value of your customers, so much as giving them an extravagant, luxurious, VIP service.

 M Den

Within London, Gaucho steakhouse and M restaurants have collaborated to create M Den, a private members' club with exclusive discounts and invitations.

The annual membership for all venues is PS1000 (about 1240 dollars) and also includes offers for VIP members including:

  • A call to attend the "M means Monaco" Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend-long event.
  • An individual bottle of premium spirit of their choice.
  • Members only Lounge access to events only once every year.
  • Reservations for guaranteed restaurants and VIP line.
  • Unlimited Members Lounge access to up to five guests.
  • Four tickets to exclusive events featuring sports stars.
  • Monthly social gatherings.
  • Concierge service available to help with travel, accommodation and events.

Members also get access to The Portal which is An online platform that contains information of upcoming events and extra advantages.

4. Community-Supported Restaurant Memberships (CSR)

This is a fantastic option for restaurants in need of funding early. It works on the lines of GoFundMe or Kickstarter However, this is targeted at establishments.

Patrons pay an upfront sum in order to exchange the exact amount (or more) in food and services in the future.

You benefit from an immediate infusion of capital that can help pay for things like renovations or expansions. Your patrons benefit from greater profits.

 Lenoir

Austin-based Lenoir restaurant provides patrons with the opportunity to become part of their CSR.

They offer 3 different levels of investment:

  • $1,000 gets you $1200 in their house account.
  • The amount of $2000 will give you $2500 in their account for house.
  • The $5,000 amount will grant the homeowner a house account of $3,000 and a five-course private complete dinner for eight people at home or in the dining area ($3,000 value) Two knife sharpenings for free, priority access to certain events and prior reservations.

5. Content Hub Membership

If your establishment has strong brand identity and genuine roots in its cuisine You have the ideal recipe for creating an exciting website that provides members with content.

Make behind-the-scenes video tutorials that share techniques for cooking, recipes Food stories, pairing suggestions.

 L'Oca d'Oro

The restaurant is also located in Austin the restaurant L'Oca d'Oro in Austin is a restaurant that has won awards. an enduring connection to and brand to its Italian dishes.

They offer 2 subscription types on their site. For those who love food, they can choose Fiore's Regional Pasta Club, priced at $90/month. Those who wish to be sommeliers will go for the Wine Share Club at $65/month.

Every month, members are able to join The Pasta Club not only receive ingredients and pantry essentials They also have the chance to experience Italian traditions.

Participants take part in a cooking class with chefs Fiore Tedesco for a trip through the countries and cities that inspired his cuisine while sharing tales and recipes along the way.

L'Oca d'Oro combines subscription deals and online content for a unique exclusive experience for their customers.

We hope that these ideas inspire you to create an incentive program for members that rewards loyalty, brings you recurring revenue, and ultimately improves sales.

Conclusion

We've shown you how it's done, and is now your turn!

Be sure to set up your website to take deliveries so that you're not at the mercy of the third party platforms that host your website. Regain your freedom with WPCafe.

Now is the time to get imaginative! Think strategically about which types of membership programs will work best for your restaurant and get that revenue pumping!

This is a quick reminder of the actions you must take to increase restaurant sales through your website:

  1.   Choose the WordPress theme and host.  
  2.   Install the plugin.  
  3.    The extension is available for WPCafe as well as WooCommerce plug-ins.
  4.   Add your own menu.  
  5.   Increase customer loyalty by implementing the help of a program for membership.  
  6.   Create the snowball effect using Simple Affiliate.  

Have you found any interesting restaurant membership programs? Have you got any ideas regarding how to boost restaurant sales with WordPress? Let us know in the comments below.

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Take Action Now!

Increase revenue for your restaurant by hosting your own membership programs.