DoorDash is an app that lets you order food from local restaurants and get it delivered directly to your door. It’s like Uber for food, so instead of calling a car or taxi, you can call for a delivery from a restaurant. Food delivery services are booming right now, but it’s also pretty competitive.
With so many other options out there, how can you make sure your business thrives on DoorDash? Thankfully, with the right tips and tricks, your business will be one of the top performers in no time. Keep reading to learn more about getting started with DoorDash as a food business owner.
Know your audience before you sign up with DoorDash
Before you get started with DoorDash, make sure you know who you’re targeting. If you’re in the restaurant business, you’re probably familiar with the type of customers you get on a daily basis. You know what they want, what they like, what they don’t like, and all the other little details that come with running a food business.
DoorDash works a little differently than your typical food business, so you’ll need to make sure you understand your audience. Since you can’t necessarily see what customers are ordering, you’ll have to rely on other factors to understand your audience’s wants and needs.
Make sure your food is easily recognizable
Restaurants will often specialize in a single food item, and DoorDash will let you list that food item on your menu. However, in order for customers to recognize what they’re ordering, you’ll have to have an image of the food item.
If your special food item is a burger, for example, you’ll want to take a few images of your burgers. These don’t have to be professionally shot pictures — as long as the burgers are recognizable, you’ll be fine. You can also list the ingredients in your burger to help customers know exactly what they’re ordering. That way, even if they don’t recognize the image of your burger, they’ll be able to read the ingredients and know what they’re getting.
Commit to a specific DoorDash promotion
Once you’ve signed up for DoorDash, you might be tempted to just sit back and wait for orders to roll in. After all, the more customers you sign up, the more you can earn. However, that’s not a sustainable strategy. Customers will come and go, you’ll make more one week than another, and you’ll never truly know what to expect.
You’re better off committing to a specific promotion. By committing to a specific promotion, you have a specific goal to reach. If you want to sell 10 burgers, then commit to that goal! By setting specific goals, you’ll have something to focus on and will know whether or not you’re making progress. After you reach the goal, don’t stop. Keep promoting your special deal so that you can make even more orders.
Estimate your DoorDash delivery costs before you sign up
Before you sign up for DoorDash, you need to know how much your delivery costs will be. You can make an estimate based on the restaurant’s average order size, the average distance between the restaurant and the customer, and how many orders you’re expecting.
You can also check with your local restaurant association to see how much other restaurants are paying for delivery. Once you know your delivery costs, you can include them in your initial sign-up process. Whether you’re asking customers to order through the app or on your website, you can let them know exactly how much the delivery will cost and let them decide if it’s worth it.
Promote loyalty with free shipping and exclusive promotions
Restaurants typically have frequent customers, and DoorDash has features that let you reward those customers. You can offer free shipping to those who place a certain amount of orders per week, or you can give them a percentage off their orders.
You can also create exclusive promotions that are only available to those who frequently order from your business. These promotions can help you build up your business quickly. Once you offer these types of promotions, you’ll attract repeat customers who will keep coming back and ordering from you because of how much money they save. These customers are great for your business, and you want as many of them as possible.
Bottom line
DoorDash is a great way to get new customers for your restaurant business. If you want these customers to keep coming back, though, you’ll need to make sure their experience is excellent. By following these tips, you can make sure your customers are happy and coming back for more.
