As operators prepare for the upcoming season, have you been keeping up to date with the latest stats around current guest behaviours, demands and expectations? Specifically, those relating to mobile ordering and how guests interact with you and your digital menus to ensure you are maximising each and every sales opportunity.

In short, the headlines speak for themselves. It is currently estimated that there are 6.3 billion smartphone users globally, and as a result, mobile app usage is rapidly continuing its upward trajectory. Additionally, across America alone, 88% of mobile time is spent engaging with and using apps.

No longer the new kid on the revenue block, mobile ordering has worked hard to establish itself as a key sales channel in recent times and is firmly set to continue to influence how guests interact, view menus, order, and spend both now and in the future. However, recognising its role is only the first step.

To truly realise its revenue potential and ensure it has a real impact on your profitability, you need to know how and where it can work harder for you, your staff and your guests to drive spend and profitability across your F&B operations. Here is our countdown of the top 10 tactics you can employ to do just that.

1. Increase upsells and order volumes with complimentary items

Strategically placing complementary items on digital menus, such as side dishes, drinks, or Chef pairings, can both enhance the guest’s dining experience and significantly increase the average check size.

Whether it be, for example, a selected wine choice or accompanying dessert to complete the order, these subtle prompts can hold real guest appeal (and demonstrate the expertise and knowledge of your team) and boost revenue with easy-to-view, accessible items ready to order at the touch of a button.

2. Multi-lingual capabilities

For overseas guests, understanding a menu in a foreign language can present challenges and friction. However, such challenges can easily be overcome when implementing multilingual capabilities. You immediately extend your appeal to a more diverse clientele.

A language-switching tool means your menu can be understood by a much broader market, which then has the confidence to order potentially even more items. It also reduces errors and miscommunication, leading to higher spend and greater guest satisfaction.

3. Enticing images

A picture paints a thousand words, and unquestionably, this is true for F&B. Including high-quality photography of menu items from fresh salads to indulgent desserts and sparkling cocktails can all work wonders to ensure your mobile ordering app serves as the shop window to your entire F&B offer, tempting guests and ensuring higher sales.

Strong imagery holds strong appeal across all apps and sectors; nowhere is this truer than in hospitality and F&B.

4. Detailed descriptions

As guest digital expectations have become more sophisticated in recent times, so too have their expectations when it comes to catering for particular dietary requirements. Whether it be managing allergies, counting calories or in line with sustainability best practices, knowing where ingredients are sourced from.

Adopting a transparent approach to menus with comprehensive information on each available dish and drink can enable guests to make informed decisions, increase their confidence in ordering and encourage them to explore more of what your menu offers.

5. Expand mobile ordering across multiple outlets within your property

Mobile ordering does not have to only be available for room service. Take the time to invest in making it readily available for every outlet across your property so that every square foot has the opportunity to realise its F&B revenue potential.

Whether that be the lobby, bar, poolside, or bistro – for pick up or delivery - expanding its accessibility and convenience will, in turn, enable and encourage guests to order more frequently, driving additional revenue from a number of different locations.

6. A second prompt from waitstaff

In a similar vein to adding upsells on the digital menu, staff can also utilise the app to great effect as a sales tool. Bear in mind that guests tend to spend more when prompted twice.

After placing their initial order via the app, train staff to initiate a second prompt, suggesting additional items like drinks or desserts, encouraging them to extend their order and further increase their spend. Ensure staff have a clear and present understanding of your app and its functionality so they can both use it and promote it to guests to the best of their ability.

7. Market your mobile

Visibility and knowledge of your mobile ordering platform is integral to its adoption and success. Be sure to promote your app by placing QR codes in high-traffic and longer-term dwelling areas like elevators, key cards, TV screens, the lobby and sun loungers. The more visible and accessible the app, the more likely guests are to use it, leading to higher usage, quicker delivery times for orders, increased repeat orders and higher revenues.

Likewise, ensure you are taking advantage of every opportunity to communicate its availability and functionality throughout the guest journey. Add details on your website and social media channels and mention it in pre-arrival communications during arrival and check-in to ensure guests fully understand its functionality and can start using it from the moment they arrive.

8. Incentivise loyalty

A mobile ordering app is a convenient and direct way to reward guest orders and loyalty. Simple tactics and offers such as a complementary drink for the first main menu item ordered via the app can encourage guests to browse, engage and use all in one go, enabling them to see at the touch of a button how easy it is to use and encourage further adoption in the future.

9. Report and review

Once up and running, your mobile app offers an unparalleled view of guest ordering data that you can then track to inform future menu plans and pricing strategies that will boost both revenue and profitability. By the same token ensure you’re encouraging and employing guest and staff feedback to keep refining and upgrading the app so that it is the best possible fit for both audiences.

10. Communicate convenience

For both the adoption and revenue potential of mobile ordering to be realised, be sure that both your staff and guests understand and appreciate the benefits of the convenience it offers. For guests this is being able to view, order and pay from the palm of their hand at a time and location that suits them. For staff it is being able to efficiently process orders and payments without mistakes and the freedom to focus on delivering great hospitality to guests without getting side-tracked by administration.

All of these tactics can help you ensure you are getting the best possible value from your mobile ordering platform. Each can result in an enhanced guest and staff experience, increased orders, and, as a result, increased revenue and profitability.

To find out more about the IRIS platform and how mobile ordering can support your F&B revenues, please contact the team here.

This piece was first published on Hotel Business. You can read the original article here

Top 10 tips to increase F&B guest spend and profitability with mobile ordering