If you have a gastronomic business or one related to the Food and Beverage sector, it is essential that you know how the world of online orders has evolved and current trends.
This is one of the fastest growing areas in electronic commerce that was strengthened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below we are going to share relevant data about it, in addition to presenting the main advantages and disadvantages of online ordering platforms, so that you can choose the one that best suits your business.
Keep reading to find out more.
Create your online store for free!
Data on e-commerce, gastronomy and online orders in 2021
During 2021, the trend that had already been registered in 2020 regarding electronic commerce in Latin America continued, a growth that, although less accelerated than that of the previous year, shows that it is not a temporary phenomenon but a definitive change in the buying habits that are here to stay.
In fact, according to our , Latin America has become a hyper-growth market where e-commerce is expected to grow 31% per year until 2025.
Undoubtedly, the “pandemic” factor created a greater dependence on the online world. It was during confinement that web ordering tools (also called online ordering platforms or sales apps) and delivery services (home delivery of products) came to play a leading role.
After that, the trend continued and the last one made by the shows it.
While in 2019 Food and Beverages ranked 10th in the most popular categories in online shopping, during 2020 it moved to third place and in 2021 it remained in the same position.
Even in terms of billing, this item, which continues as the second category in Argentina, showed a growth of 51% during 2021.
So if you have a gastronomic business or one related to the Food and Beverage sector and you are not yet offering online orders (or you want to change platforms), keep reading to learn about the various options for your business.
Online ordering platforms
Today there are two types of online ordering platforms: the so-called “multi-offer” platforms and custom platforms. Let’s look at each one in detail:
1) Platforms “multi-offers”
These platforms are based on a business model that seeks to connect the customer with restaurants or businesses that sell food and beverages. Its main advantage is that, on the same platform, the user can find a wide range of options to place their order.
It is a kind of “” of restaurants, although currently it has also spread to other segments such as supermarkets or pharmacies.
These platforms have filters by categories according to the type of food and a search engine that returns results according to the area where the client is located.
In addition to facilitating the search and allowing the user to specify the order, the “multi-offer” platforms make a delivery service available to the business that extends to different cities in the country. In other words, in addition to taking the online order, it handles delivery logistics.
Some of the best-known platforms of this type, and which have spread to several countries, are OrdensYa, Rappi and Uber Eats.
2) Customized platforms
In recent years, apps (mobile applications) have also proliferated that allow the ordering platform to be customized according to the brand image of the business. This makes it easier for each business to have its own ordering platform, although they must take care of the delivery logistics.
Customized platforms can be web apps (web applications that can be browsed from any device), or native apps (applications that are installed on the phone and are developed according to the operating system, whether Android or iOS).
Some of them offer services throughout the country, such as Free orders or Wabi. Platforms with a zonal reach developed by local programmers have also appeared in several cities.
Virtual store vs. online ordering platform
Having a virtual store in your business is different from having an online ordering platform (either “multi-brand” or “tailor-made”).
They work in a similar way, yes, but they have different characteristics. Let’s see what they are, so you can define the best option for your brand.
business stage
It is important to take into account the stage in which your business is and the different models that we have mentioned.
For example, if you are just starting out and therefore need to make yourself known, it may be useful to appear as an available option within the “multi-brand” ordering platforms.
The disadvantage is that you will have a lot of competition within your area (for example, there will be thousands of pizzerias in the Caballito neighborhood to choose from).
If, on the other hand, you already have loyal customers who choose you regularly, it may be convenient to have your own app or virtual store (or both!). The more presence you have in different , the more opportunities you will have to be chosen.
Before deciding the best alternative for your business, we recommend that you review your business plan.
I know more!
Article
costs
It is necessary that you analyze the costs to make the decision of which of the options is the most convenient for your business.
Some online ordering platforms charge you a percentage for each sale made, but they have no cost to be on the platform.
Others, on the other hand, offer different monthly plans and also have a commission for each confirmed order.
Virtual stores have a cost system similar to the latter and their commission percentage varies depending on the contracted plan. Tiendanube, for example, offers plans from $599 + 2% cost per monthly transaction. Look at all of them.
Catalogue
Unlike virtual stores that support large and variants, online ordering platforms are prepared only for reduced catalogs. This is so because they are oriented towards closed “dishes” or “combos” of the “healthy box” or “fit box” type, for example.
In this reduced catalog, the customer cannot choose options such as flavor or weight. This means that if your catalog is extensive and you want to offer all your products to your customers, without limits, the most suitable for your business is a .
You also have to consider the updates that your catalog will undergo daily or weekly (changes in prices, stock, addition or removal of products).
In an online store, automations can be carried out for all these processes, unlike an online ordering platform, which usually has a very basic administration panel.
The daily operation is, without a doubt, a decisive factor to facilitate the management of any business.
promotions
Keep in mind that a sales app does not allow you to configure complex promotions such as “30% discount buying 1 or more units”, “3×2” or “2×1”. So, if you want to carry out this type of marketing actions frequently, the best thing would be a virtual store.
Structure
Web ordering tools are very simple because they are designed exclusively for taking food and drink orders. They have a list of products and a checkout where the user completes the data to confirm the order.
On the contrary, in a virtual store you have the possibility of showing more institutional and promotional content.
Either through banners or pages that inform about the purchase process, how your business is made up, its history, the dynamics of shipments and returns. In addition, it allows you to update these contents frequently.
See how to set up your Tiendanube in just 4 steps:
statistics
Online ordering tools provide basic statistics on user behavior (some do not provide them directly). Instead, in a virtual store you can find the main statistics of sales, visits, most viewed products, etc.
In addition, you can associate it with to obtain all kinds of metrics that allow you to analyze in depth the behavior of your potential customers.
This information is key to understanding at what stage of the sales process you should make adjustments to increase your.
Integration with means of payment
Some ordering apps are integrated with online payment methods and also offer the possibility to pay in cash, but not all of them have this feature.
Virtual stores, on the other hand, do allow you.
Sales channels
A virtual store allows you to associate your product catalog with other sales channels such as Instagram, Facebook or Google.
This means that, from the catalog of your store, you can also sell through these channels and encourage the purchase in “one click”, for example with.
Online ordering platforms do not allow this association, you only have a unique link to your catalog that you can share with whoever you want.
Online store Online ordering platform Business stage You already have customers. More presence in different sales channels represents more opportunities to be chosen. Initial. The business is making itself known. Costs They offer monthly plans and their commission percentage varies according to the contracted plan. It depends on the platform. Some charge a percentage for each sale made, others offer monthly plans and charge a commission for each confirmed order. Catalog Large catalogs of products and their variants. It allows multiple modifications (changes in prices, stock, registration or cancellation of products). Reduced catalogs oriented to closed “dishes” or “combos”. Promotions They allow you to configure complex promotions such as “30% discount buying 1 or more units”, “3×2” or “2×1”. Simple promotions arranged by the platform. Structure Space for institutional and promotional content. They allow the inclusion of banners or pages with information on the purchase process, business history, shipments and returns. Simple structure, they have a list of products and a checkout. Statistics They have the most important data: sales, visits, most viewed products. It is possible to associate them with Google Analytics to obtain all kinds of metrics. Some provide basic statistics on user behavior. Integration with payment methods They allow the business to be integrated with the different existing payment methods. Depending on the app, they can offer online payment methods and the possibility of paying in cash. Sales channels You have the option to associate the product catalog with other sales channels such as Instagram, Facebook or Google. They have a unique link to the catalogue, but they do not allow you to associate it directly with other…
Facebook Comments
Disqus