Online ordering platforms make it easier for b2b eCommerce businesses, restaurant businesses, cafes, catering businesses, bakery businesses, and other hospitality businesses, to take orders online or in person. When integrated with a POS system, it streamlines payment and invoice processing.
Wholesale distributorships and dropshipping suppliers can turn their websites and online eCommerce marketplaces into a customer acquisition channel with an online ordering system. You can turn your website into a lead magnet when you integrate it with an online ordering platform.
Key Takeaway: With more and more customers buying products online, setting up an online ordering platform will improve the omnichannel customer experience. Customers will be able to access your digital catalog or food menu through their mobile devices or by scanning a restaurant QR code.
Online ordering platforms can drastically speed up the ordering process. In this article, we’ll review the best online ordering platforms for restaurants and wholesale businesses. Let’s get started!
10 Best Online Ordering Platforms
Here are the 10 best online ordering platforms.
BlueCart is an all-in-one eCommerce platform for wholesalers, B2B businesses, hospitality businesses, and businesses in the food and beverage industry. The platform is designed to streamline your online ordering processes and operations.
The BlueCart mobile ordering platform handles everything, including keeping track of your product catalogs and sales. Other benefits include managing and filling outbound orders, answering customer inquiries through an integrated messaging platform, and sending out product announcements and marketing materials to your consumers.
Best For: Wholesale food distributors, restaurant businesses, and hospitality businesses. Offers B2B eCommerce businesses an easy-to-use self-service online ordering solution.
Features:
- Reasonable prices
- Website and app for businesses
- 24/7 customer support
- Order management
- Multiple payment gateway integrations
- Inventory control
- Route optimization and monitoring
- eCommerce marketplace
- Revolution Ordering
The Revolution Ordering platform is used by restaurants and businesses within the hospitality industry. It is an off-premise solution for online food ordering that also offers third-party marketplace insertion. With Revolution Ordering, you get access to all the online ordering features your restaurant would need for a flat monthly fee. Book a demo with Revolution Ordering today to learn more.
Best for: Restaurants and other businesses in the food industry such as hotels, casinos, country clubs, and more.
Features:
- One flat monthly fee
- Third-party marketplace insertion (DoorDash, GrubHub, UberEats, Google Food Ordering)
- 7-day/week customer service
- POS integrations
- Group reservations
- Menufy
Menufy is a business listing and browser-based online ordering website design service. In order to offer on-demand delivery services from third-parties, Menufy integrates directly with Uber and DoorDash.
Like Toast, Tock, and DoorDash, Menufy operates a listing website and a connected mobile application to assist in bringing in new consumers to your restaurant. Users of Menufy can purchase a wireless receipt printer and a Menufy tablet to take online purchases.
Best for: Excellent fit for small restaurants that need marketing assistance.
Features:
- Low processing rates
- 360 eCommerce marketing solutions
- Online restaurant listing platform
- Pay-as-you-go delivery
- Multilingual support
- 247Waiter
You can create your own online ordering platform with 247Waiter. The system is easy to set up and use. To support your business, the platform provides you with a website and online ordering platform.
Some benefits of using this platform include the branded website, access to priceless customer data, geofencing, and multiple third-party payment integrations. 247Waiter offers businesses the basic features of an online ordering platform.
Best for: Small businesses and restaurants.
Features:
- Simple setup
- Branded website
- Online ordering platform
- Toast
A dependable restaurant online ordering system is provided by Toast online ordering. You can set up the online presence of your restaurant. Toast is a complete restaurant POS software with integrated internet ordering features.
By connecting you directly to clients at any stage of the cycle, the Toast online restaurant management software system minimizes errors. With the system, you can send out notifications, regulate how many orders you want to handle at once, and manage the menu at any time.
Best for: POS integrated online ordering system. Restaurant businesses looking for a streamlined, single platform approach can use Toast.
Features:
- In-house and third-party delivery driver management
- Customer arrival notifications
- Custom branding
- Multiple device support
- Epos Now
The takeaway ordering system from Epos Now comes with free staff training and easy onboarding e-modules. Real-time reporting on employees, clients, and inventory is only one of the platform's many outstanding features.
Epos Now online ordering system can be used alone or in conjunction with hundreds of other programs, such as payment processing software and eCommerce accounting software.
Best for: eCommerce reporting and insights.
Features:
- Inventory management software
- In-depth reporting
- Digital catalog and menu
- Online ordering system
- Flex Catering
From online ordering to production management, Flex is an all-in-one software that helps businesses handle all of their off-premises and catering needs. Flex can help you save time and money so your catering business can expand more quickly. Its business process flow was designed with both B2C and B2B sales processes in mind.
Orders, events, production, delivery, and everything else in between are all managed by Flex, giving you complete control over the catering portion of your business. For all forms of catering, Flex Catering is the ideal solution.
Best for: For different types of catering and event management businesses.
Features:
- Online ordering
- Orders and invoices
- Create and send proposals with e-sign capability
- Account management
- Menu management
- Delivery management
- iMenu360
iMenu360 is an intuitive and practical restaurant management platform solution. It has every functionality required for an online ordering system for restaurants. Mobile ordering, delivery zone geofencing, loyalty programs, a coupon engine, a restaurant manager app, and other features are among the features.
Best for: Restaurants businesses, cafes, and hotels.
Features:
- Geofencing
- Coupon engine
- Mobile ordering system
- Restolab
Restolabs is a reliable, cost-effective internet ordering platform for restaurants. Unlike Toast, DoorDash, and Square Online, Restolabs offers multiple payment gateways.
The platform makes it easy to route deliveries to on-demand, third-party drivers by integrating with DoorDash, Uber, and Postmates. With a strong focus on increasing sales and improving the omnichannel customer experience and customer relationships, Restolabs features a robust mobile ordering platform and menu customization options.
Best for: Payment flexibility.
Features:
- Menu customization
- Facebook ordering
- Mobile ordering platform
- Delivery options
- Multiple payment gateways
- Flipdish
With Flipdish, you have access to everything you need to accept orders directly from your own websites and mobile applications. The online ordering platform enables you to provide digital ordering from kiosks or phones, and expand your business through marketing and customer loyalty programs.
You can access the platform through your own Flipdish portal and take advantage of the detailed reporting and real-time sales metrics. Flipdish is a very thorough digital ordering solution that includes a number of sales channels, such as websites, smartphone apps, in-store kiosks, Google, and order and pay apps.
Best for: Small businesses looking for affordability and simplicity.
Features:
- Third-party restaurant POS systems integrations
- Branded online store
- Customer retention and loyalty campaign setup
Main Features of Online Ordering Systems
The online ordering process has changed significantly in recent years. Some features of online ordering systems have remained the same while others have evolved. It’s important to keep in mind that online ordering platforms for businesses constantly adapt to the latest technologies and the demand for different functionalities. That’s why some of their features might become obsolete as new ones are introduced. Here are the main features of online ordering systems.
- Proper UX and user-friendly interface. In order to increase sales, online ordering systems should be easy to use by customers. Improvements in user experience are done through A/B testing.
- Smooth billing. It can be very frustrating for users if the billing process is not easy. The transaction system must also be secure and safe.
- Responsiveness and mobile-friendliness. The majority of online orders are done through mobile devices. That’s why the online ordering system needs to be suitable for different devices and resolutions.
- Transaction history. Both businesses and clients can benefit from having records of their order history. Businesses can better customize upselling and cross-selling options while customers can grab ideas from their previous orders.
- Group order. This functionality is a fairly new one and not all online ordering systems offer it. Group orders make it possible for multiple people and devices to create a single order. This can be useful for parties and gatherings.
- Delivery tracking. Integrating GPS tracking with the online delivery system helps clients understand how close their order is. It can also help drivers pick an optimal delivery route.
- Easy menu creation and edits. Businesses in the food service industry often need to change the prices of certain menu items or experiment with new dishes. That’s why smooth menu creation and edits are especially important for restaurants.
What Businesses Use Online Ordering Platforms
Although online ordering platforms are primarily associated with restaurants, various businesses use them. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the market share of online orders significantly. That’s why different online ordering platforms have integrated features to help different types of businesses use them. Here are some examples of companies that can benefit from online ordering systems.
- Various food service businesses. That includes not only restaurants but also food trucks, bakeries, caterers, and ghost kitchens. Most food service businesses offer both delivery and takeout options. They can use popular platforms like Uber Eats, Grubhub, and other less-known online ordering platforms.
- Coffee shops. A lot of people get coffee and breakfast delivered to their homes or workplaces. Coffee shops can significantly increase their revenue by using an online order platform for takeout and delivery services.
- Grocery stores. The busy lifestyle of many people has led to efforts to automate tasks like grocery shopping. One way to do so is by ordering groceries online and picking them up in the store or getting them delivered. Both supermarkets and specialized stores can use online ordering platforms to expand their reach.
- Other retailers. From well-established apparel retailers to small and niche eCommerce stores, they use a wide range of online ordering platforms. The most popular choices are Shopify and WooCommerce. Most retailers benefit from omnichannel marketing as they offer their products on popular marketplaces and platforms like Amazon and eBay.
- Wholesalers. Distributors and their clients can benefit greatly from using an online ordering platform like BlueCart. Online ordering systems that are specifically tailored to the needs of suppliers can help them automate various tasks and increase their wholesale sales. Furthermore, businesses that buy in bulk can easily find new distributors or automate the wholesale ordering process.
Frequently Asked Questions About Online Ordering Platform
Let’s answer a few questions about online ordering platform for businesses.
What do Restaurants use for Online Ordering?
There are several software and platforms that restaurants can use for online ordering. These platforms include:
- BlueCart
- Revolution Ordering
- Toast POS
- Flex Catering
- Flipdish
- iMenu360
- Menufy
What is Web-based Ordering?
Web-based ordering allows customers to browse, select, order, and pay for products via your website without having to download a mobile application. The platform enables easy access to your digital menu.
What is Restaurant Ordering System?
A restaurant ordering system is a platform that allows restaurants to receive online orders from customers. It can also streamline payment processes when integrated with a POS system.
What Is eCommerce for Restaurants?
eCommerce for restaurants refers to online marketplaces that sell anything and everything that a restaurant could need. From inventory to equipment, they offer it all.
Choosing the Best Platform
With several platforms to choose from it can be difficult to select the right online ordering platform for your business. When selectiing an online ordering system, look for the one that fits your business needs, customer demands, and budget.
You should consider using an all-in-one platform designed with eCommerce for restaurants in mind. Platforms like BlueCart and Revolution Ordering offers demos and walkthroughs to help you make the best decision.