5 expert hacks to skyrocket your restaurant sales on Swiggy and Zomato

As of June 2023, Zomato had about 226,000 restaurants delivering food every month, and Swiggy was super busy with people ordering 250 biryanis per minute during the CWC 2023 cricket match between India and Pakistan.

Now, let's talk about Swiggy and Zomato – these are like the superheroes of food delivery in India. Swiggy and Zomato, in a way, have created a duopoly in the food delivery segment in India. Lakhs of folks use them to order different types of yummy dishes daily. Daily active users for Zomato and Swiggy are around 6.1 million and 4.4 million, respectively.

If you're running a restaurant or food business, you might wonder how to get more people to order from you through food delivery aggregators Swiggy and Zomato. Well, that's precisely what this blog post is about. We're here to share some simple tips and tricks to help you get more orders and make more money using Swiggy and Zomato. We're also serving up a hot and exclusive webinar series, plated with sharp strategies to help you scale on Zomato, so if you're hungry for your restaurant's growth, book your free spot here. 🍽️

Let's dive in!

1. Optimise your menu and pricing

One of the first things you must do is optimise your menu and pricing for Swiggy and Zomato. You need to ensure that your menu is attractive, easy to navigate and has clear descriptions and images of your dishes. 

Craft compelling and detailed descriptions for each dish, highlighting unique flavours and ingredients. You can also create value-packed combo deals that encourage customers to order more.

You must also price your dishes competitively and offer discounts and combos to attract more customers. Offer special deals to first-time app users to encourage them to try your restaurant.

Pooja Dhingra, Indian pastry chef and businesswoman, shares, “In my office, a group of individuals in their early twenties, around 23-24 years old, consistently opt for the convenience of Swiggy or Zomato to order their daily lunches. Interestingly, their choice isn't driven by loyalty to a particular brand but revolves around snagging the best deal available on that given day.”

2. Improve your ratings and reviews

Another important factor influencing your Swiggy and Zomato sales is your ratings and reviews. Customers trust and order from restaurants with high ratings and positive reviews. 

• Food quality: Ensure excellent food quality, taste, and hygiene. Customers are more likely to rate you well if they enjoy your food and feel safe eating it.

“The only way to thrive in your restaurant business is to have a strong product and create a great demand for yourself. Aggregators will come to you. And they will do it at your price if you offer a great product with a recall value,” shares Riyaaz Amlani, CEO of Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt Ltd and president of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI).

• Rating: After they order from you, send your customers a thank you note or a feedback request. One way is to ask the customers for information by using some literature on the packaging. This will encourage them to share their positive experiences and suggestions with you and potential customers.

The more reviews you get, the more they are added to your restaurant profile on Swiggy/Zomato, and the more people trust your food items. In these apps, restaurants are shown as per the descending order of the number of ratings they have received. Needless to say, it’s of utmost importance.

• Reception: Respond to the reviews you receive, especially the negative ones. Try to be polite, professional, and empathetic. Apologise for any inconvenience caused and offer a solution or compensation. This will show that you value your customer’s opinions and are willing to improve your service.
• Experiment: Keep up with the latest trends and innovations in the food industry. To attract more customers and stand out, experiment with new dishes, cuisines, and formats. You can also leverage the features and benefits of Swiggy or Zomato, such as Max Safety, Superfast Delivery, and Zomato Pro.

Zorawar Kalra, founder and MD of Massive Restaurants Pvt Ltd, says, “One thing I would recommend to people in a certain geography who want to start a restaurant is to be exclusive. If you offer this, you can ask for lower delivery commissions from aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato. You can stand out by making a difference and a differentiated product. “This way, the competition is lower, and the supply of restaurants is lower.”

3. Increase your visibility and reach

The more visible and reachable you are on Swiggy and Zomato, the more chances you have of getting more orders. You can increase your visibility and reach by using various features and strategies, such as:

• Banner ads: You can use banner ads to promote your restaurant and offers on the Swiggy and Zomato apps and websites. Banner ads can help you increase your brand awareness and attract more customers to your restaurant. You can inquire about opportunities to promote your restaurant in the app.

• Sponsored listings: You can use sponsored listings to rank higher on the Swiggy and Zomato search results and get more exposure to your target audience. Sponsored listings can help you boost your organic orders and conversions.

• Swiggy POP and Zomato Express: You can use Swiggy POP and Zomato Express to offer single-serve meals at affordable prices and fast delivery. Swiggy POP and Zomato Express can help you cater to the large and growing segment of customers looking for quick and convenient food options. Also, participate in themed campaigns or events the app promotes to gain additional exposure.
• Swiggy Super and Zomato Gold: You can use Swiggy Super and Zomato Gold to offer exclusive benefits and discounts to loyal and premium customers. Swiggy Super and Zomato Gold can help you increase your customer retention and repeat orders.
• Geo-targeted marketing: Use geo-targeting to send special offers to users in specific areas, increasing the relevance of your promotions.

4. Leverage social media and digital marketing

Social media and digital marketing are powerful tools that can help you increase your sales on Swiggy and Zomato and grow your online presence. You can leverage social media and digital marketing to:

• Create and share engaging content: You can create photos, videos, stories, blogs, and testimonials that showcase your food, offers, events, and behind-the-scenes. You can also use hashtags, keywords, and tags to increase your reach and visibility.

• Build and interact with your community: You can build and interact with your community of followers, fans, and customers on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. You can also use features such as polls, quizzes, live sessions, and contests to engage and entertain your audience and get feedback and insights.
  
• Collaborate and partner with influencers: You can collaborate and partner with influencers such as food bloggers, vloggers, reviewers, and celebrities who have a large and loyal fan base and can endorse and recommend your restaurant and food.

5. User-friendly packaging and unboxing experience

Invest in aesthetically pleasing and functional packaging. A positive unboxing experience can lead to customers sharing their orders on social media, providing free publicity for your restaurant. 

Also, make sure to provide tamper-proof and spill-proof packaging for your food. This will prevent mishaps during delivery and show that you care about your customers’ convenience and satisfaction.

6. Analyse and optimise your performance

The last but not the most minor hack to scale on Swiggy and Zomato is to analyse and optimise your performance. You need to track and measure your key metrics and indicators such as orders, revenue, ratings, reviews, customer feedback, and return on investment. 

Utilise these app's analytics to identify popular dishes, peak ordering times, and customer preferences. Tailor your menu and promotions based on the insights gained from the app's data.

You must also identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and take corrective and preventive actions to improve your performance. 

Additionally, you can access insights from Zomato Food Trends

Conclusion

Scaling on Swiggy and Zomato is not easy, but it is not impossible either. Following these hacks and tips can increase your sales on Swiggy and Zomato and grow your food business. However, your approach must be consistent, innovative, and customer-centric, delivering customer value and satisfaction. 

Remember, happy customers are loyal customers, and loyal customers are your best advocates and promoters. So, what are you waiting for? Start scaling on Swiggy and Zomato today and take your restaurant to the next level.