The restaurant industry continues its love-hate relationship with daily deals. There is even some research that the customers are not as bad as once thought, although they still are not the most profitable. The main drawback is that once you start using them, customers come to expect them.

Online ordering, however, proves a far better way to grow business--and is more profitable. As noted in a recent NetWaiter blogpost:  "Almost 98% of operators say the ROI of online ordering met or exceeded their expectations, with 52.4% saying their expectations were surpassed.

How important is it for your restaurant to offer online ordering through a mobile site? According to a 2010 study by Morgan Stanley, access to the Internet using mobile devices will overtake desktop/laptop Internet access by 2013.

Smartphone owners tend to use their handheld devices to help with everyday tasks. If given an option, will they call your restaurant from their cell phone to place an order? Probably not. The last time they called, they were put on hold and rushed to complete their order. With their smartphone, your menu is in front of them, they don’t have to wait on hold, and it’s accurate, fast, and paid for.

Online ordering is all about using technology for greater customer convenience. We at NetWaiter want to extend convenience to your customers any way possible. Mobile ordering is a great step to providing the ultimate convenience to your customers and is only getting bigger. If your customers are going mobile, your restaurant needs to go mobile.