According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2013, 56% of all adults living in the U.S. have a smartphone.  Even more notable, within the important demographic range of 18 to 49 years of age (a sweet spot for online ordering customers), the number of smartphone owners jumps to 74.5%.

That works out to about 137 million people with smartphones.  It is still too early to say and be taken seriously, but we, at NetWaiter, believe online and mobile ordering is to restaurants what drive-thru windows were to fast-food places in the '60s - a game changer for how the public gets their takeout food.

Online ordering, however, offers enhanced accessibility from a customer's mobile device.  That's why NetWaiter places so much emphasis on mobile ordering and provides each client their own branded mobile site for easy menu navigation and ordering.   Consider these recent statistics from Google:

•    95% of smartphone users conduct restaurant searches.
•    64% of those searches convert to purchases in one hour; 90% convert within one day.
•    77% of those using NetWaiter for a delivery order prefer to prepay online rather than pay in person.
•    30%: The average industry increase in ticket size seen from mobile and online orders.

This from the Open Forum Blog of American Express: 

Practice the "benevolent ambush." This tip for better customer service comes straight from psychiatric research that found people were more grateful for an unexpected dollar bill than they were for the $100 bill they knew was coming. Look for ways to surprise your customers with an extra benefit or bonus to build real and lasting goodwill. Try this idea:

• A random 50 percent off coupon sent via NetWaiter once or twice per year to each customer is a great start.