Recent articles about a Florida-based restaurant chain focused on how they doubled their online ordering in their restaurant in two months, from 2 to 3 percent of their volume to more than 5 percent.  Some of what they did was just good sense.  Other things were a bit more innovative.

Here are three that worked well:

Here are a few tips on fleshing out your online menu, and keep in mind that the addition of some of these key words can also help your SEO rankings:

Mention preparation methods – Words such as grass-fed, house-made, in-house and artisanal are all associated with higher prices.  One study found that the average price of an order of French Fries goes up $1.68 when the words hand-cut are included in the description.

What’s the source of the food? – 86% of consumers in a global survey rank ingredient transparency high on the scale of importance.  This used to be a tactic of smaller chains and independent restaurants, but now you see larger chains boasting the origins of their beef and vegetables, or where they may get their catch-of-the-day.  “Locally grown … (fill in the blank)” or a specific region (Northwest, Chilean, etc.) can help boost orders, even at higher prices.

Dietary considerations – Vegetarians, vegans, and those on a gluten-free diet all have a challenge when ordering from restaurants.  Making note of these issues on your online menu will make you a favorite and help increase your sales among people that fit these profiles.  A simple icon attached to a menu item can identify if it’s vegan, gluten-free, etc.