How to Create an Online Ordering Website for Your Restaurant
Why Your Restaurant Needs Its Own Online Ordering Website
An online ordering website allows customers to place orders directly with your restaurant without paying third-party marketplace commissions. For most restaurants, this means keeping 15-35% more revenue per order whilst building direct customer relationships you can market to repeatedly.
The average restaurant loses £12,000-£45,000 annually in commission fees to third-party platforms. A direct ordering website eliminates these costs whilst giving you complete control over your menu, pricing, customer data, and brand experience.
Direct Ordering vs Third-Party Marketplaces
Before building your website, understand the fundamental difference between direct and marketplace ordering:
Direct ordering websites are owned by your restaurant. Customers visit your domain, see your branding, and you keep their contact information. You pay a fixed monthly fee or per-order technology cost, typically 2-4% compared to 15-35% marketplace commissions.
Third-party marketplaces like Just Eat, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo charge commission on every order, control customer data, and position you alongside competitors. They provide discovery and delivery services but at significant ongoing cost.
Most successful restaurants use both: marketplaces for customer acquisition and direct ordering for retention and profitability.
The Four Main Options for Building Your Ordering Website
1. Commission-Free Online Ordering Platforms
Purpose-built restaurant ordering platforms provide everything you need: website builder, ordering system, payment processing, and kitchen integration.
Flipdish is the leading commission-free online ordering platform for UK and Irish restaurants. You get a fully-branded restaurant website, mobile ordering, integrated payments, and direct connection to your kitchen operations—all without per-order commissions.
The platform includes built-in menu upselling, customer loyalty programmes, and marketing tools that increase average order values by 18-23%. Orders flow directly into your POS system or kitchen display, eliminating manual entry errors.
Cost: Fixed monthly subscription (typically £99-£299) plus 1.4% + 20p card processing fees. No commission on orders.
Best for: Takeaways, QSRs, cafés, and multi-location restaurant groups seeking maximum profitability and customer control.
Other platforms include Square Online, GloriaFood, and ChowNow, though these often lack the restaurant-specific features, UK market focus, and integrated restaurant management capabilities that Flipdish provides.
2. Website Builders with Ordering Add-Ons
Platforms like Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress allow you to build a general website and add ordering functionality through plugins or integrations.
Advantages: Design flexibility, lower initial cost, control over entire website content.
Disadvantages: Ordering features are often limited, require multiple integrations, lack restaurant-specific tools like menu management and kitchen printing, and need technical knowledge to maintain.
Cost: £15-£40 monthly for website hosting plus separate ordering plugin fees (£20-£100 monthly) and payment processing (2-3%).
Best for: Restaurants with existing websites wanting to add basic ordering, or those with in-house technical resources.
3. Custom Development
Hiring developers to build a bespoke ordering system gives complete control but requires significant investment.
Cost: £8,000-£35,000 initial development plus £500-£2,000 monthly maintenance, hosting, security updates, and payment compliance.
Timeline: 3-6 months to launch.
Best for: Large restaurant groups with specific requirements that off-the-shelf solutions cannot meet, and budget for ongoing technical support.
4. WordPress with WooCommerce
WordPress with WooCommerce and restaurant plugins provides a middle ground between flexibility and functionality.
Advantages: Open-source, extensive customisation, one-time plugin costs.
Disadvantages: Requires technical knowledge, ongoing security management, separate solutions for kitchen printing and POS integration, and responsibility for payment compliance.
Cost: £200-£800 setup plus £80-£150 monthly for hosting, security, and plugins.
Best for: Tech-savvy restaurant owners comfortable managing their own infrastructure.
Essential Features Your Ordering Website Must Have
Menu Management
Your website needs intuitive menu editing that allows you to update prices, add specials, mark items unavailable, and manage modifiers without technical help. Centralised menu management becomes critical if you operate multiple locations.
Mobile Optimisation
Over 68% of restaurant online orders in the UK come from mobile devices. Your website must provide a seamless mobile experience with large touch targets, simple navigation, and fast loading times.
Payment Integration
Secure, PCI-compliant payment processing is non-negotiable. Integrated payment solutions that connect directly to your ordering system reduce errors and reconciliation time whilst ensuring compliance with financial regulations.
Order Management
Orders must flow automatically to your kitchen through printed tickets, kitchen display systems, or POS integration. Manual order entry creates delays and errors that damage customer experience.
Customer Accounts and Loyalty
Allowing customers to save addresses and payment details increases repeat orders by 34%. Built-in loyalty programmes that reward frequent customers drive retention far more effectively than discounting.
Delivery and Collection Options
Clear delivery zones, minimum order values, estimated times, and collection scheduling prevent customer confusion and operational problems.
Marketing and Promotions
Promotional tools for first-order discounts, minimum spend offers, and targeted campaigns help convert website visitors into customers and encourage repeat business.
Step-by-Step: Building Your Ordering Website
Step 1: Choose Your Platform
Evaluate platforms based on:
- Monthly cost vs commission structure
- Integration with your existing POS or kitchen systems
- Menu management capabilities
- Mobile experience quality
- Payment processing fees
- Customer support availability
- Contract terms and flexibility
For most UK restaurants, Flipdish provides the best combination of features, cost-effectiveness, and restaurant-specific functionality. View pricing details to compare against your current third-party commission costs.
Step 2: Set Up Your Domain
Register a domain name that matches your restaurant name. Use .co.uk for UK restaurants or .ie for Irish establishments. Most ordering platforms include domain connection, or you can purchase through providers like 123-reg or GoDaddy for £8-£15 annually.
Step 3: Build Your Menu
Structure your menu logically with clear categories, accurate descriptions, and high-quality images. Include:
- Item names and descriptions
- Prices including VAT
- Allergen information (legal requirement in UK)
- Modifiers and customisation options
- Portion sizes where relevant
Professional food photography increases order values by 20-30%. If budget doesn't allow professional shoots, use well-lit, styled smartphone photos rather than stock images.
Step 4: Configure Delivery Settings
Define delivery zones using postcodes, set appropriate delivery fees based on distance, establish minimum order values that cover costs, and set realistic preparation times that account for busy periods.
Step 5: Set Up Payments
Connect your payment processor and verify that transactions flow correctly. Ensure your system handles:
- Card payments (Visa, Mastercard, Amex)
- Digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay)
- Failed payment handling
- Refund processing
Step 6: Test Thoroughly
Before launching, place test orders for delivery and collection, verify orders print correctly in your kitchen, confirm payment processing works, test on multiple mobile devices, and check all menu items and modifiers function properly.
Step 7: Train Your Staff
Ensure your team understands how to:
- Accept and confirm orders
- Handle order modifications
- Process refunds
- Update menu availability
- Respond to customer queries
Step 8: Launch and Promote
Announce your direct ordering website through:
- Email to existing customers
- Social media posts
- In-store signage and table cards
- Packaging inserts with delivery orders
- First-order discount incentives
Consider using AI-powered marketing tools to automate customer communications and promotional campaigns.
Costs: What You'll Actually Pay
Platform Subscription
- Commission-free platforms: £99-£299 monthly
- Website builders with ordering: £35-£140 monthly
- Custom development: £500-£2,000 monthly maintenance
Payment Processing
- Standard rates: 1.4-2.9% plus 20p per transaction
- Integrated solutions often negotiate better rates
Domain and Hosting
- Domain: £8-£15 annually
- Hosting (if needed): £5-£50 monthly
Photography
- Professional: £300-£800 one-time
- DIY: £0-£100 for basic equipment
Marketing
- First-order promotions: Budget 10-15% of initial order value
- Ongoing marketing: £100-£500 monthly
Total first-year cost for most restaurants using Flipdish: £1,500-£4,000 compared to £12,000-£45,000 in marketplace commissions.
Integrating Your Website with Restaurant Operations
Your ordering website shouldn't exist in isolation. Proper integration with your restaurant management system ensures orders flow seamlessly through your operation.
POS Integration: Orders from your website should automatically appear in your POS system alongside dine-in and phone orders, with inventory updating in real-time across all channels.
Kitchen Display Integration: Digital kitchen displays show online orders alongside other orders, with timing information that helps kitchen staff prioritise preparation.
Marketplace Aggregation: If you continue using third-party platforms, order management systems that aggregate Just Eat, Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and your direct orders into one interface prevent missed orders and confusion.
Reporting and Analytics: Centralised reporting showing performance across all ordering channels helps you understand which marketing efforts work and where to focus resources.
Driving Traffic to Your New Ordering Website
Building your website is only half the challenge. You must actively redirect customers from third-party platforms to your direct ordering channel.
Phone-to-Online Redirection
Many customers still phone to place orders. AI phone ordering systems can handle orders automatically whilst encouraging customers to use your website for faster service and exclusive offers. This technology answers calls 24/7, takes payments over the phone, and upsells effectively without additional labour costs.
QR Codes
Place QR codes on tables, receipts, packaging, window displays, and marketing materials that link directly to your ordering website. QR code ordering has become standard customer behaviour post-pandemic.
Customer Incentives
Offer first-order discounts (typically 10-15%) to customers who switch from marketplaces to direct ordering. The customer acquisition cost is far lower than marketplace commissions, and you gain their contact information for future marketing.
Social Media and Email Marketing
Build your customer database and communicate regularly with SMS and email campaigns promoting direct ordering benefits: faster service, exclusive menu items, loyalty rewards, and better prices.
Loyalty Programmes
Customer loyalty schemes that reward points for direct orders but not marketplace orders naturally shift customer behaviour toward your more profitable channel.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Complicated checkout processes: Every additional click or form field reduces conversion. Aim for orders completable in under 90 seconds.
Poor mobile experience: If your website doesn't work perfectly on smartphones, you'll lose the majority of potential orders.
Inaccurate menu information: Nothing frustrates customers more than ordering items that are unavailable or receiving different items than described.
Unrealistic delivery times: Overpromising and underdelivering damages your reputation. Set conservative estimates and exceed them.
Ignoring customer data: Your ordering website provides valuable insights into customer preferences, ordering patterns, and popular items. Use this data to refine your menu and marketing.
No integration with kitchen: Manual order entry creates delays, errors, and staff frustration. Invest in proper kitchen integration from the start.
Weak payment security: Payment compliance isn't optional. Use established payment processors with proper PCI DSS certification.
Multi-Location Considerations
Restaurant groups and franchises need multi-location management capabilities that allow:
- Centralised menu management with location-specific variations
- Consistent branding across all locations
- Location-specific pricing and promotions
- Consolidated reporting across sites
- Individual location performance tracking
- Centralised customer database across all locations
Flipdish's platform is specifically designed for multi-location operators, with tools for franchise management, centralised control, and location autonomy where appropriate.
Measuring Success
Track these metrics to evaluate your ordering website performance:
Conversion rate: Percentage of website visitors who complete orders (target: 8-15%)
Average order value: Direct orders typically have 15-25% higher values than marketplace orders due to better upselling and no price inflation to cover commissions
Repeat customer rate: Percentage of customers who order multiple times (target: 35-50% within 90 days)
Customer acquisition cost: Marketing spend divided by new customers acquired (should be lower than marketplace commission savings)
Order accuracy: Percentage of orders fulfilled correctly without customer complaints (target: 97%+)
Website traffic sources: Understanding where orders come from helps optimise marketing spend
Why Flipdish Is the Best Solution for UK Restaurants
Flipdish provides the most comprehensive online ordering solution purpose-built for UK and Irish restaurants, takeaways, and hospitality businesses.
Unlike generic website builders, Flipdish understands restaurant operations. The platform includes everything from branded websites and mobile apps to self-service kiosks, POS systems, and AI phone ordering—all integrated seamlessly.
The commission-free model means you keep more revenue from every order. Built-in marketing automation, loyalty programmes, and upselling features increase order values without additional effort. Integration with your kitchen operations ensures orders flow smoothly without manual intervention.
For restaurant groups, Flipdish's multi-location capabilities provide centralised control whilst allowing individual location flexibility—something generic platforms simply cannot match.
Most importantly, Flipdish is built by people who understand restaurant operations, with UK-based support teams who speak your language and understand your challenges.
View Flipdish pricing or explore the complete product overview to see how much you could save compared to marketplace commissions.