Interested in getting more customers to order directly from your restaurant? You're in the right place.
In this guide, we'll cover different tactics you can use to boost direct orders through your online channels. From marketing tips to mobile apps, we'll cover different ways you can encourage customers to order through your direct channels and how the DoorDash Commerce Platform can help.
Strategies to encourage customers to order directly
1. Make direct ordering easy to find online
Start by making your online ordering link impossible to miss. Add an "Order Online" to the bottom of your website and keep it visible on every page. If you want to guide customers more proactively, consider adding a website pop-up that highlights direct ordering when visitors land on your site.
These simple restaurant website optimizations make it easy for customers to find your interactive menu and place an order as soon as they hit your site. Merchants who optimize their website with a Smart "Order Now" Button and a customizable pop-up can see up to a 30% increase in web sales.*
Kebabish Grill and Fried Chicken located in Springfield, Massachusetts, chose the DoorDash Commerce Platform to design and launch their website. The kebab restaurant leverages both the Smart "Order Now" Button and the customizable pop-up available with Boost and Pro packages to encourage site visitors to place direct orders.
Beyond your website, place your direct ordering link everywhere customers look for you online — including your Instagram and TikTok bios, and your Google Business Profile. These digital properties are key places where customers can learn about and interact with your brand. Make sure your online ordering link is prominently displayed across them so guests don't have to search hard to place an order with your business.
2. Use printed materials to promote direct ordering
Sometimes customers just need a reminder.
You can promote direct ordering using simple, everyday touchpoints:
Stickers or QR codes on takeout bags
Table tents or window decals
Flyers inside third-party delivery orders
3. Use promotions to bring customers over
Promotions can help encourage customers to try your direct channel for the first time.
Here are some of the promotions you can run with the DoorDash Commerce Platform:
Discount for customers: Attract customers with a discount to try your restaurant.
$0 delivery fee: Stand out from the crowd by offering free delivery to customers.
Run item promotion: Boost sales for specific items by running an item promotion.
Discount for larger orders: Create a promo that incentivizes customers to place larger orders with you.
Offers like these can expose customers to your online ordering channels while offering them a perk in the process — win-win!
4. Deliver a mobile-first experience
Customers who order on a mobile app are 30% more likely to reorder.** That means having a restuaurant app is key when it comes to driving more direct orders. Plus, with average screentime hitting over 7 hours a day for US adults, launching a mobile app is a great way to meet your customers where they are — on their phones.
When you invest in the DoorDash Commerce Platform Pro package, you get access to a branded mobile app built, optimized, and launched by the DoorDash team. You don't have to worry about learning to code or hiring an engineer — we do the heavy lifting for you, including creating a marketing plan to help drive app adoption.
Bowls of Rice, an Asian-fusion fast-casual restaurant, went with the DoorDash Commerce Platform to launch their mobile app. Wesley Li, Owner of Bowls of Rice, had just two calls with the DoorDash team to set up the app, and a few weeks later, it was ready to use.
Read Bowls of Rice's full story5. Build repeat behavior with automated marketing
Repetition builds habits. Automated restaurant email campaigns can help bring customers back without adding more work to your day. These campaigns can target moments like:
When a customer hasn’t ordered in a while
When someone places their first order
When a loyal customer is close to earning a reward
DoorDash’s automated email series, available with the Commerce Platform Boost and Pro packages, has been shown to boost order frequency by an average of 15% among new and returning customers.***
Make direct ordering a bigger part of your business
Shifting more customers to your direct channels doesn’t have to be complicated. A few clear links, helpful reminders, and mobile ordering experiences can make a meaningful difference in how people choose to order from you.
If you’re ready to explore tools that can help you grow on your own channels, we can walk you through what’s possible.
*Based on internal DoorDash data from Jan 2022 through Dec 2023
**Compared to customers using web ordering channels. Based on internal DoorDash data from January 2025 to June 2025
***Based on internal DoorDash data from March 2024 through March 2025
