To grow their businesses in an ever-changing, on-demand world, small businesses find success with delivery platforms that offer broad choices, flexibility, and control.
For small businesses, offering delivery can be an efficient way to expand beyond brick-and-mortar to online. As consumers’ appetite for using online delivery to get almost anything effortlessly — whether their next meal, grocery, or retail item — grows, you can meet their needs through delivery platforms. The key is to select partners that offer choice, flexibility, and control.
The right questions to ask
For business owners who want to drive incremental customer demand, increase revenue, and create operational efficiencies, choosing an online delivery platform can help. For example, 84% of U.S. small- and medium-sized businesses report that offering delivery or pickup with Uber Eats has increased revenue by an average of 15%.
When deciding who to partner with, ask yourself a few key questions:
- How can this partner help me reach more customers? One of the best benefits of offering delivery is to connect with customers who may not frequent your physical location. In the case of Uber Eats, it’s the only global platform that connects you to customers across their rides and delivery network, which allows you to expand your reach locally, nationally, or even globally. They also give you the unique advantage of tapping into their loyal Uber One membership base, which spans their mobility and delivery businesses.
- How reliable is this partner? Reaching more customers is an advantage. However, it’s only a benefit if customers receive their deliveries on time. Customers who use Uber Eats, for example, experience an average delivery time of less than 30 minutes, with help from approximately 4.4 million active drivers and delivery people globally.
- What marketing tools can I access? To grow your business, look for a delivery platform that allows you to take control of your marketing funnel. The turnkey marketing tools built into the Uber Eats platform include ads, promotions, and loyalty options, which allow you to boost revenue by marketing your business across the customer lifecycle.
- What type of operational support do I receive? When you need help, easy access to support is critical. Look for a partner that knows your business and is on the ground. Uber Eats has a vast network of locally based account managers and 24/7 phone and email support in the United States and Canada.
- What insights and education are available? The more you know about how to use a delivery platform, the more you can increase revenue and success. Uber Eats provides you with access to valuable sales, customer, and operational data, and they’re investing in educational resources like Merchant Academy.
- How does this partner support local communities? The relationship between businesses and communities is paramount. Find a partner that supports this relationship. More than half of the merchants who partner with Uber Eats are single, local, independently-owned businesses with an average of 17 employees — meaning they support over 6 million restaurant jobs in local communities worldwide. They also support small businesses with programs like Grants for Growth, a $1 million grant relief program focused on restaurant recovery and entrepreneurship, and Uber’s Eat Local Efforts, providing $20 million in relief to local restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Control and flexibility are key
Above all, delivery platforms must be flexible. Rather than “one size fits all,” look for those that let you customize and grow your way. Uber Eats provides a breadth of options, including:
- Uber Direct, which allows you to meet customers’ needs for same-day, on-demand delivery and control the entire transactional experience under your own branding.
- Self-Delivery, where you supply your own drivers but can tap into Uber’s delivery network when needed.
- Webshop, where customers can place delivery and pickup orders directly through your website.
- Traditional online ordering, where your business appears on their app, and you use their platform to handle all aspects of delivery. Additional options include pickup and contactless ordering.
Another important aspect of flexibility is pricing and fee transparency. In the United States and Canada, you can choose among several pricing plans, ranging from a Lite Plan designed to keep your costs as low as possible to a Premium Plan that helps you maximize sales. You can also monitor earnings, see fee and tax breakdowns, and access a live payout function using their Uber Eats Manager tool.
Today, small businesses have more control, flexibility, and choice to grow their businesses their way and exceed their customers’ needs in this ever-changing, on-demand digital world. Learn more about how you can use Uber Eats for your business at merchants.ubereats.com.