Uber Eats and Deliveroo: six criteria used by the algorithm to rank your restaurant.
Delivery platforms have changed a lot since the creation of Waiter.com in 1995 (undoubtedly for the better, because who remembers Waiter.com?). They are now essential for any restaurant owner who wishes to gain more customers in their area.
To select the restaurants that appear first on the home page (and in the search results), these applications now use algorithms.
These platforms set important criteria for giving restaurants visibility. Knowing them will give you a strategic advantage over your competition to boost your visibility and increase sales.
What factors are taken into account by the algorithm? How can you improve your restaurant's ranking on Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat?
With the help of this article, start to master the algorithm today and boost your sales.
Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Just Eat: how does the algorithm rank your restaurant in the app?
To understand how the algorithm used by these platforms works, you should ask yourself why they promote one restaurant rather than another. Do they prioritise the 'best restaurants'? It's unlikely.
Like any business, delivery platforms are designed to generate profits. To maximise their income, they, therefore, highlight the restaurants that are likely to bring in the most money.
To identify these restaurants, they use an algorithm based on a range of 6 criterias:
1. Preparation time
Unsurprisingly, one of the main criteria analysed by the algorithm is a restaurant's preparation time.
Why? Because the quicker the delivery, the more likely the user is to make another order using the app. By accepting orders as quickly as possible and preparing them right away, you'll improve the 'score' attributed to you by the algorithm.
2. Customer reviews
By offering your services, delivery platforms vouch for the quality of your food. Meeting their expectations is key to being highlighted and getting a better ranking. Your quality “score” is calculated by averaging customer reviews.
3. Conversion rates
Behind the jargon lies a simple calculation. The conversion rate is the percentage of people who, after seeing your menu, actually make an order. Photos and a better-structured menu – to increase your conversion rate, your menu must be simple but attractive.
4. Restaurant/delivery address distance
Like your ability to prepare orders quickly, the distance that separates you from the user's home will affect overall order time. Maybe you think there's nothing you can do about this? Yet strategies do exist for being almost everywhere at once.
5. Direct searches
Restaurants who are frequently searched by users gain higher visibility. To be one of them, work on your reputation. Both on and off the platforms, getting your name recognised and sharing reviews from satisfied customers will encourage customers to search directly for your name on the apps.
6. New restaurants
If you are new to the platform, you should know that most platforms automatically promote you when you first arrive. It's important to make the most of this period by gathering positive reviews and quickly standing out from other restaurants.
Solutions to help your restaurant master the Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat algorithm.
Knowing the criteria monitored by the algorithm is to your advantage because by knowing your areas for improvement, you can gain visibility very quickly.
Apart from unpredictable criteria (such as the weather or number of delivery drivers available), most of them can be worked on. You just need to know where to start.
Getting poor customer reviews? Receiving fewer than 3 stars?
Solution: spend more time reading customer reviews and reply to every one. Propose 'offer or discount codes' to encourage customers who are unhappy with their experience to come back, assuring them that the problem they encountered won't happen again.
