Knowledge
More orders on Lieferando: what actually helps
The listing is live, the kitchen is ready — and yet order volume stays below expectations. The good news: much of the visibility on delivery platforms can be influenced by the business itself. This article sorts out the levers that actually exist.
The short answer: visibility on delivery platforms depends mainly on three things — which categories a business is listed in at all, the quality of the listing in terms of photos, descriptions and menu completeness, and operational metrics such as acceptance rate, preparation time, cancellation rate and ratings. Anyone who has already optimised every one of these levers can usually only increase visibility further by appearing in an additional category.
Why orders stay low
On a delivery platform, guests almost never search for a restaurant name. They open the app, choose a category — burger, pizza, chicken, Asian — and see a list. In that list, the listing competes with every other business in the delivery area serving the same category. Businesses further down are, according to many operators' experience, simply not scrolled to anymore.
That explains why good cooking alone is not enough: the guest decides first on a preview image and a line of text, long before they know the food. Anyone who wants more orders therefore works on two fronts — the quality of their own listing and the question of how many categories they appear in at all.
What you can improve on the listing itself
These points can be handled in the restaurant portal without outside help and are usually the fastest route to more orders.
Keep the menu complete
Many businesses only list a short selection. Every dish that is not entered cannot be ordered and cannot be found. A complete menu with a clean grouping also makes the listing easier to browse.
Own photos instead of stock images
Platform stock images show a dish, not your dish. According to operators' experience, an own, well-lit photo for every single dish is one of the most effective changes overall — not just for the header image.
Write precise descriptions
Name the ingredients, indicate spiciness and portion size, list side dishes. This reduces queries, complaints and disappointment — and gives search more to work with at the same time.
Check categories and assignment
Is the business listed in the category where it is actually strong? Are the individual dishes assigned to the right groups? A wrongly set assignment costs visibility without being noticeable in day-to-day operations.
Keep opening hours realistic
Anyone who regularly shows as closed while the kitchen is running loses orders twice: in that hour itself and as a habit among regular guests. Breaks, holidays and special hours need to be kept up to date.
What the platform measures about you
- Acceptance rate — operators who reject orders frequently are usually shown less prominently. It is better to adjust preparation time during peak hours than to reject orders.
- Preparation time — it should be realistic rather than flattering. An honest figure that is kept works out better in the long run than a short one that is regularly missed.
- Cancellation rate — cancelled orders are the most expensive signal: the guest gets no food, the platform gets a complaint, the business gets a bad rating.
- Ratings and response time — it's not only the score that counts, but also whether and how quickly criticism is answered. A short, factual reply is usually enough.
What promotions actually achieve
Discounts and promotions increase visibility in the short term: the listing gets a marker, appears in promotion lists and is clicked more often. The price for that is margin, since the discount comes off your own revenue on top of the fees that already apply.
Promotions therefore make the most sense as a tool for launching a new brand or a new dish, to get the first orders and the first ratings. As a permanent state, a discount trains guests onto the discount — and what is left in the end only becomes clear from the calculation after commission and costs.
The lever most operators overlook
All the points above improve the position within one category. At some point that road is exhausted: the menu is complete, the photos are good, the metrics are right — and the business still sits behind three established competitors.
At that point, the only thing that still helps is appearing in a further category. Because people search by category, not by restaurant name. A business with one listing is visible in one category. Two brands from the same kitchen mean two listings, two categories and two chances of being found — without additional rent, without additional staff. How that works legally and practically is described in two brands from one kitchen; what it means for utilisation of your own kitchen is described elsewhere. At somaFood there are no entry costs for this.
On request we will tell you which additional category is still available in your territory.
- No obligation — your message commits you to nothing.
- A personal reply from our team.
- We check right away whether your area is still available.
Why are my orders suddenly dropping?
Common reasons are new competitors in the same category, changed ratings, unnoticed closing times entered in the system, expired promotions, or weaker operational metrics such as a rising rejection rate. A look at the restaurant portal's statistics usually shows which point has changed.
Do ratings affect visibility?
According to operators' experience, yes: ratings are one of the signals that feed into the ranking, and they also decide whether a guest clicks on a visible listing at all. The platforms do not disclose the exact weighting.
Does a discount bring more orders?
In the short term, usually yes, because the listing appears higher and with a marker. But the discount comes fully off the margin. Sensible as a launch signal for a new brand, rarely as a permanent solution.
Can I occupy several categories?
With a single listing, the assignment is limited because it stands for one concept. Anyone who really wants to appear in a further category usually needs a second listing — in other words, a second brand from the same kitchen.
Does it help to state a shorter preparation time?
No. Times that are too short lead to delays, and delayed orders get worse ratings. A realistic time that is kept is the better route.