Freshen Up the DX and Plus Up Your Returns

Spring’s in the air, and if you’re leading a multi-unit restaurant brand, now’s the time to shake off the cobwebs and give your digital experience (DX) some serious TLC. You know the drill: set it, forget it, regret it. That...

Spring’s in the air, and if you’re leading a multi-unit restaurant brand, now’s the time to shake off the cobwebs and give your digital experience (DX) some serious TLC. You know the drill: set it, forget it, regret it. That dusty digital footprint you’ve been coasting on? It’s quietly costing you—guest loyalty, orders, revenue. I’m not saying you need to gut the whole system (though some of you might be overdue). This is about smart, targeted spring cleaning—honing in on the details that freshen up your DX and plus up your returns. Let’s break it down for the restaurant leaders ready to move the needle.

Start with the Homepage: Your Digital Front Door

Your homepage is the virtual host stand of your brand. Too many multi-unit leaders let marketing and promos run wild here, cramming every deal, special, and flashy tagline into one chaotic mess. It’s like handing a guest a 10-page menu and expecting them to order in 10 seconds—cognitive overload kicks in, they freeze, and you’ve lost them. Clean it up. Make it commerce-enabled from the first click. Your full menu—every location, every item—needs to be front and center, easy to find, and ready to convert.

Confine promotions to one clear zone. Yes, carousels get a bad rap (and often deservedly so), but a well-designed one—sleek, intentional, sliding through a few key offers—can keep things dynamic without overwhelming. The goal? Get guests browsing, ordering, and loving your brand in as few clicks as possible. A streamlined homepage isn’t just pretty—it’s a revenue driver. For a multi-unit operation, this consistency across locations can make or break your digital first impression.

Power Up Your PDPs: Where Orders Happen

Next stop: your product detail pages (PDPs). These are the heart of your online orders—every burger, pizza, or taco lives here. Are they pulling their weight? Start with the basics: clarity and usability. Mandatory selections (think “pick your protein”) should be top-notch and obvious, while optional add-ons (extra cheese, anyone?) need to step aside without cluttering the flow. A clunky UI is a silent order-killer—make it intuitive, and watch conversions climb.

Then, squeeze more juice out of those PDPs. Optimize for SEO—think location-specific keywords like “best tacos in [city]” to pull in local traffic across your units. And don’t sleep on upsells. Waiting until the cart to pitch fries or a drink? Too late. Weave those suggestions into the PDP—subtle, smart prompts like “Pair it with a side?” can lift average order values without feeling pushy. Keep the cart upsells too, but early nudges on PDPs are where multi-unit brands can see real returns stack up.

Beyond Commerce: Polish the Overlooked Corners

Your DX isn’t just about orders—it’s the full guest journey. When you’re laser-focused on commerce, secondary pages like account sections or loyalty systems often get neglected. Time to change that. Take your account portal: is it a bland afterthought or a branded experience that feels like your restaurant? Clean it up—make it engaging, easy to navigate, and reflective of your vibe. Guests managing their profiles or rewards should feel the same hospitality they get in-store.

Then there’s the unsubscribe trap. When someone opts out of emails, don’t let them vanish. Optimize that moment—offer a social follow or a loyalty perk to keep them tethered, even lightly, to your brand. Multi-unit leaders know retention’s gold; this is low-hanging fruit to stay connected. Across the board, site speed ties it all together. A slow-loading menu or checkout? That’s a guest walking out the digital door. Lightning-fast load times mean faster orders, happier guests, and better returns—prioritize it.

The Multi-Unit Playbook: Chunk It, Win It

For restaurant leaders juggling dozens or hundreds of locations, this can feel like a lot. So chunk it. Start with the homepage—get that commerce engine humming. Then dive into PDPs, unit by unit if need be, refining and testing as you go. Circle back to those secondary pages—accounts, loyalty, unsubscribe flows—and sprinkle in your brand’s soul. Every tweak should scream consistency and usability, whether a guest’s ordering in Miami or Minneapolis.

Why bother? Because the needle moves when the details align. A fresh DX doesn’t just look good—it drives orders, boosts loyalty, and pumps up revenue across your portfolio. Multi-unit brands thrive on scale, and a polished digital presence scales your hospitality like nothing else. Take Outback Steakhouse as inspiration: their clean, commerce-first homepage and speedy PDPs keep guests coming back, online and off. You don’t need a full rebrand—just a broom, some focus, and a willingness to ditch the dust.

Sweep Now, Win Big

Spring’s your cue, restaurant leaders. Grab that metaphorical broom and get your DX ready for prime time. A cleaner homepage, stronger PDPs, and smarter secondary systems aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re your ticket to plussing up returns in a competitive game. Start small, iterate fast, and watch the wins roll in. Thanks for reading—share this with your team, and drop a follow or review on Spotify or YouTube to keep the convo alive. Let’s talk soon!