How to Get More Orders on Swiggy & Zomato

What the apps actually reward

Both platforms rank outlets that make them money per impression. That means: high conversion from listing view to order, good ratings, fast prep, near-zero cancellations, and healthy repeat rates.

Fix your listing first (week 1)

1. Real photos on your top 10 items. Listings with photos on the bestsellers convert 20-40% better than text-only menus.
2. Rewrite item names for search. "Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani (Family Pack)" outperforms "Special Biryani".
3. Trim the menu. Long menus slow decisions. Keep 20-30 items with clear bestsellers pinned to the top.
4. Set honest prep time. Overpromising causes late deliveries, which hurts rank more than a slightly longer estimate.

Operational levers (week 2-4)

• Acceptance rate above 98%. Never mark items out of stock casually; it suppresses your listing.
• Keep rating above 4.2. Below 4.0, discovery collapses.
• Reply to every review — especially negative ones, within 24 hours.
• Fix packaging leaks. Spillage is the number one cause of 1-star ratings in Indian delivery.

Growth levers (month 2 onward)

1. Run offers in bursts. Ten days on, twenty days off. Use the burst to collect reviews, not to buy permanent volume.
2. Buy ads only at peak hours. 12:00-14:00 and 19:00-22:30 in your delivery polygon; switch off the rest.
3. Launch a second virtual brand. Two listings in different categories double your shelf space in the app.
4. Add combos. Raising average order value improves your economics without needing more orders.
5. Push repeat customers off-platform. A card in the bag with your WhatsApp number converts loyalists into zero-commission orders. See commission rates explained.
6. Get found outside the apps. Thousands of people search "cloud kitchen near me" on Google, not in an app. A free listing on Cloud Kitchen Adda puts your kitchen and ordering links in those results.

What to measure

• Impressions → menu opens → orders (your funnel conversion)
• Rating trend, week over week
• Average order value
• Repeat customer share

If impressions are high but orders are low, your listing is the problem. If impressions are low, ranking or coverage is the problem. Fix them in that order.