The Commission Problem Every Perth Restaurant Faces
Third-party delivery platforms have become a lifeline for many Perth restaurants, cafés, and bars. During lockdowns, they kept venues alive. Today, they’re a significant revenue channel. But they come at a steep price.
UberEats, Menulog, DoorDash, and Deliveroo typically take 25–35% of each order as commission, plus additional service fees. On a $40 order, that’s $10–$14 gone before you’ve covered food costs, labour, packaging, and overhead. On razor-thin hospitality margins, that’s often the difference between profit and loss on every delivery order.
Let’s put it in perspective:
| Monthly Delivery Sales | Commission (30%) | Annual Commission Paid |
|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $1,500/month | $18,000/year |
| $10,000 | $3,000/month | $36,000/year |
| $20,000 | $6,000/month | $72,000/year |
That’s $18,000 to $72,000+ per year in commission—money that could be profit, reinvestment, or staff wages.
The alternative—direct ordering through your own website—lets you keep the full revenue minus only payment gateway fees (typically 1.5–3%). Yet most Perth venues struggle to move customers away from the convenience of apps they already have installed.
The key to shifting that behaviour isn’t just a functional ordering system; it’s visual persuasion. Customers choose what looks best. If your UberEats thumbnail is more appealing than your website photo, you’re handing over 30% of your revenue unnecessarily.
The Visual Gap: Why UberEats Often Wins
UberEats invests heavily in optimising its platform for visual appeal. It enforces consistent image dimensions, encourages high-quality thumbnails, and even offers free photography to some partners. Their platform is designed to make food look irresistible—because that’s how they generate orders (and commissions).
As a result, your dishes can look more enticing on UberEats than on your own site—especially if your website photos are:
- Outdated (from when you opened)
- Poorly lit (dim or yellow-tinted)
- Shot on a smartphone (lacking depth and professional quality)
- Inconsistent (different styles, angles, or quality across dishes)
- Low resolution (pixelated on modern screens)
This creates a perverse incentive: customers see a beautiful photo on UberEats, tap to order, and you pay a hefty commission. If your own website presented the same dish with equal or better visual impact, many of those customers would happily order directly—especially if you offer an incentive like free delivery or a discount.
The Customer Decision Journey
Understanding how customers choose between UberEats and direct ordering reveals where photography makes the difference:
- Awareness: Customer knows your restaurant (from previous visit, social media, or word of mouth)
- Decision: They decide to order from you
- Channel choice: They choose between UberEats app and your website
- Convenience wins unless your website is (a) easy to find, (b) easy to use, and (c) visually compelling
At step 3, the customer already wants YOUR food—not your competitor’s. The only question is which channel they use. If your website looks worse than your UberEats listing, they’ll use the app. If your website looks equal or better, and you give them a reason (discount, loyalty points, faster delivery), they’ll order direct.
Side-by-Side Comparison: UberEats vs Direct Ordering
| Factor | UberEats | Direct Ordering |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | 25–35% per order | 0% (payment gateway fees only: 1.5–3%) |
| Revenue kept | 65-75% | 97-98.5% |
| Customer data | Limited access; owned by platform | Full access for email marketing, loyalty programs |
| Brand control | Constrained by platform templates | Complete control over design, messaging, upselling |
| Visual presentation | Optimised thumbnails, but generic layout | Fully customisable; can tell your unique story |
| Upselling capability | Limited; platform controls suggestions | Full control over combos, add-ons, recommendations |
| Customer relationship | They’re UberEats’ customer first | They’re YOUR customer directly |
| Repeat order cost | Same commission every time | Zero acquisition cost for return customers |
The table shows that direct ordering wins on every metric except one: discoverability. UberEats brings you new customers who are actively searching for food. However, once a customer knows your brand, your goal should be to migrate them to your direct channel—and that’s where photography becomes your most powerful tool.
How Professional Photography Shifts the Balance
Great food photography does more than make dishes look tasty; it builds trust, communicates quality, and creates an emotional connection that generic platform thumbnails can’t match. When you invest in professional photography tailored for your direct ordering site, you:
- Increase conversion rates: High-quality images reduce hesitation and make customers more likely to complete an order. Studies show professional food photography can increase conversion rates by 25-40%.
- Boost average order value: Appealing photos of high-margin items (desserts, drinks, sides) encourage add-ons that platforms rarely promote effectively.
- Improve brand perception: Consistent, professional visuals signal that your venue is credible and cares about the customer experience—both online and in the food they’ll receive.
- Enhance SEO: Optimised images with descriptive alt text help your website rank higher in Google searches for “Perth restaurant delivery” or “[suburb] takeaway” or “order [cuisine] online.”
- Enable effective remarketing: Great photos perform better in Facebook/Instagram ads when retargeting past customers to order again—direct.
Crucially, you can use the same professional photos on UberEats and your website—but on your website, they work for you, not for a platform taking a 30% cut.
Case Study: A Northbridge Restaurant That Cut Commission by 50%
“Spice Alley” (a hypothetical Northbridge Asian-fusion restaurant) was doing $8,000/month in UberEats sales, paying 30% commission ($2,400/month). Their website had a basic ordering system built into their WordPress site, but it used dim, inconsistent smartphone photos that made the food look unappetising compared to their UberEats listing.
The irony: They were paying $2,400/month in commission partly because their free UberEats photography looked better than their own website.
What We Did
We shot a full menu of professional packshots and lifestyle images, optimised for both UberEats thumbnails (800×800px) and their website’s ordering page (various sizes including hero images). We then:
- Updated their UberEats listings with the new photos—resulting in a 20% increase in UberEats orders (not the goal, but a welcome side effect)
- Redesigned their website’s ordering interface around the same images, adding clear “Order Direct & Save 10%” messaging throughout
- Ran a simple Instagram campaign promoting direct ordering with a first-time discount code, using the new photography
- Added QR codes to packaging with “Loved it? Order direct next time and save 10%“
The Results After Three Months
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| UberEats monthly sales | $8,000 | $8,000 | Steady |
| Direct ordering monthly sales | $1,000 | $5,000 | +400% |
| Total delivery revenue | $9,000 | $13,000 | +44% |
| Monthly commission paid | $2,400 | $2,400 | — |
| Commission as % of revenue | 27% | 18% | -33% relative |
| Net profit increase | — | +$3,850/month | $46,200/year |
The result? Direct ordering grew from $1,000 to $5,000/month while UberEats remained steady at $8,000. Total revenue increased, but more importantly, the revenue mix shifted toward the higher-margin channel. Commission as a percentage of total delivery revenue dropped from 27% to 18%.
Annual savings from the shift: approximately $14,400 in commission avoided, plus the increased revenue from higher conversion and average order values.
Visual comparison showing how professional photography transformed a Northbridge restaurant’s direct ordering page, leading to higher conversion rates and lower commission costs.
Optimising Your Photography for Direct Ordering
To make your direct ordering system compete with UberEats, your photos need to meet—and exceed—platform standards. Follow these guidelines:
Technical Specifications
| Use Case | Recommended Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UberEats thumbnails | 800×800px (1:1 ratio) | Dish must be recognisable at small size |
| Website ordering grid | 600×400px or 800×800px | Maintain consistency with platform presence |
| Hero/feature images | 1920×1080px or larger | For homepage, social media, advertising |
| File format | WebP (with JPEG fallback) | Optimal quality-to-size ratio for web |
| Max file size | Under 200KB per image | Ensures fast mobile loading |
Photography Best Practices for Delivery
- Shoot for thumbnails: Ensure dishes are recognisable and appetising even at small sizes. Avoid cluttered compositions that become unclear when scaled down.
- Maintain consistency: Use the same styling, lighting, and editing across all images so customers experience a seamless brand journey from platform to website.
- Highlight your unique selling points: If you use local ingredients, have a famous chef, or offer sustainable packaging, show it in the photos.
- Show the actual portion: Customers ordering delivery want to know what they’re getting. Realistic portion representation builds trust.
- Include “order direct” cues: In lifestyle shots, subtly incorporate elements that point to your own brand (e.g., your logo on packaging, branded napkins).
- Optimise for dark mode: Many delivery apps and phones use dark backgrounds—ensure your images pop against dark as well as light.
For a deeper dive into shooting food specifically for digital platforms, see our article on using food photography across website, Instagram & UberEats.
Technical Setup: Making Direct Ordering Frictionless
Even the best photography won’t help if your ordering process is clunky. Your direct ordering system must be as smooth—or smoother—than UberEats. Key elements include:
Essential Features for Direct Ordering
- Mobile-first design: Over 70% of delivery orders are placed on phones. Your ordering page must load in under 3 seconds, display images clearly, and have a simple checkout that works with thumbs.
- Integrated payment gateway: Use a trusted provider like Stripe, Square, or Tyro for secure, one-click payments. Save card details for repeat customers (with their permission).
- Guest checkout: Don’t force account creation—customers want speed, not forms.
- Real-time availability: If you’re using a third-party delivery service (like DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct), ensure your website reflects accurate delivery times and fees.
- Prominent photography: Place your best images front and centre, with zoom functionality so customers can see details.
- Clear delivery information: Display delivery zones, fees, minimum orders, and estimated times clearly—don’t make customers guess.
Ordering Platform Options
| Platform | Monthly Cost | Transaction Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Online | Free – $79 | 1.6% + 10¢ | Simple menus, existing Square users |
| Bopple | $0 – $199 | 2-3% | Australian-built, good integrations |
| Ordermentum | Custom | Variable | High-volume venues, B2B |
| Custom built | $3,000-$8,000 one-off | 1.5-2% (Stripe) | Maximum control, unique requirements |
At Amplify Creative Lab, we build fast, conversion-optimised ordering pages that integrate seamlessly with your existing POS and delivery partners. Because we’re both photographers and developers, we ensure your visuals and your code work together to maximise direct orders.
Common Mistakes Perth Venues Make
Avoid these pitfalls that keep you paying more commission than necessary:
| Mistake | Impact | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Using different photos on UberEats and your website | Confuses customers; makes your website look inferior | Shoot once, use the same professional set across all platforms |
| Neglecting mobile image optimisation | Slow loading on phones; 53% of visitors abandon slow sites | Serve responsive WebP images with correct dimensions |
| Hiding the direct ordering option | Customers default to UberEats because it’s easier to find | Promote direct ordering on social, receipts, packaging, and signage with clear benefit (“Order direct & get 10% off”) |
| Not tracking where orders come from | Can’t measure the ROI of photography or campaigns | Use UTM parameters, discount codes, and analytics to attribute sales |
| Making direct ordering harder than apps | Customers revert to familiar, frictionless UberEats | Guest checkout, saved addresses, minimal clicks to complete order |
| Not promoting direct ordering to existing customers | Even loyal customers don’t know it exists | QR codes on packaging, follow-up emails, in-store signage |
Your Action Plan: Reduce Commission Costs in 30 Days
Ready to start keeping more of your delivery revenue? Follow this four-week plan:
Week 1: Audit
- Compare your current UberEats photos with your website images
- Identify the visual gaps—where does UberEats look better?
- Calculate your current commission spend (monthly delivery sales × 30%)
- Set a target: what percentage of orders do you want to shift direct?
Week 2: Shoot
- Book a professional food photography session that captures your entire delivery menu
- Brief the photographer on both thumbnail requirements (800×800px) and website hero shots
- Include packaging shots if your takeaway presentation is a selling point
- Plan for 8-15 hero dishes with additional grid shots for the full menu
Week 3: Launch
- Update all platforms with the new photos (UberEats, Menulog, DoorDash, your website)
- Redesign your website’s ordering page to highlight the professional imagery
- Add clear “Order Direct & Save X%” messaging throughout
- Create QR codes for packaging that link directly to your ordering page
Week 4: Promote
- Run an “Order Direct & Save” campaign on Instagram and Facebook using the new imagery
- Email past customers (if you have their data) with the new ordering option
- Train staff to mention direct ordering to dine-in customers: “Next time you want delivery, order through our website and save 10%“
- Add signage in-venue promoting the direct channel
By the end of the month, you’ll have a visually compelling direct ordering channel that competes head-to-head with UberEats—and you’ll start seeing commission savings immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions: Direct Ordering and Photography
Conclusion: Your Photos Are Your Profit Lever
In the battle between UberEats and direct ordering, photography is your secret weapon. Professional, platform-optimised images don’t just make food look better—they make your direct channel more attractive, reduce your reliance on third-party platforms, and put thousands of dollars of commission back into your pocket each year.
For Perth restaurants, cafés, and bars—whether you’re in Northbridge, Fremantle, Subiaco, or Mount Lawley—the equation is simple:
Better photos = Higher direct orders = Lower commission costs = Higher profitability
The investment in professional photography pays for itself many times over—not just through increased sales, but through the commission savings you’ll achieve every month, compounding over years of business.
Ready to slash your commission costs with photography that converts? Book a food photography shoot tailored for direct ordering, or request a free commission audit to see how much you could save by migrating orders from UberEats to your own website.
Want to see more examples? Browse our food photography portfolio for inspiration, or read our case study on the ROI of professional food photography for Perth venues.
Related reading: Learn how to use photography across all platforms, explore the importance of digital menus for SEO, and see menu engineering strategies to boost profits.