We are living in a world where everybody has a cell phone on their person at all times. This isn’t a bad thing, by any means. However, as a restaurant, it’s essential that you are catering your services to the way that the world works. Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen a lot of apps pop up that are tied to restaurants. If you haven’t seen them, you’ve at least been asked if you were a rewards member. These types of programs are often associated or tied to an app.
So, what are these apps doing that makes them worth using? Well, they’ve got quite a few capabilities in them, but if you’re considering developing an app for your restaurant, there are five things that we suggest including.
Loyalty Program
One of the topics that we’ve touched on a couple of times is a loyalty program. This setup allows for your customers to know that they’re valued and to reward them after a certain number of visits or amount of money spent. The only struggle with this is that those rewards are out of sight, out of mind until they’re sitting down in your restaurant.
As the restaurant owner, the main perk for you is that you get to enjoy their consistent service and can count on them bringing in a little bit more income for you. However, that’s only the case if they’re actually participating in the program. An app is one of the best ways to keep your guests interested in the perks that they’d be receiving. It’s easy for them to browse through, they can clearly see where they stand in terms of their reward, and it’s an easy way to remind them that they’ll be rewarded when they stop by your restaurant.
Studies have shown that acquiring new customers can cost a business five times more than keeping an existing one. Companies have seen that the use of their loyalty program increase by exponential amounts and have saved money in the process.
Local Marketing
In most cases, people will have visited a restaurant prior to ever ordering from them online. That being said, you can still use your mobile app to drive your customers to visit the restaurant all within the app.
Something that many franchise restaurants take advantage of is location-based marketing tactics that provide app users with a coupon that they can use in store. People love saving money, in any way that they can, so by simply offering a discount, you can almost guarantee that your app users will be taking advantage of your discount.
Of course, business is business, but you definitely want to have an even balance of both. Finding your ideal balance is something that will take some time after incorporating online orders or a mobile app — and you’ll definitely see that there are times where you’d like more online orders, and then a couple of months later, you want more in-store orders, but it’s always changing.
Parts of Your Brand
Many restaurant apps offer the same services and pieces, but that doesn’t mean that your app needs to look exactly like the rest of them. Finding a way to make your app uniquely yours is a crucial part of this process, and that’s why we have included it in the top five things that you should be thinking about when considering an app.
The reason that this is so important is that it reminds people of the brand that they’re supporting by ordering from you. Do you have a logo or a mascot of some sort? Think of ways that you can incorporate the unique pieces of your restaurant into the app. If there’s something that your restaurant is known for, something quirky and entirely your own, then get a little creative as you find ways to provide this to your customers through an app.
Ordering Capabilities
Online ordering is such an incredible option to take advantage of, but sometimes it can get a little bit messy. You spent too much time with items in your cart, and now it’s timed out? That stinks. Alternatively, how about when you want to browse the menu, but the PDF is sideways — that’s actually the worst.
Your restaurant’s app should make ordering on your phone a simple process that all customers feel comfortable using. A restaurant that has made it incredibly easy to make an order in an app is Dominos. This company has built an app that includes a loyalty program and allows for you to make orders in the app — thus making it so much easier for people to build up rewards and enjoy them.
Believe it or not, this business has seen incredible growth from the app. Nearly 40% off all orders are made in the app now — do you see why these types of advances are crucial? If you’re not already offering online ordering services, then it’s time to talk to a team member at Online Orders Now. We can get you set up with a free demo of our mobile ordering app so that you can get an idea of what this software would look like for your restaurant.
Payment Options
From the move to credit cards in the first place to the apple wallets that so many of us carry in our pockets, payment processing has definitely made some moves. Something that you want to include in your app will be the option of payment processing. This is going to not only include any online orders, but also in-store purchases.
If somebody has their payment information saved on their phone, make it so that they can cover the bill, split the bill, or whatever it may be, right from their phone. This is just one added form of convenience. Continue to offer all of the payment methods that you currently do, but make sure that they know this is an option that they have as well.
Online Orders Now Sees the Potential
Something that we have strived to provide at Online Orders Now is an opportunity for growth. If you’re looking for the thing that will take your restaurant to the next level, investing in a mobile ordering app is a must. Our team can get you started with the information that you need to start, but we will be there alongside the process to ensure that this app is something that works for you, represents your business, and continues to provide you with business that you need. Contact us today and let’s get started on this next business venture!