Applications, or apps, as they are generally known are nothing but software that are generally downloaded into mobiles / smartphones. These apps have become very popular nowadays. The primary reason behind this popularity being their ability to perform a variety of functions. From high end gaming to ordering food, there is an app that allows all of this and much more. In fact, the introduction of mobile food delivery apps has completely changed the way we used to enjoy the food from our favorite restaurants. It has also transformed the way in which the restaurants were used to doing their business. Despite of such positive impacts on the food industry, there are many restaurants who are still not sure enough and hence are not yet ready to invest their time and money behind this new technique.
Let us discuss a few reasons as to why a restaurant should have a mobile app of its own:
1. Better Communication
Many restaurants have their online ordering portals but still do not have their own apps. Sometimes when customers try to interact / communicate with such businesses / restaurants online, they often experience a problem which is popularly known as ‘friction’. Friction is nothing but the problem that arises due to certain things get in the way of interaction between the restaurant and its customer.
The most common source of friction in case of mobile phones / smartphones is the inability to reach the online website when a user tries to search for a restaurant website on their mobile browser. On average, searching for an online restaurant website might need up to 40 keystrokes and hence, can be a very annoying exercise. Specially in this age of blazing fast technologies. This can seriously turn off many potential customers and consequently, they will often find out another alternative place.
On the other hand, if a restaurant has its own mobile app – the frustrating user experience can be replaced with a completely seamless one. The element of friction can be effectively eliminated with the help of a mobile app. With the help of an app, whenever a user wants to order anything / look up a restaurant, all they need to do is simply open the restaurant’s app.
2. Taking Online Orders
As discussed in the last point, an online ordering systems / apps are great tools for better customer service. Having a mobile app to allow online ordering help the customers in easily placing their takeaway and home delivery orders, via the app. Placing an order via an app is way easier than navigating long websites to place orders. With the help of an app, an order can be placed with only a few simple clicks. Having a personal app ensures that customers no longer have to depend on third party delivery apps to place an online order at a restaurant.
3. Sending Push Notifications
Push notifications are a great way to advertise the restaurant and to let the customers know about the current discounts, sales and other special offers that are being offered at the restaurant at present.
4. Better Navigation
One of the biggest problems with the online food ordering websites is the lack of proper coordination between the website and the maps. As a result, there arises much confusion and miscommunication when the delivery agent is out to deliver the order. When it come to the restaurant apps, this process becomes very easy as most of the delivery apps are inherently coordinated with google maps and also, they have an in-built GPS navigation system. Both the systems combined together makes it easier for the delivery agent to reach the exact location / spot from where the orders have been placed.
5. Organizing Events
Whether a restaurant is planning to host a party or a themed celebration or a cooking class, the restaurant’s app can get the word out to all of their customers. There is absolutely no need of any marketing / advertisement campaigns. Not only will this help the restaurant in saving the money that they would have otherwise spent on advertising, but also will ensure that the announcements are guaranteed to reach out to all the customers who have constantly been interested in what the restaurant has to offer.
6. Customer Engagement
The restaurant apps can be very versatile. These apps can help increase the customer engagement in many different ways. For example, a restaurant might make provisions of having an online gallery, where the customers can submit / share the picture of food or the restaurant ambience. Some might even allow the customers to share their thoughts on the restaurant and this is helpful in increasing customer engagement.
7. Social Media Integration
The apps are the easiest and the first steps into the world of digital marketing. Making a business go viral in the digital world is the best way to bring the business / the restaurant to everybody’s notice. This is a new way of effectively advertising a business. Nowadays, having a strong social media presence can be really helpful in taking a business far and wide. Having a food delivery app that lets you access all your social media handles form it will thus be very helpful in marketing your business through the digital domain.
8. Loyalty Program
To retain customers and to keep them hooked on to the same restaurants, they often run loyalty programs. Having one’s own app make the advertisements for the loyalty programs even easier. Now, with the help of the ordering Apps, one can send out vouchers and e-coupons only to those who have downloaded the restaurant’s app, just at the click of a few buttons.
9. Better data collection for better service
In today’s internet driven generation, everything depends on and can be controlled data. A food delivery app dies just that. The food delivery apps are a repository of various kinds of data. These data are very important as they allow the restaurant to understand the customer’s ordering pattern, the frequency of ordering food and many other customer related data that can help in increasing the sales. It also gives the restaurant a detailed sales information which contains valuable information like the best and worst selling dishes, which in turn makes it easier for the restaurant to focus on improving the service accordingly.
10. An advantage Over competitors
Last but not the least, a restaurant mobile app will help the restaurant stand out in the crows. It will provide the restaurant business an edge over its competitors in more ways than one. First of all, it helps the restaurant businesses in using the cutting-edge technology of digital marketing. Most of the restaurants still use the age old advertising techniques. A mobile app can thus be of great help. It will not only make the restaurant stand out from the crowd but also make it if all the more popular and hence will give it an added advantage over all of its rivals.
The advantages of having one’s own ordering app can actually be endless. In here we tried to understand and discuss few of the basic advantages that a restaurant app can provide to them, especially in this 21st century. The 21st century is all about smart, affordable mobile technology; something that would give results almost immediately. It is the digital era of speed and efficiency. Hop on to the mobile technology bandwagon, get your business its own mobile app and watch it soar above all its competition like never before.