Custom mobile apps allow us to do just about anything – from diet and exercise to shopping, it’s all at their fingertips. And many restaurants have started to capitalize on this, allowing customers to easily enter loyalty programs, order food, and so much more. Should your restaurant hop on this latest trend? Let’s look at a few of the benefits to consider when making their decision.
According to one report, about 70% of consumers use their mobile devices to purchase food. Another 56% of them say that they’ve become repeat customers of restaurants who offer a mobile app.
Not only does a custom mobile app set you apart from your competitors, but it also adds value to your customer experience.
Let’s look at these benefits one by one to see if a custom mobile app is worth the investment.
10 Benefits of Investing in a Custom Mobile App for Your Restaurant
1. Easy Menu Access
No more hunting around online for your menu – with a mobile app, your customers can just open it up to view your menu!
Plus, you can build in features that allow your customers to search for a specific item, filter out items, and go directly to different categories. The easier it is, the more your customers will use it, making your restaurant their go-to spot.
2. Mobile Loyalty Programs
About 75% of consumers say they would more actively participate in loyalty programs if they were accessible via a mobile app. A mobile app can be a great way to encourage more customers to sign up for your loyalty program.
Plus, this would give you access to insightful metrics, with the ability to see your customer’s journey, their favorite menu items, and other useful data points.
Linking a loyalty program to your mobile app is also a great way to keep connected with your customers. With an app, you can easily notify them about expiration points, discounts, and freebies. You can also notify them of new menu items and special deals that you want to promote.
3. Easy Online Ordering
Time is a precious commodity to your customers, most of whom hate the thought of a long wait.
And with the creation of online ordering, which can easily be integrated into your mobile app, they don’t have to!
With online ordering, customers can place and customize their order from the comfort of their home, and then wait to be notified when it’s ready for pickup or delivery. This lessens customer frustration and helps them feel more in control of their time.
Online ordering also eliminates the hassle of incorrect orders. In the past, the bigger the order, the more likely it was that staff would write it down wrong. Now, no matter the order, online ordering technology ensures its accuracy.
4. Convenient Payment System
Did you know that by having a cashless payment scheme, restaurants can perform 10% more transactions because they won’t need to count the cash, change the money, or even make a bank run?
On the restaurant side, a mobile app takes care of all your payments, allowing you to focus on more important things.
And on the customer side, they no longer have to worry about carrying their card or cash into the restaurant to pay – it’s all taken care of right on the app, where they can save their payment preferences. They can even pay securely with access to Apple Pay or Google Pay.
It’s truly a system that works for everyone!
5. Better Customer Support
What if your customer has questions or concerns? You can add a chat function to your app so that you can exchange messages regarding order modifications and other issues.
You can even include a clickable phone number, making it easy for customers to call you when they need to settle an issue.
6. Online Reservations
Allow customers to make a reservation ahead of time by including this feature in your mobile app.
This enhances the customer experience – they know that they can show up and be seated immediately!
This also gives you and your restaurant managers the data they need to schedule staff most efficiently. Managers can see at a glance when they have the most reservations and provide appropriate staffing solutions at the proper times.
7. Service Transparency
A mobile app can give your customers a window into the status of their order. Depending on the functions of your app, they can even see different stages of preparation and get a notification when their order ready.
This level of transparency is highly valued by customers, who appreciate being able to gauge their time.
8. Social Media Integration
What better way to promote your business than through word-of-mouth? This can be done by customizing your mobile app so that your customers can easily share their wonderful dining experience with their social media followers and friends.
The easier you can make this through your app, the more your customers will take advantage of this feature!
9. Direct Marketing Channel
A mobile app gives you a direct marketing channel to your customers.
Create special deals for your mobile app users – perhaps a special, discounted price for mobile orders or a free appetizer when they order through the app.
You can even send out push notifications that alert customers when a special deal is going on or when an item they ordered in the past is on sale.
There are many, creative ways you can use your mobile app to enhance your marketing efforts!
10. Location Services
Integrating GPS service in your mobile app can make it easy for customers to locate you. In addition to listing your restaurant’s address, you can provide a convenient button that opens up your customer’s preferred navigation app and direct them right to you!
Plus, if you have several locations, location services can help your customers to easily find out which location is closest to them!
Concluding Thoughts on Custom Mobile Apps for Restaurants
A custom mobile app is a great tool for businesses to market their menu, generate more income, attract new customers, and enhance customer relationships.
With so many reasons to invest in your own restaurant mobile app, you don’t want to wait too long before making the decision.
We hope that this information has helped to answer your questions about restaurant mobile apps and opened your eyes to the many features and functions that such apps have.