Essential Restaurant App Features: Restaurants across the world are coming up with new ideas to attract customers during these difficult times. One such idea is creating a mobile app. It has, in fact, become more of a standard for restaurants.
A mobile app gives you complete control over your online orders, helps enhance your restaurant’s reputation, and builds customer loyalty. It also increases your revenue as consumers desire to order directly from restaurants (21%) than third parties (16%).
The working principle of a mobile restaurant app is pretty simple. First, your customer browses your menu on your app and places an order (via online payment or COD, depending on the options you provide). Then, you accept the order via the admin app (or admin panel on the website), prepare it, and deliver it to the customer.
However, there are certain features that your restaurant app must have in order to stay competitive and generate more sales. In this article, we will discuss the must-have features of a mobile restaurant app.
Key Features of Restaurant Application
A restaurant mobile app is a perfect platform to keep your guests updated about available services, new launches, promotions, special offers, and contact information. A good multi-restaurant food delivery app should have:
- Push notifications
- Built-in takeaway and delivery orders
- Quick search
- Discounts and promotions
- Easy to use, intuitive interface
- Live order tracking for both restaurants and customers
- Customizable menu (combo deals, add-ons, etc.)
- Recommended products
- Popular items
- Multiple currency support
- Robust analytics
Now that you know the features your multi restaurant online ordering system must have, let’s understand their importance.
How does Push Notification help?
Push notification is one of the best ways to promote your services. It allows you to keep your users informed and increase app engagement. For example, you can send humorous notifications to compel users into opening the app.
You can even let customers know about the newest item in your restaurant or the latest offer that you’re running. Just update the details on the app’s back-end, and it will send a notification to all users.
Since push notifications appear at the top of the notification bar on mobile phones, customers are very less likely to miss them. This, in turn, will pique their interest and prompt them to place an online order.
However, there are certain best practices that you need to follow to get the most out of push notifications:
- Send a push notification at least once every day. If you send it once in a while, the user will probably lose interest or forget about your app.
- Personalize push notifications based on interaction history and past orders to increase engagement.
- Send special offers and discounts during the weekend to pique interest and get more sales.
- Test different push notifications to determine what’s working best for your restaurant.
- Leverage customer feedback to optimize your push notifications and get better results.
Restaurant Delivery and Takeout Services
Given the current times, deliveries services are a must to keep the orders coming. However, takeout options are also popular as they minimize the contact between persons and help customers save delivery charges.
Therefore, it is vital to offer both options so customers can choose what’s most convenient for them. If you haven’t planned for it already, here are some tips to help you prepare for delivery and pickup services:
- Create a specific takeout and delivery menu. Consider the expenses of delivering the order to customers at their doorstep. You can also reduce the number of items on your menu to reduce production costs and delivery time.
- If you have multiple restaurants, consider creating different menus and upload them on the multi-restaurant online ordering system so your customers can see the menu of their nearest restaurant.
- Create a delivery zone and associate charges accordingly, so you don’t end up losing money while delivering food.
Now the question is, should you use in-house delivery or third-party delivery?
In-house Delivery vs. Third-party Delivery
Both have their own advantages and disadvantages.
With in-house delivery, you won’t have to pay 20-30% commission and get complete control over the delivery process.
With third-party delivery, the process gets easier. You won’t have to worry about hiring delivery personnel.
So, it all boils down to your requirements and expectations. A good multi-vendor food delivery app like Eatance allows you to manage both in-house and third-party deliveries effortlessly.
Coupons and Discounts
As mentioned above, coupons and discounts intrigue users into ordering more frequently than they would otherwise. Discounts also attract new customers and encourage them to try your restaurant.
You can try different types of promotions to determine what attracts more customers. For example,
- More discounts on the weekend.
- Flat $ off on orders above a specific limit.
- Free delivery during the weekend.
- Flat $ or % off on 2nd order.
Also, leverage social media marketing to let users know about the offers you’re running on your restaurant’s mobile app. This will help attract new customers and retain existing ones.
Want an Online Ordering Restaurant App With These Features?
Having a mobile app with these features can help enhance customer experience and get more sales. If you’re still unsure why you should invest in a mobile app, here are some reasons.
Advantages of a Mobile App for Your Restaurant
If you haven’t invested in a mobile app, here are some key reasons for doing so.
- Helps handle orders with more accuracy.
- Provides deep insights into online ordering trends, enabling you to better optimize your menu and services.
- Eliminates the need for paying 20-30% commission to third-party platforms.
- Lets you run personalized campaigns for each individual. You can even reach them via email marketing to engage them.
- Supports and enhances your online presence. A mobile app will help you rank higher in search engines, thereby attracting more sales.
Promoting Your Multi Restaurant Food Delivery App
You need to market your multi-restaurant ordering system so it can reach potential customers. While you’re at it, leverage geotargeting (location-based marketing) to attract people in your locality.
You can even consider running PRs on local news outlets to widen your reach and boost app downloads. Here are some other ways to promote your multi restaurant online ordering system:
- Send emails to your existing customers.
- Run promotions on app-only orders in the first week.
- Run paid ads on social media.
- Let your dine-in customers know about your online ordering services.
Wrapping Up
Having a restaurant app has become more important than ever. Customers like to interact with restaurants directly rather than via third-party platforms. Use this opportunity to attract more customers and build a loyal following.
Author Bio:
Maulik Pandya is a lifelong Analyst, Founder of Evince Development & Eatance. He has good knowledge in Coding, Business Analysis, Providing Enterprise Solutions, Project Management, Sales Consultation, Marketing, Operation Management, Talent acquisition, Mentorship, and Leadership. Apart from his professional life, he is a good Husband, Father of two beautiful Daughters, a Generous Friend, Garba Lover, Zumba Enthusiast, a Blogger, and a Helping hand to everyone.
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