News of a new restaurant in the town comes almost every week or fortnight. People are becoming big time foodies and this has given a boost to restaurant businesses. ‘When there are so many good restaurants already existing, how do I get mine noticed’ is the common problem faced by new restaurant owners.
Constant checks on the quality of food, inclusion of new items and offering food at competitive price have always been on the priority list of hotel managers to mark a good impression on visitors. However, if you think taking care of these aspects guarantees profitable returns in restaurant business then you are highly mistaken.
Key to success in restaurant business
Restaurant business demands for a huge investment, which makes the owner impatient to get returns once it is properly set up. This industry is no exception to others where reaching out to maximum audience is the key to success. People have to know about your existence for them to try out your restaurant food. Effective marketing techniques should be used to reach maximum number of people in short time.
How did developing an app for restaurant come into the picture?
Every business needs effective marketing strategies to promote their products or services. These strategies keep changing as per current trends and technologies. Based on this fact, many businesses have started using the power of mobile apps to reach the target audience and get recognition.
Methods such as setting up hoardings, advertising in newspaper and magazines have been replaced by new one focusing more on digital media. People are glued to mobile phones all the time, which makes it an important medium for businesses to reach audience. Developing a mobile app requires initial investment, but the returns are assured.
Analyzing foodies’ behavior using restaurant apps
Following graph shows how a typical mobile user interacts with a restaurant mobile app:
Image courtesy: Statista.com
Let’s understand the important aspects of user’s behavior in brief:
1. Attractive deals and discounts
Mobile apps make it extremely easy to update users on festive offers or promotional discounts by the means of push notifications. Who does not like to relish their favorite food dish offered at lower price as a part of discount deal? These special offers attract mobile users and compel them to visit the app and browse through its services.
2. Glance through the menu
‘I like Mexican! Does this restaurant have Mexican cuisine?’ This curiosity is what makes a user navigate to the menu section of a restaurant app. Further, those users who do not know what to eat click on the menu option to get an array of options and make a tasty choice.
3. Search for nearby restaurant outlets
Users generally hit the restaurant mobile app when they are dead hungry and in need to rush to the nearest outlet to hog some food. Mobile app’s ability to show nearby outlets based on your location (using GPS) is what makes it more usable. Though users may not opt to order food through app, they may be in search of a nearby outlet to visit and grab piping hot meal by themselves.
4. Redeem loyalty points/reward points
Businesses often use the technique of rewarding their customers with loyalty points, which can be later put to use to avail the service next time. This trick of engaging customers has never failed, not even in case of mobile apps. If not anything else then just to utilize the points earned on previous food orders, users place an order through the app and make the most of their reward points.
On a concluding note
Developing a mobile app opens up immense scope for growth in restaurant business. Start your search for a reliable app development company to join hands with and see your restaurant flourish like never before!