Top 14 reasons to build a restaurant app to attract more customers – Part I

In this digital world, it is important to create a mobile app and ensure that your restaurant has a strong mobile presence.

About 60% of searches on mobile convert into buying customers every hour. For example, Starbucks, a leading café in the food and beverage industry, got 16% of their monetary transactions over their app alone.

Building a mobile app for restaurants is a flourishing trend. Therefore, look no further and convert your WooCommerce website to a useful mobile app.

However, if you are still in confusion, we have listed 14 reasons to build an app for your restaurant business. Also, it helps you do the math on the potential revenue and customers you are missing out on, to make the right decision. Let's dive in:

1. Location-based deals

Setting up your location in an app helps you lure customers into entering into your restaurant. You can even send push notifications and deal with people using your location's physical proximity.

Besides, a person's GPS settings also helps in telling you where they are so that you can send out relevant deal information.

By doing so, you will be able to reach app users who might be looking for a bite to eat but are not sure exactly where to go. That way, you will get more visitors to your restaurant and boost the business.

Sending push notifications about deals to prompt more purchases is one part. You can also make sure people know where they are going and don't get into another restaurant.

2. Loyalty & referral programs

Mobile-based loyalty programs are far more personal than the ones that involve a simple punch card that is being handed out to every customer who shops.

As the utilization of mobile devices and the apps are increasing, you can ensure the continued use of your loyalty program and get more purchases that ultimately contribute towards your business goals.

By sending push notifications, you can remind your loyal customers how close they are. In these notifications, you can even suggest them to come in for a meal or a drink at your restaurant. However, loyalty programs are not solely about giving free stuff.

If, for example, if you promise exclusive offers and timely deals, your customers would be willing to download your restaurant app. Moreover, they will proactively return to your restaurant to reap the benefits, redeem deals and loyalty promotions, even if they have to keep buying a few times before they get anything.

Besides, you can also incentivize your customers to refer your restaurant among their friends and family by offering them reward points or credit towards their bill. And, this bill is based on how many people they refer to your location and how many come in to make a purchase.

3. Easier internal order fulfillment

Turning your website into an app makes it easier to fulfill your orders, especially in case of pick up or delivery.

Instead of having someone to try to understand what the other person is saying and relying on their handwriting to convey what needs to be cooked accurately, a mobile app clearly states special requirements given by the customer.

In-app payment is another feature that lets customers pay their bill amount within the app. That way, order fulfillments within the app allow customers to customize their orders without having to take the time to speak with someone. This also makes it easier for you to plainly see if any ingredients need to be tweaked.

4. Increased sales amongst millennials

The millennial market is quite rigid about its preferences. Therefore, it's not easy to increase your sales amongst all demographics.

According to Food Tech Connect, about 98% of 18 to 34-year-old customers who have paid a bill via the mobile app are likely to do this again. However, beyond simply paying, 40% actually prefer a mobile payment over other options, specifically for restaurants offering quicker service.

In this age of the mobile world, millennials prefer to pay for their orders directly within the app itself, if it is possible.

According to the stats given by Restaurant Marketing Labs, each millennial spends an average of $174 per month in restaurants. Therefore, considering this, if you cater to their preferences of offering mobile payments, you will attract a larger chunk of their monthly spending power into your restaurant's business revenue.

5. More number of visits

Allow your customers to use your app to make a reservation at the restaurant without the worry of having to call in. This will help you make the process of reservation pleasant.

If, for example, your restaurant brings in $5,500 on a Friday night and the app helps increase those reservations by 10%, that would be an additional $550 in revenue just for that night.

6. Better on-site service

Creating a mobile app for your restaurant business is the first step to cater to customer needs and their experience. That way, it helps you improve on-site service and the reviews that reflect it.

Mobile ordering helps you clear out a lot of congestion in the restaurant.

Rather than asking your customers to wait for in-shop fulfillment, your restaurant staff can see a new order in the app as soon as it comes in. They will put it together, price it, and prepare the same for immediate delivery. This makes order fulfillment a lot faster.

Food ordering using an app takes minimal time and results in a much quicker turnaround and streamlined pickup experience.

7. Social sharing

Integrating a mobile app into your restaurants' other online profiles is the ability to collect positive customer reviews.

If you run reservations, ordering, and payments through your mobile app, you can set a timer for all three to ask your patrons to review your app or share their experience on social media.

Getting your customers to share their positive experiences on your social channels is a great way to advance the word of mouth and social proof around your business. This also helps in boosting your reputation in the mind of the public, leading to increased business over time.

Wrapping up

Considering these reasons, you must now know how important it is to develop a mobile app for your restaurant business in the coming years.

If you have decided to create one, convert your website into an app via AppMySite and get the potential to be one among the top 5 restaurants in your area.

Explore these seven reasons and put them to practice to start developing an app. Stay tuned to AppMySite to discover the other seven.