Share of consumers that prefer to use a restaurant’s own app or website for food delivery in the United States as of February 2021
As the world moves towards the convenience of apps dedicated to catering to their specific needs, an app for one’s restaurant seems like an important market to tap into. If you’re trying to build your restaurant’s brand, an app can prove to be a great marketing channel! But there are many ways an app can help your restaurant business grow and here’s how you can start working on yours.
NARROW DOWN THE GOAL & TYPE OF RESTAURANT MOBILE APP
Contrary to popular belief, restaurant mobile apps can serve many purposes beyond food ordering. It can have several functions and that can largely be determined by the nature of your restaurant. The kind of service & level of expectation change with the type of establishment you own.
FAST FOOD CHAINS:
- Quick Home Deliveries
- Takeaway Pickups
- Loyalty Points Programme
- Day’s Special Combo
- Digital Payments
SEATED RESTAURANTS:
- Online Table Reservation
- Online Menus
- Online Ordering From Table
- Digital Payments
- Pre-Orders & Takeaways
- Home Delivery
- Seasonal Offers and Discounts
RESORTS/CLUBS:
- Online Booking
- Digital Payments
- Customized Suggestions
- Pre-Booking Alerts
- Reviews and Ratings
- Online Plan Upgradation
- Virtual Assistance & Concierge
- Instant Customized Offers
- Push Notifications For Alerts
DO A THOROUGH COMPETITOR’S ANALYSIS
Once you shortlist the problems that you want your restaurant mobile app to address, look at the apps that your competitors have. That’s the best way to understand what are the standard APIs that you will require and what add-ons can make your app stand apart for a better experience. Doing thorough research is the only way to ensure that your app not only gives competition to others’ but also leaves a lasting impression for better brand recall & loyalty.
SET A BUDGET AFTER RESEARCH
Once you know the major features that you would need in your app, it’s time to look at the time and costs associated with the creation of the same. The best way to go about it is to talk to experts to understand the process and cost structure better. Also, a tool like our App Development Cost Calculator can help you get an estimate of the budgets you’re likely to work with and help you get started.
SHORTLIST AN APP DEVELOPMENT COMPANY THAT HAS END-TO-END SERVICES
There are many companies out there that can help you create the app you envision, but very few will be able to create the app exactly as you need and meet all necessary needs around it. It’s imperative to work with a company that not only caters to the app creation need but also has an understanding of how to run & market it. This holistic understanding of an app’s growth is what can ensure that the app they create has great growth potential. Hiring an end-to-end solutions organization like Valere can make the process much easier and smooth sailing for your development process.
WORK ON AN MVP THAT’S VIABLE FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS
Instead of working on an app that’s the final best product that you’ve in mind, it’s important to see how the audience reacts to the basic crux of your idea. The best possible way to do so is by creating a seamless MVP or Minimum Viable Product. This version of the app would have the core functions that are needed by your product and would have been bug tested before being launched to the audiences to gauge their reaction. Once you get feedback on the MVP, you can then add or change features with further updates to ensure a better experience for your users. And remember that your app’s users are not only your customers but also your employees and/or delivery staff who’ll be using it to fulfill the customer’s orders & requests.
TEST AND DO QUALITY ASSURANCE AT EVERY STAGE
While it may seem wasteful to do testing after every new change, it actually saves you a lot of time. If you keep making changes and/or additions and only test after a few stages, it’s going to be difficult to understand at what stage did the bug occur and how to fix it. To trace back and fix everything would cost you a lot more time & money than to do testing after every step.
ENSURE ADEQUATE BRANDING ACROSS THE APP
An app can be a great marketing tool so ensure that adequate and appropriate branding has been used across the app. This is not only limited to the logo, color & fonts you use but also the tone of voice, language, etc that you use across the app. The app needs to reflect the ‘personality of your restaurant’s brand. For eg, you cannot sound or look too casual like a fast-food chain if you’re running a fine-dining space.
LAUNCH AND CONTINUE TESTING & ADDING TO THE APP FOR GROWTH
Remember to constantly keep testing your app and going through feedback even after your app has officially launched. This will ensure that it is user-friendly and updated as per their needs.
Valere is an award-winning software development agency that has built over 300 top-rated applications for startups and Fortune 500 companies in all verticals like healthcare, finance, sports, fitness, education, and more. Their apps have been featured by the New York Times, and have been consistently recognized as Apple App Store’s top featured apps, TechRadar, and Google Play Store’s top featured apps! Schedule a call with us today to learn how we can help your team create the perfect software or application that can Accelerate Your Business Goals!
