Fast food restaurants seem to have cracked the code and figured out how to use mobile marketing to their advantage. Pizza franchises such as Pizza Hut and Dominos offer their customers the opportunity to order via their mobile phones. Taco Bell now has an app with similar features. These companies have likely spent millions of dollars to implement these changes, but they did so with the express purpose of positioning themselves at the forefront of their customers' minds.
How did they manage that? And how can you capitalise on it? Read on to find out.
The importance of mobile apps
More than 40 % of millennials use their mobile phones as their primary source of connection with the world. They text, network, search for information, play games, surf the web, pay bills - and order food. For this reason, the companies mentioned above have developed mobile apps for their businesses. Mobile apps allow them to stay in direct contact with their customers at all times. A mobile notification can alert them to special offers or promotions. The person sees it, clicks on the notification and takes advantage of the offer.
Another scenario: A person is on their way home. They are hungry. Instead of looking for or phoning a nearby pizzeria, they simply open the Pizza Hut app, place an order and pay for it. They can even choose the time they want their pizza delivered. How convenient is that? Apps are the lifeblood of a smartphone. An app that allows your customers to interact with you without having to call and place an order is the most convenient way to get them to think of you when they're craving food. This boosts your business and customer loyalty, and puts you miles ahead of your competition. But isn't setting up your own mobile app expensive? Not necessarily.
How to set up your own mobile app
Custom mobile apps are great - if you can afford them. Since most local businesses don't have that kind of budget, owners may feel like having a custom mobile app is out of reach. But it's not. There are companies that can help you create your own mobile app for a surprisingly low fee. Splick.it, ChowNow and Seamless are three of these companies. They set up branded mobile apps for you. Splick.it works with major brands such as Fuddruckers and Pita Pit.
They take care of orders, loyalty programmes and payment processing. ChowNow enables Facebook ordering, and Seamless allows you to search for local websites that deliver directly from the home page of the website. Each company offers the option to order from your website or mobile app. This allows your customers to choose how they want to interact with you. It also allows you to reach more customers. Splick.it says their apps increase a customer's order size by 30-70% over a walk-in customer. Imagine someone spending 30% more every time they order through your app. The investment is worth it.
How you can retain customers
Loyalty programmes are an important part of any restaurant's business plan. They ensure that your guests keep coming back to you. Think of Starbuck's loyalty programme. People order a lot of coffee just to become a Gold member. For them, the perks are easy to achieve and they're worth it. It's handy to have a platform that has a loyalty programme built in, like Splick.it, but there are other options too.
With Swipely, Perka and Belly you can not only track your customers' loyalty points, but also see which of your items are the most popular. You can even customise the rewards. With Swipely, you can see which of your customers have spent the most money with you in a given period. You may want to customise this reward differently, for example with a voucher for 25% discount. Rewarding your customers will keep them coming back, but personalised rewards show that you value them.
You can also make offers. You don't just have to offer these via your app. You can use websites such as LocalConnect to publish your offer on websites such as Coupons.com and similar mobile apps. This way, you can put your offer in front of thousands of potential local customers. It's a smart way to attract both new and returning customers.
How to offer simpler payment options
The payment options are also integrated into the customised apps, but there are three more options that you should use in addition to those available in the app.
With Paypal you can simply enter an email address, mobile phone number or PIN and pay for your purchase. Many national chains like Home Depot and Dollar General accept them.
With Google Wallet you can pay with your phone instead of a credit card. It is similar to Apple Paybut Google Wallet works with every mobile phone provider. Apple Pay only works with the Apple Watch and iPhone 6.
Both options work with "tap to pay" technology. All the customer has to do is tap something (in the case of Apple, tapping is optional) and they have already paid for their order. This definitely saves time and shows customers that you are way ahead of the competition. You will gain many customers who will come back to you again and again because you accept their preferred payment method. The business world is changing rapidly.
Every day we rely more and more on technology. There's no reason for small businesses to be left behind. What was once out of reach for you as a restaurant owner is now available to you. Use the mobile methods mentioned here to increase your customer base and grow your business. The ability to order and pay for things online is a matter of convenience.
If you invest in this opportunity and capitalise on it, you will reap the rewards sooner than you think. Try to make at least one change in the next few months. Even if you only offer online ordering, let your current customers know about it. Encourage them to give it a try. I promise you will be far, far ahead of your competition.
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