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4 Mobile Marketing Tips For Restaurants
Just a few short years ago, restaurants relied heavily on the use of phone book menus to sell their edibles. These days, most people don’t have time to sit down to eat, much less to browse a menu online or find a restaurant in a phone book. Because of this, more and more food service businesses are using mobile to reach hungry customers. With the advancement of mobile technology, ordering from your favorite restaurant is easier than ever.
Mobile apps and mobile websites are key to restaurant success.
Food delivery, restaurants and more, are offering mobile apps & mobile websites that allow the users to do everything from browse menus, make reservations, put in orders, pay for meals, set up delivery and everything in between. Users can order food and have it delivered right from their mobile, which saves time and money. This is what we call a win-win-win for customers and employees!
Use mobile analytics to improve your marketing campaigns.
Restaurants can use analytics and data to see what features are working well for their users and which ones aren’t, as well as getting feedback from customers and using apps to provide great customer service. In our opinion at UPG, having both a mobile app and mobile website are equally important so don’t forget to cater to both! When glancing at your mobile analytics make sure to adjust your mobile app & mobile website accordingly to your audience.
Mobile loyalty programs for restaurants can increase repeat business.
There’s many stats available these days that show customers are more likely to purchase from an establishment that rewards loyal customers and mobile presents a huge opportunity for loyalty programs. Imagine if your favorite restaurant gave you a free meal after going say, 10 times? You’d probably sway your way over there more often than not. I know I would!
Mobile reservations at restaurants save employees & customers time.
For restaurants, reservations can be a headache if the right system is not in place. Mobile apps allow customers to automatically book a table at their favorite restaurant without having to worry about their reservation being lost or mishandled. From an employees perspective, the entire process is automated, saving everyone time!
With stats out there showing customers will go to a competitor for not being optimized for mobile devices, it is a no-brainer for restaurants to jump on the mobile band wagon. Rest assured it’s much easier to go mobile than you may have thought!
Restaurants: Write This Down
Restaurants are the most searched industry on mobile devices, according to a recent study performed by SinglePlatform and research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey.
1,497 consumers with smart phones were surveyed and the study found that 81% searched for a restaurant on a mobile app, and 92% searched for a restaurant through a web browser. These restaurant searches out-performed all other searches of popular industries like entertainment, retail outlets and hotels. Think about it – most restaurant research is done last minute when you’re already out and about.
75% of consumers said they chose a restaurant based on their search results – so nearly all diners chose their restaurant based on the restaurant’s mobile availability, either through an existing app like Yelp, or because the restaurant had a mobile website or its own app. “The results of this survey clearly indicate the need for restaurants to ensure that their menu information is up to date across all online platforms,” Wiley Cerilli, VP and general manager of SinglePlatform said. Of course they do! We’re continuing to see the importance of having a mobile presence and restaurants that wish to stay relevant need to make sure they are well represented.
It all has to do with the options provided to the customer. Restaurants are everywhere, and because there are so many, consumers (rightfully) can to be more selective in where they dine. Having online menus within available apps and mobile websites can give a restaurant a clear advantage over its competition. It can also allow the restaurant to offer special promotions, offers and incentives directly to their customers, but also entice new ones.
More data compiled by the survey include:
- iPhone owners are more likely to search for restaurants on their device.
- 80% of consumers prefer to look at a menu online before dining at a restaurant.
- 70% of consumers think it is important to read a menu on a mobile device.
- 62% of consumers are less likely to choose a restaurant if the menu is not available.
Restaurants can no longer afford to not have mobile accessibility. It’s a must! Build an app, get involved in the ever-growing mobile industry and improve your business.
Interested in developing a mobile app for your restaurant or business? UPG is here for you. Give us a call or shoot us an email, we’re happy to help!
The Hidden Gems of iOS8: Tools To Try
iOS 8 is here! Most of you have probably installed it, played around with it for several minutes, then thought… It looks exactly like iOS 7. Think again! Though the new OS sticks to the boastful simplicity of its predecessor, with only minor design changes, it also has quite a few tricks up its sleeve.
1. Credit Card Scanning Fear no more the 16-digit headache. iOS 8 equips the camera with a new scanner tool that grabs & (safely) stores your credit card info.
2. Apple ID Management I have to use my computer?: What we all exclaimed when we realized Apple IDs & billing info could only be changed through that oh-so-passe program called iTunes. Now you can update your info right through your phone. No need to wipe the dust off your laptop screen.
3. Battery Stats My now-outdated iPhone has the longevity of an asthmatic distance runner, landing at 1% after hours of little use. The new battery stats in the iPhone’s Usage settings detail exactly what’s draining your battery. Consider it your phone’s inhaler.
4. Enhanced Privacy Celebrities aren’t the only ones who should be concerned about this one. The new OS offers a hide function for photos and App Store purchases. To make a private photo invisible, just hold down on it until you’re prompted with the Hide option.
5. Image Recovery We all know the sharp panic of an accidental deletion. No longer an issue with iOS 8! You can go the Recently Deleted section of your photos and recover a deleted image up to 30 days after your mis-click.
6. Do Not Disturb Just put your digital sign up when you don’t want to be bothered by notifications. You can quiet individual threads through the Details section in the Messages app. Particularly useful for overly active group texts you wish you’d never been included in…
7. New Themes Prefer it when things are black & white? Say goodbye to color with the new theme options in the Accessibility section of the iPhone settings.
8. Selfie Perfection Introducing the selfie timer… the answer to every teen’s dreams. Add a 3- or 10-second delay to your camera to allow for proper prep time, or select Burst Mode to take more than one pic at a time and catch your best angle.
9. Email Notices Set up special alerts for your most awaited replies using the Notify Me option in the email’s More menu. No need to obsessively swipe to refresh every 5 minutes you don’t hear back on that job application.
10. Responsive Messages One of the most popular new features, type-in banners now allow multitaskers to reply to texts, emails, and WhatsApp without leaving behind what they’re doing. Finish up choosing that Instagram filter—don’t let us stop you.
