Do you intend to invest in mobile application development for restaurants but not sure what should be the essential features that your app must have or perhaps, you are not sure about what to do next. No worries.
In this blog post, I am going to share some of the essential features that a restaurant mobile app must have. After that, I will share the steps that you need to go through in order to get a profitable app.
Let’s get started.
What are the important features that your restaurant mobile app must have?
Although, if you think creatively, you can come up with lots of new ideas, but below are some of the essential ones:
Essential Features Of A Restaurant Mobile App
#1 A digital menu
This is the first & foremost feature that every restaurant mobile app must have. A menu where users can view all of the available items under their respective categories along with their photos, short summary (about ingredients) and price.
Since, a menu has always been the backbone of any restaurant business (be it offline or online), you must pay special attention to ensure that it is user-friendly & easy-to-browse.
#2 Table reservation
Ability for the users to book tables using your app is another essential feature that contributes toward the business growth.
One thing to note here is that the process of booking a table must be as easy as tapping 2 to 3 buttons. Asking for the preferred date & time, no. of guests & mode of payment should be enough to book a table for them. After that, the customers can opt to place an order in advance.
#3 Order placement (for takeout orders/delivery)
The menu of your app must be syncrhonised well with the order placement procedure. On the final order confirmation page, the customers must be given an option to change their orders or quantity, if they wish to. This applies to both takeout orders & delivery orders.
#4 Payments (both the order payments and tips)
Do you know which payment gateway is preferred in your local region? Or what kind of credit cards or debit cards your targeted audience carries? If you don’t know about this information, its better to do a research and find out.
You can check this information by browsing your competitors’ apps or you may also consult a mobile app developer who can perform this check for you.
#5 Loyalty Program
Encouraging the users to stay connected with the application and get repeated orders from them must me your top priority. Therefore, your app must have a lucrative loyalty program for the repeated customers.
#6 Push Notifications (for special offers and deals, coupons, etc.)
Local businesses like restaurants can grow rapidly if you stay connected with your past customers. Encouraging your customers to download & install your mobile app can help you to send out push notifications to them. These notifications could be in the form of a special offer, deal or coupon.
If you are investing in a mobile application development, why not to get most out of it. Isn’t it?
#7 Live Customer support
Don’t let your customers go away from your app without ordering anything. Get a live customer support integrated with your application. There are several 3rd party softwares that can be embedded with a mobile app to provide world class live support to your customers.
All you have to do is, request your app developer to include this feature in your mobile app development proposal.
Unfortunately, we see very few apps that have been using live customer support. Perhaps, many of them don’t know that these software are available at a very nominal price.
What you should do next to develop & maintain a mobile application for restaurant business?
6 Steps To Run A Mobile Application Business
#1 Find Out A Problem
Existence & emergence of a problem in any business has always been a root cause to develop all the successful mobile apps. You can also find out a problem area in your business that your customers face.
#2 Solution Finding
Once you get a problem that needs to be resolved in your industry, the next step is to find the solution to it.
#3 Come up with a unique concept
After finding out a solution, the next step is to create a unique concept that you can materialise with the help of a mobile app.
#4 Find & Hire A Mobile App Developer
Once your concept is ready, you can search for a reliable app developer. Before finalising & hiring a mobile app maker, you must be sure that he or she understands your concept and has a nice portfolio.
#5 Test Your Application
Before launching your app, you must ensure to test it properly in order to avoid your customers’ disappointments & protect your reputation too.
#6 Launch & Improve
After a thorough testing, you can launch your app. As we know nothing is perfect in the first go, you must seek the valuable feedback from your users and improve your application accordingly.