Feeding Customer Loyalty: Why Restaurant App Usage Is up 70%

Since 2014 the number of foodies using restaurant apps has surged by around 70%, with 1 in 3 using them regularly. With the help of restaurant apps, you can increase customer loyalty and overall profits. Here’s why.

The Restaurant App Trend

GlobalWebIndex’s survey of 355,621 foodies aged 16-64 highlights the growing appetite for mobile content in the restaurant industry. Since the start of the survey (2014) the number of total foodies using these apps has increased from 20% to 34%, and this number continues to grow. Foodies (those strongly interested in food, restaurants or cooking) are also 25% more likely to seek out reviews when deciding where to eat.

Why invest in a Restaurant App?

“But wait, I already have a mobile-responsive site”, you might say. While mobile web is an important part of your online strategy, it should be regarded as just part of your mobile strategy. Mobile apps offer great advantages over website content, particularly when it comes to app push notifications and mobile personalisation.

Having a restaurant app is a great way to engage your customers, especially millennials, and foster loyalty. The best loyalty apps typically include:

• A points structure, which may be tiered

• The opportunity to refer friends in exchange for rewards

• Experiences. What can you offer beyond freebies or money off?

Getting more out of your App

Already have an app? Improve app engagement and turnover by fostering consumer loyalty and communicating with your customers one-to-one. Here’s how:

1. Real-time reactivity

• If your restaurant typically experiences quiet periods during the day, send messages to invite your customers along to enjoy special offers during these times.

• If weather conditions mean less people are coming through your doors than usual, push out a real-time promotion offering exclusive deals for one day only

2. Geotargeting

• Geo-fence your restaurant with app-based proximity marketing and send messages to passers-by in the immediate area, for example “It’s happy hour. Join us for BOGOF drinks until 7pm”.

3. Customer data

• Having an app means you can collect meaningful customer data based on previous orders and company interaction. If you see that a certain customer frequently orders steak, you can alert them when a new steak dish becomes available or when there’s a special steak offer.

With Eagle Eye Engage you can build and manage restaurant mobile applications for your customers to browse your promotions, loyalty schemes and gift vouchers, then send the right message at the right time via push notification, SMS or email.

Discover our case studies and get in touch today.