The 7 Features Consumers Want to See on Your Restaurant App

Written by johnlacerna
Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 07:14pm CDT

Adding a restaurant app to your digital marketing arsenal can improve the overall customer experience. Even more, it can increase your sales and your overall bottom line.

In one study, surveyors asked consumers in the United States if they preferred using a restaurant’s own app for food delivery. More than 65% of respondents said yes, they preferred using a restaurant’s own app instead of a food delivery app.

You can see the importance of your restaurant’s app to your customer’s. It makes ordering for takeout and delivery so easy. Let’s look at the seven features consumers want to see on your restaurant app.

#1: Customers Want Online Ordering

While this may seem obvious, your customers do want online ordering. They want the same options on your restaurant app that they have in your brick-and-mortar location.

Your current and potential diners also want ordering to be quick and easy. They don’t want to have to look around for what they want.

You also want to ensure that your customers can customize their orders. For example, someone may want to delete onions and add more lettuce to their favorite sandwich.

The goal with online ordering is to provide the best customer experience that is easy to navigate and easy to finalize. (tweet this)

#2: Customers Want Loyalty Programs

One of the most important features on restaurant apps is the loyalty program.

You want to include this on your app so your customers can easily access it and see where they stand. When they can easily see what their balance is, they know how much more to spend to reach the next level. They also know just what rewards are available to them.

You’ll find that your loyalty program can also increase sales while it increases your customer loyalty. Including your loyalty program in your app brings your customers back again and again as they work toward their next reward.

Be a customer-centric business and boost customer engagement with your in-app loyalty program. You can bet that your customers are always looking to save money, and your app helps them do just that. Build a relationship with your customers with your loyalty program and watch your profits rise.

#3: Customers Want Coupons

Your customer want a restaurant app that features exclusive coupons just for them.

When you offer them discounts, you’ll find they return to your app again and again.

In turn, you keep them satisfied and improve the overall customer experience. You can also reach more people because you’re offering discounts.

#4: Customers Want Reservation Options

Restaurant apps are all about convenience for your customers. They want to pull their cellphones out and easily and quickly make a reservation at your restaurant.

By offering your customers the option to make a table reservation through your app, you eliminate any frustrations customers may have. Your diners won’t have to wait a long time when they stop by because they’ve already make a reservation.

What’s more, if diners can’t make a reservation for your restaurant, they may decide to eat elsewhere. This is why it’s so important to offer this feature on your restaurant app and your website.

You can also take it one step further and allow customers to pre-order their food. This is different than take out or delivery because they are eating in. But with a pre-order option, they can order, walk in and sit down, and begin eating pretty quickly.

#5: Customers Want a Full Menu

Your customers want to see all your available menu options so they can easily order from you whether it’s take out or delivery.

Provide them with beautiful photos, enticing descriptions, and an easy to navigate menu section.

Along with your full menu, consider offering a section on nutrition. Today’s diners are more concerned than ever with their calorie intake.

Many of your customers are either fitness enthusiasts, they are on a diet, or they’re simply concerned about calories.

Your customers really appreciate accurate nutrition information that is easy to read on your mobile app.

In addition, showing nutrition information helps customers with allergies or those eating a vegan, vegetarian, or gluten free diet.

You show your customers you care by offering them as much information as possible so they can make the best choices for their health.

You’ll also find that customers continue to order from you because you provide them as much information as possible. This gives you a leg up on the competition.

#6: Customers Want a Personalized Experience

One of the most important features of a quality restaurant includes offering a personalized experience.

What does this mean for your restaurant? It means being able to save your customers preferences and allowing them to re-order items they’ve ordered in the past.

It also means remembering what table they like to sit at and what preferences they may have.

You can also offer up-selling in your app that is personalized. For example, if your customer always orders a specific app, and it’s not on their checkout page, you can remind them they love and encourage them to order it.

Personalizing the app experience with saved preferences for your customers encourages their loyalty. They feel appreciated by you and well take care of. (tweet this)

#7: Customers Want to Talk to Someone

Imagine the customer who has something to say or an issue with an order, but this customer can’t reach anyone at your restaurant.

Make sure your app has a customer service feature where customers can reach out to a real person at your restaurant.

Alternatively, you can also offer a chat bot feature. If customers don’t find a resolution with your cha tbot, give them the opportunity to reach out to someone in person.

Then, make sure you have a team member ready to respond.

Final Thoughts

When you create your restaurant app, you want to include features that improve the customer experience.

When you do this, you’ll increase customer loyalty because you are meeting their needs by providing them with the seven features they want to see on your restaurant app.

Finally, providing consumers the right customer experience on your app increases your bottom line and encourages repeat customers.

At Restaurant Engine, not only do we create great, responsive websites, but you can count on us to create a website that works with your branding. Let us help you by creating the perfect site that draws customers in and helps you grow your business! Ready to take the plunge and create a new website? Get your free website consultation today!

Images: Austin Distel and Annie Spratt on Unsplash