Today’s business, especially the restaurant business, in Indonesia itself, it turns out that there are still many restaurants that use third parties to order and deliver food. Based on Statista, the application that is widely used for food delivery is GoFood. There are still very few restaurants that have their own application for food delivery or ordering.
In terms of the drawbacks of using a third party, the restaurant must automatically comply with the promotions on the platform. Not to mention having to compete with many well-known restaurants. So with this article, we want to convince you that having your own application will be much more flexible for restaurants to run their campaigns.
But before that we want to reassure you, having your own app is important and your channel will expand beyond just third parties.
Should restaurants have their app?
This question actually depends on your readiness to manage an app, costs and business goals. If your business goal is long term, of course, having your own application is something you must have. You will get several advantages, including:
- Reach more wide customer than third party app
- Improve the brand awareness to get a trust
- Have a healthy return on investment
Reach more wide customer than third party app
According to Statista, smartphone users will continue to grow from year to year. It is even predicted that there will be a continuous increase between 2023 and 2028 by a total of 910.3 million users (+17.33 percent). That means a huge potential market for your restaurant. Imagine if you continue to use third parties for your restaurant, you will surely lose many opportunities to reach a wider audience.
Improve the brand awareness to get a trust
Apart from getting far more consumer reach, by having a restaurant application, you can introduce your business to consumers. If you feel that your current third-party campaign feels inadequate for developing your brand, this means that this is a signal that you should create your own application. Building your brand name is very important. If your consumers don’t know what brand it is, this will affect the level of trust in the quality of your food both in terms of taste, food quality and so on.
Apart from that, with your own application, of course, this can be used for your campaign in introducing how you cook the food until it is served properly for your customers.
Have a healthy return on investment
Imagine if you have your own application and use a third party, of course it will create 2 of your revenue channels at once. According to AskWonder, independent restaurants’ mobile apps get between 8 and 60 online orders per day.
If you take advantage of this opportunity, it will certainly have a big impact on your business in the long run. Behind the large and profitable impact, of course, you need to prepare costs to create your own restaurant application. Regarding costs, we are very open to negotiations from you if our prices are too expensive for you.
How much does it cost to build a restaurant mobile app at Techcompid?
The cost of building a restaurant mobile app depends on various factors, such as the complexity of the features, the platform (iOS or Android), the design quality, and the development team. According to a survey by GoodFirms, the cost of developing an app in 2023 depends on the level of complexity and features of the app. However, we do offer 3 of our top services that you can choose from as well as specific packages if you build your app from scratch.
1. Hire In Hourly
The best choice for those of you who already have running code and only need a few developers to develop or add new features to your application. This service will be charged every hour $ 10-$ 50. This charge depends on what developer you need.
2. Team App Development Enterprise Package
The right choice if you don’t have an application at all. We will first look at your needs and then we can estimate the costs that you need to pay. On average our clients build complex applications so the price they have to pay is around $ 50,000 – $ 150,000.
3. App Development Lite Package
An option you can rely on if you have enough budget to create your own application. Of course, we will do an exploration first about what costs you need to pay cheaply. So that the budget you have can be comparable to the price of mobile application.
What a minimum feature on restaurant mobile app?
But before starting to the development stage you can start with a minimum viable product (MVP) that includes the essential features for your customers’ needs. For example, you can focus on online orders, payments, reviews, and ratings. Depending on user feedback and market demand, you can add more features later.
How to run a restaurant Mobile app?
Building a mobile app for your restaurant is only the first step. You must maintain and update it regularly to ensure its functionality and security. Here are some tips on how to run a restaurant online app:
1. Technical App Development
Test your app before launching it
Before releasing your app to the public, you should test it thoroughly for any bugs or errors. You can use tools like Firebase Test Lab or Appium to automate testing on different devices and platforms. You can also ask for feedback from beta testers or potential users to improve your app’s usability and design.
Market your app effectively
You need to market your app well to attract more downloads and users. Use various channels such as social media, email marketing, online ads, or word-of-mouth to spread the word about your app. You can also offer incentives such as discounts or freebies to encourage users to download and use your app.
Update your app regularly
To keep your users engaged and satisfied with your app, you must regularly update it with new features, content, or improvements. You can use tools like Google Play Console or App Store Connect to manage app updates and releases. You should also monitor user feedback and reviews to identify any issues or suggestions for improvement.
2. Marketing App
If you have an app that you want to market to potential users, you need to have a clear and effective strategy. Marketing an app is not just about creating a great product, but also about reaching your target audience, generating interest, and encouraging downloads. Here are some tips on how to market your app in 2023:
Optimize your app store listing
Your app store listing is the first impression that users will have of your app, so you need to make it appealing and informative. You should include a catchy title, a clear and concise description, relevant keywords, high-quality screenshots and videos, and positive reviews. You should also use app store optimization (ASO) techniques to improve your app’s ranking and visibility in the app store search results.
Create a landing page for your app
A landing page is a web page that showcases your app and its features, benefits, and value proposition. It should also include a clear call to action (CTA) that prompts users to download your app or sign up for updates. A landing page can help you generate leads, build trust, and increase conversions. You can use tools like AppInstitute or Shopify to create a landing page for your app easily and quickly.
Use content marketing to attract and educate users
Content marketing is the process of creating and distributing valuable and relevant content to your target audience. Content marketing can help you establish authority, increase awareness, and drive traffic to your app. You can create different types of content, such as blog posts, articles, ebooks, infographics, podcasts, videos, webinars, and more. You should also optimize your content for search engines (SEO) and social media platforms.
Leverage social media to engage and grow your audience
Social media is a powerful tool to market your app and connect with your potential and existing users. You can use social media to share your content, showcase your app features, solicit feedback, provide customer service, run contests, launch campaigns, and more. You should also identify the best social media platforms for your app niche and audience, and create a consistent and authentic voice for your brand.
Run paid ads to boost your app visibility and downloads
Paid ads are a fast and effective way to reach a large and targeted audience for your app. You can use various platforms to run paid ads, such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, Twitter Ads, YouTube Ads, TikTok Ads, and more. You should also track and measure the performance of your ads using analytics tools and optimize them accordingly.
Collaborate with influencers to promote your app
Influencer marketing is the process of partnering with influential people who have a large and loyal following on social media or other platforms. Influencers can help you increase your app exposure, credibility, and trust among their audience. You should find influencers who are relevant to your app niche and audience, and offer them value in exchange for their promotion. You can also use tools like FameBit or AspireIQ to find and manage influencers for your app.
Encourage user reviews and ratings for your app
User reviews and ratings are one of the most important factors that influence user decisions to download an app or not. They also affect your app store ranking and reputation. You should encourage your users to leave positive reviews and ratings for your app by providing them with incentives, reminders, or rewards. You should also respond to user reviews and address any issues or complaints they may have.
Use a referral scheme to generate word-of-mouth marketing
Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most powerful forms of marketing for apps because it relies on the trust and recommendations of existing users. You can use a referral scheme to incentivize your users to invite their friends or contacts to download or use your app. You can offer them rewards such as discounts, freebies, credits, or features for each successful referral they make.
These are some of the best ways to market your app in 2023. However, you should also keep in mind that marketing an app is an ongoing process that requires constant testing, analysis, improvement, and innovation. You should always monitor the results of your marketing efforts and adjust them according to the feedback from your users and the changes in the market trends. By doing so, you can ensure that your app reaches its full potential and achieves its business goals.
Conclusion
Running a restaurant business can be rewarding but also challenging. With the help of a mobile app, you can simplify your tasks, reach more customers, and increase your revenue. However, building and running a mobile app requires planning, investment, and maintenance. You need to consider the features, costs, and best practices of developing a mobile app and how to marketing for your restaurant mobile app.
If you are looking for a professional ios app development company to help you create a stunning and functional mobile app for your restaurant, look no further than Emveep. We have the expertise, experience, and passion to turn your vision into reality. Contact us today for a free consultation and quote.
