The Appinop Blog

Do you own a restaurant and plan on taking your business to heights? The easiest and cost-effective way of increasing the popularity of your restaurant is by investing in the restaurant app development services.

 

According to research, 75% of people use mobiles to check the restaurant menus before coming to a decision. Approx 83% of people use online sources to search for the nearest restaurants using mobiles. The figures clearly suggest the role the mobile devices play in increasing your restaurant’s popularity. The main reasons why restaurant owners need to consider building a mobile app are:

 

• Gain loyal customers by providing them with the basic info of your restaurant

 

• Increase ROI by allowing the online transaction

 

• Showcase your latest deals and exciting cuisines using a location-based marketing approach

 

• Allow quick order placement and home delivery options in one click

 

• Introduce loyalty programs to boost customer’s engagement

 

There are different types of restaurant mobile app designed these days. Basically, there are five major categories for restaurant app development. They include Restaurant locator app (Zomato), on-table ordering and payment app (FlipDish), Table-reservation app (OpenTable), online ordering and delivery app (Domino’s Pizza), and loyalty program app (Starbucks). Research your competitors and decide the app features that can bring maximum ROI.

 

Step by Step Process to Create a Restaurant App

You need to follow certain steps to get a user-friendly and customized restaurant app. In this post, we will share the 9 important steps that must be followed to build a high-quality and personalized app. Let’s get started.

 

1. A Thorough Market Research

 

No matter which restaurant app category you choose, the first step to building a successful application is conducting market research. Who is your target audience? What problems do they face? What do your competitors offer? How can you address the customer’s problems? What should be the USP of your app? These are the common questions you need to address before getting started with the app designing and development part.

 

2. Set Your Objectives

 

Why do you want to design a mobile app? Setting objectives is a crucial step in the restaurant app development process. What ROI do you expect from the mobile app?

 

It is important to note that not all apps are designed for direct income. Your app may not generate income, but boost your brand’s reputation in the market and help your company grow online. Determine your business goals. Decide what you want from your mobile application and implement the best strategies to achieve your goals.

 

Once you are done conducting market research and deciding business goals, move on to the next step:

 

3. Look for an App Developer

 

You need to find the right app developer who not only knows coding but all the technical aspects of the restaurant mobile app development process. Never rely on beginners, who possess little to no experience in the app development process. You wouldn’t want to get stuck with a time-consuming and ineffective app development company just because you weren’t ready to pay a few extra bucks to the experienced developers.

 

Search for an app development company that has worked on the restaurant app development projects. The more experience a developer has, the better app they develop.

 

4. Determine the Restaurant App Functionality

 

You need to hire a professional app development company that guarantees a smoother and faster development process. But does that mean you should leave everything on them? If you want to garner the best ROI, you must put extra effort into the app development process. One such crucial step to creating a restaurant app is determining the app functionality.

 

Decide the number and type of features you want in the app. Prepare a comprehensive list of the functionalities that must be included in your restaurant app. Don’t just rely on the software or app development company. Do your own research and come up with the advanced features that could boost your ROI.

 

5. Design a Unique and customized Restaurant Website and Mobile App

 

The main goal of a mobile application is to offer seamless in-app navigation and shopping experience to the users. Poor quality and cluttered mobile apps are as good as dead for users. To improve user’s experience, you need to come up with an application that features a clear and user-friendly design. App designing is a crucial part of the app development process. Here’s the list of steps included in the design process.

 

• Research: Proper market research and competitors’ analysis will help you develop an outstanding and customized mobile app. Make sure you research the latest mobile app trends to come up with a high-quality design.

 

• User Experience Design: UX of a website determines the app’s navigation and features layout. The easier the navigation is, the better your user’s experience.

 

• User Interface: Like UX, UI is an important element of the app designing process. The user interface makes your app attractive and clear. Try to stick to the colors that are relevant to your brand or company. Choose a consistent design i.e. the pattern that matches your website or social media accounts.

 

• Branding and Animations: This part involves the logo development process. Give your restaurant app a unique touch by introducing outstanding animations and illustrations.

 

 

6. Testing and Deployment

 

Once the development is over, the next step is to get the app tested for bugs and errors. Testing is an important part of the app development process. During this step, the testing company runs a check on all the features of the app.

 

As soon as testing is over, the app will be ready for the deployment and final launch. You need to submit the application to the App Store or Play Store. They will review your mobile app and launch it in the app market given that it meets the app store terms.

 

7. Develop Marketing Campaigns

 

Your job doesn’t end with the app launch. A major part of your mobile app development process is marketing and promotion. You should never delay this process until the product launch date. In fact, marketing campaigns should be planned before the app development process begins. How are you going to market your restaurant app? Which platforms should you choose for app promotion? How will you get people to download your app? How are you planning on achieving customer engagement and retention?

 

A proper marketing campaign includes all the platforms you will use to reach out to your target audience. Make sure that app marketing is important for better results. Let people know about the USP and intriguing features of your restaurant app. Tempt them into installing your app and doing business with you.

 

8. Receive Feedback and Improve Your App Accordingly

 

No matter how great your restaurant app is, you may still miss out on the essential features that could improve the user’s experience. Invite the user’s feedback and find out the missing features or additional functionalities that could enhance your customer’s experience and provide them with a seamless app. Note that it is a consistent process. Every time you release a new update, go through your user’s feedback to see how they like or dislike the new features.

 

9. Ongoing App Support

 

The development of your restaurant mobile app is a continuous process. Even after releasing the application in the app market, your job does not end. According to customer reviews, you need to work on the app enhancement process consistently to keep up user’s engagement.

 

Engaging Functionality for Restaurant App Development

The set of functionalities you want to integrate into the restaurant mobile app could vary. Let’s have a look at the core and advanced functionalities that can make your app stand out in the app market.

 

Core Features

 

• Menu Screen: The first and foremost part of any restaurant app is the menu screen, comprising the list of ingredients and dishes pictures. When developing the menu section for your restaurant, try to come up with an eye-catching design. Customers must be able to order the food straight from the menu screen.

 

• Ordering and pre-ordering: Your app should allow users to order their products from the comfort of their home. People turn to mobile apps to place food orders. Make sure that the order button is clearly visible.

 

• Table reservations: The app should feature table reservation options. Customers must be able to book the tables in advance. That way, people can rest assured that they already have the tables reserved at a restaurant.

 

• Online payment: Online payment makes a convenient payment option for both users and restaurant owners. The customers can order the dish online and process the payment through the app.

 

• Food delivery: If your restaurant offers food delivery services, don’t forget to include it in the app features list. Let your customers know the food delivery services offer and make it easier for them to get the food delivered at their doorstep.

 

• Loyalty programs: Loyal customers deserve rewards, bonuses, and benefits. After all, they are your regular customers. Include a loyalty program that offers bonuses, promo offers, and special deals to your regular customers.

 

Other essential core features that can be integrated into your restaurant mobile app are push notifications, social media interactions, and geolocation.

 

Advanced Functionality

 

Do you want to create an app that stands out in the app market? Here is the list of advanced functionalities that could make your app different from the standard restaurant app.

 

• Chatbots: Rather than hiring professionals support service providers, why don’t you get this job done by chatbots? This latest technology will personalize your app and improve the overall app performance.

 

• Location-based services: By using the geofencing technologies, you can send a push notification every time the user passes by your restaurant.

 

• Gamification: Develop tasks, start a competition between your loyal customers, and award the winner with a prize. For instance, you can offer a free meal benefit to the users after their five successful visits to your restaurant.

 

• Taxi Ordering: Allow people to order a taxi to home and get a safe and comfortable drive to their desired location. You must have a taxi-ordering feature integrated into the application.

 

Budget necessary to create a restaurant app & website

 

One of the major questions every restaurant owner asks is what is the total cost of developing a restaurant mobile app? The cost of the development process can vary significantly. In general, it can be anywhere between $50,000 and $2,50,000. The restaurant app development cost depends on a number of factors such as:

 

• The development company you hire

 

• Functionalities you want to include in the app

 

• Number of platforms you want to develop the app for (iOS, web, and Android)

 

Basically, a restaurant app can be categorized into three types i.e. basic app, medium app, and customized app, and large app. Depending on the type of app you choose, the app development process can take up to 6 to 9 months.

 

To find a rough estimate of the total app development cost, you must divide the budget into the app development steps. The main restaurant app development stages cover:

 

1. Business Analysis

2. UX/UI design

3. Software architecture planning

4. Development process

5. Q & A testing

6. Project management

7. Team review

 

Some app developers charge an hourly price. The more time they spend on your app development process, the higher the price they charge.

 

Conclusion

Building a restaurant app requires much more than coding. The process can be a bit complicated since several factors must be considered before you start the development process. The above-listed steps can help you accomplish the restaurant mobile app development process and get a high-quality app ready for the launch. Make sure you determine the total budget, essential functionalities, and proper steps needed for a successful app development project.

 

As mentioned before, the development process is continuous. Your job doesn’t end with the app launch. In fact, it continues as long as you want to grow your restaurant and build a brand reputation in the market.