The restaurant industry has witnessed a digital transformation, with numerous coffee shops, juice bars, burger joints, and pizzerias already embracing mobile ordering through their branded apps. However, having a mobile app is only half the battle won; the real challenge lies in promoting it effectively to encourage customer downloads and usage. Many restaurant owners find themselves in a conundrum, having invested in developing an app but struggling to drive customer engagement and loyalty. If you find yourself in this boat, you're not alone, and we're here to help. In this blog post, we will delve into three strategic marketing activities to bolster your app promotion efforts:
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Offer a Hefty Discount on the First Three Orders: Encourage customers to download and use your app by offering a significant discount on their first three orders. For instance, a pizzeria could offer a 30% discount on the first three orders made through the app, incentivizing not only the initial download but also repeat usage.
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Provide a One-Time Dollar Discount: Entice customers with a one-time dollar discount on their first order placed through the app. For example, a sushi restaurant could offer a $10 discount on the first order of $50 or more made through the app, encouraging a higher spend while making the customer feel like they are getting a great deal.
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Join the Loyalty Program to Get Perks: Implement a loyalty program where customers earn points for every purchase made through the app. For example, a coffee shop could create a program where customers earn 1 point for every dollar spent, and once they accumulate 50 points, they get a free coffee.
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Promote Wallet Payment for Discounts: Incentivize customers by promoting wallet payments that offer easy, fast, and discounted payments. For instance, if a customer buys a wallet with 'Orda Wallet,' they could receive a special discount on their purchases.
These strategies will not only incentivize initial downloads but also encourage ongoing usage of the app, ultimately driving customer engagement and loyalty. Let’s delve deeper into each of these strategies and how you can implement them to promote your restaurant's mobile app.
What is the Habit-Driven Hooked Model?
The 'Hooked Model' is a framework developed by Nir Eyal that describes the cycle of user engagement through a series of hooks: Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment. By understanding and implementing this model, restaurant owners can design their mobile apps to create habit-forming behaviors among their customers, ultimately driving long-term engagement and loyalty.
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Trigger: These are external or internal cues that prompt the user to take action. For example, sending a push notification about a special discount or a new menu item.
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Action: This is the user's response to the trigger, which could be opening the app to view the offer, placing an order, or sharing the offer with friends.
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Variable Reward: This is the reward that the user receives after taking the desired action. It could be a discount, a free item, or loyalty points.
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Investment: This is the effort that the user puts into the app, which could be personalizing their profile, saving their favorite orders, or providing feedback.
By implementing these strategies and the Habit-Driven Hooked Model, you can not only incentivize initial downloads but also encourage ongoing usage of the app, ultimately driving customer engagement and loyalty. Let’s delve deeper into each of these strategies and how you can implement them to promote your restaurant's mobile app.
Offer a Hefty Discount on the First Three Orders
Everyone loves a good deal, and what better way to encourage your customers to download your app than by offering them a significant discount on their first three orders? For example, you could offer a 30% discount on the first three orders placed through the app. This not only incentivizes the initial download but also encourages repeat usage of the app.
Example: Imagine you own a pizzeria. You could promote your new mobile app by offering a 30% discount on the first three orders made through the app. Advertise this promotion across all your marketing channels - social media, email newsletters, and even in-store posters. Make sure to highlight the convenience and benefits of using the app - easy ordering, quick payment, and of course, the exclusive discount.
Provide a One-Time Dollar Discount
Another way to incentivize app downloads is by offering a one-time dollar discount on the first order placed through the app. This could be a fixed dollar amount off the total bill, which usually works better than a percentage discount for higher-priced orders.
Example: Let’s say you run a sushi restaurant. You could offer a $10 discount on the first order of $50 or more made through the app. This not only encourages a higher spend but also makes the customer feel like they are getting a great deal. Again, promote this offer across all your marketing channels, and highlight the convenience and exclusive benefits of using the app.
Join the Loyalty Program to Get Perks
Loyalty programs are a tried and tested way to encourage repeat business and customer loyalty. By offering exclusive perks and rewards to customers who download and use your app, you can encourage not only the initial download but also ongoing usage of the app.
Example: Imagine you run a coffee shop. You could create a loyalty program where customers earn points for every purchase made through the app. For example, earn 1 point for every dollar spent, and once they accumulate 50 points, they get a free coffee. This not only encourages repeat business but also incentivizes the use of the app for ordering.
Promote Easy Payments
One of the key features of any mobile ordering app is the payment process. It’s essential to make this process as seamless and rewarding as possible to encourage repeat usage of your app. One way to achieve this is by promoting wallet payments that offer easy, fast, and discounted payments.
Example: Imagine you own a burger joint. You could partner with a digital wallet provider like 'Orda Wallet' to offer special discounts to customers who use the wallet to make payments through your app. For instance, customers who buy a wallet with 'Orda Wallet' could receive a 10% discount on all their purchases made through the app.
What's Next?
In today’s digital age, having a branded mobile app for your restaurant is no longer a luxury but a necessity. It not only helps in retaining your customer base but also gives you control over the customer experience and helps in reducing the commission paid to third-party apps. While the technology barrier might seem daunting, with the right partner, it can be easily overcome. By implementing these marketing strategies, you can incentivize your customers to download and use your app, ultimately driving customer engagement and loyalty. Remember, the key to a successful mobile app is not just the initial download but encouraging ongoing usage. So, make your app irresistible with exclusive discounts and rewards, and watch your business thrive.
