Introduction
Choosing between a Mobile App and a Website is critical for businesses, especially restaurants. Both platforms, with their pros and cons, are equally critical for business growth and visibility among customers. The choice depends on business goals, target audience, budget constraints, and required features.
Nearly 75% of people use mobile phones to order food. As of March 2021, 41% of Americans have ordered food via a food delivery app, which is constantly growing.
Mobile apps are more dynamic and easy to access than websites; thus, food business owners find mobile apps a superior choice. Users connect directly with mobile apps as it is their go-to option for anytime food ordering.
Conversely, when the aim is marketing or increasing brand visibility, businesses find Restaurant Pre-order system as the more fitting choice. Websites serve as virtual storefronts that convey a brand message.
If you, too, need clarification about the choice of two platforms, the blog cites the distinction between the two platforms. Read the blog to learn the pros and cons of each platform.
Why does your Restaurant need a pre-ordering system?
The pre-ordering system allows customers to order their food in advance. They can choose a specific time to get their food for delivery, takeaway or dine-in. Restaurants offer three types of Pre-order food, including dine-in, takeaway, or delivery at doorstep.
Here are the advantages of having a pre-order system for your website.
Customer Convenience
A pre-order feature gives more control to customers. They can book their orders in advance before long hours or in a queue. Moreover, they can plan well for an upcoming event with a pre-order feature. Making them wait for longer hours may affect your return rate. No one likes to stand in the queue, especially when you are hungry. With pre-orders, customers can easily avoid crowds and waiting hours.
Higher Order Accuracy
With a pre-ordering app, restaurants know the precise number of orders for the day. They know in advance what to prepare and in what quantity as they get enough time to recheck the details and resources. Thus, it helps reduce food wastage and brings more efficiency to work.
Convenience for restaurants
Pre-orders benefit restaurant owners equally to customers. Where customers get the convenience of ordering in advance, restaurants get the clarity of orders. There is no confusion in orders received through phones, and customers place their orders with all the details in the food ordering software.
Restaurants also get rid of the crowd and entertain long queues. With advance bookings, they get clarity on customer needs and inventory requirements. So, it’s a win-win for restaurants.
Serve More Orders
Customers have to wait longer hours during peak hours due to more orders. With advanced bookings, restaurants can avoid the hassles of last-minute preparations. They can keep the orders prepared and increase table turnover by minimising ordering, meal preparation, and checkout delays.
Benefits of a Mobile App for Restaurants
Faster Ordering
Mobile apps are faster, allowing customers to place orders quickly. With a few taps on their smartphones, users are done with placing food orders and can easily enjoy their favourite foods at home. They don’t need to pause and dedicate themselves to laptops just to order food. They can place a highly convenient and time-efficient order in the middle of a call, especially for people with busy schedules.
Popularity
60% of online orders are placed using smartphones. As per statistics, mobile apps are more preferred by customers over websites. Mobile apps offer a go-to option for ordering food anytime, anywhere.
More Personalized
The experience over mobile apps is more personalised compared to websites. Mobile app features are highly intuitive and offer a user-friendly experience. Thus, users feel more satisfied in terms of their needs, leading to higher customer engagement.
Connect to Customers
Brands always want to stay connected to their users through one or other means of communication. Ads, emails, or SMS are examples of how brands convey their messages or offers to users.
Traditional leaflets or modern ads are costly and no longer effective. Emails are a good way to reach leads, but the engagements are low. Do you ever open the emails received from the brands? Hardly ever, right? Also, there are risks of reaching emails to the user’s Spam folder. Mobile SMS costs are higher if sent daily, with no assurance of customer engagement.
Mobile apps offer a fantastic alternative to all the above options. Restaurants can reach their customers effectively through push notifications at no cost. Push notifications will certainly reach your audience and are not considered spam.
User Retention
A mobile app helps restaurants retain customers for longer. Even the customers are not regularly placing orders, but they have your mobile app installed on their phones. You can send push notifications to inform them about new menu additions, special discounts, or offers.
Leveraging Advanced Technology
Mobile Apps utilise the latest technology to its full potential. Features like a camera, navigation map, in-app calls and chat, etc., can be used well on smartphones.
Mobile Apps vs Website Pre-Ordering: Which is Better for Restaurants
According to Sensor Tower, the second quarter of 2020 saw 1 billion first-time App installs. The use of mobile apps is on the constant rise while websites play a strong role in establishing a business identity online.
The verdict between which is better- mobile app or pre-ordering website can be a one-sided answer since the choice depends on each brand’s goals. If your business goal is market-driven or establishing a brand presence online while delivering the convenience of advance booking for your users, a pre-ordering website is ideal. Ensure the website is user-friendly, intuitive, and responsive to deliver the best experience across all platforms, devices, and screens.
On the other hand, if you aim to establish a deeper connection with customers, the mobile app is the answer. The easy access and gaming-like experience over mobile apps make them a preferred choice among people.
The choice will also depend on your target audience. If your target audience is more mobile-friendly, the obvious choice is to go for the mobile app.
Conversely, if most of your target users like using desktop or web versions for placing their food orders, pre-ordering websites is the ideal choice for the growth of your business.
Plan to integrate a pre-order system into your restaurant? Worried about the huge investments and timeline?
A SAAS-based food ordering software can help you enter the industry instantly with no or minimal upfront costs. The software offers all the key features to run and expand your food delivery business. Try Foodiv, a ready-to-use food ordering app to take your food business to the next level.
