Mobile technology is fast becoming a fixture in the restaurant space, across the world. What appears on your plate must exist on the mobile menu first. Ordering food on the go is as much in, as “waiting” without waiting. Restaurants now have apps that pay more attention to customer loyalty than pushing for higher takeaways every time. Now you can order for one or many, without being refused. You can order for yourself resting at home, or for a dear friend in a far away location, with third-party operators lending a hand.
According to a 2017 orderTalk survey, around 45% of U.S. adults are expected to increase online ordering in the next 12 months. As per a recent McKinsey report, online delivery will grow by 25% per year from 2015 to 2018 in key markets, after which it will show a steady rise up to 14.9% per year until 2020. According to an eServices report published in 2018, the worldwide revenue for online food delivery is expected to increase from US$81.7 billion in 2017 to US$146.7 billion by 2022.
As online ordering moves full steam ahead in 2018 with growth and innovation, we offer the top five trends in online food ordering platforms:
- Ordering and Delivering on the go:
Customers can log in to restaurant apps, browse through the menus and order. Remember an easy way to add options and express check-out. It improves the ordering experience and also increases the amount each customer orders. The Taco Bell app, for example, reported 20% higher app orders than their in-store orders in 2015. Third party food delivery apps like Deliveroo and UberEATS have emerged as supporting partners for better delivery solutions for particular restaurants.
- Mobile POS making a mark:
Mobile POS is contributing largely to streamlined food ordering and improved customer experience. Also known as mPOS (mobile point of sale), Mobile POS is a smartphone, tablet or dedicated wireless device that performs the functions of a cash register or electronic point of sale terminal. A smartphone or tablet can be transformed into a mPOS with a downloadable mobile app. CAKE Restaurant Point of Sale System, for example, has customized workflows as well as on-the-fly menu and table adjustments. This cuts down on the delivery time and also reduces the number of trips between the table to the counter and the kitchen. The server boys can make use of the time for better customer relations, taking part in informal chats, inquiring about the meal or simply filling up glasses in between.
Some of the popular mobile POS vendors include PayPal, Square, Intuit, and VeriFone.
- More Options for Mobile Payments:
Despite the prevailing security concerns and a limited number of compatible vendors, mobile payments continue to increase and have vastly impacted interaction between businesses and customers. Having a mobile pay feature in your restaurant app, helps you keep your customer in your app ecosystem. In addition, it would also let you observe customer behavior and thereby find ways of niche marketing through. Mobile wallet options like ApplePay, GooglePay, and SamsungPay are gaining acceptance among restaurateurs.
- Customer Loyalty Programs:
Loyalty programs help restaurateurs improve one-on-one relationships with their customers. Sending a coupon for a birthday or a reminder about the celebrations going on for your fast food joint’s first year anniversary can be easily automated and yet makes a lasting impression. According to PR News Wire, 81% of customers are more likely to return to an establishment if there’s a reward in play.
Loyalty programs have moved way ahead of punch cards and 50% discounts. Involving your customers in your marketing programs like word of mouth referrals are in. Also, consider a free drink and extra loyalty points for customers who bring in a new patron (also willing to sign up for your loyalty program).
- Location-based marketing:
The year 2018 will see more and more restaurants to tap into the opportunities enabled by geolocation technology to attract customers. The new functionality, allows restaurants to embed their menus in their search results, providing higher opportunity to target diners nearby.
Restaurants are also using social media as a means to target potential customers. Location tagging on social media makes it possible to serve users ads for a limited amount of time when they are in a specific area. Say, for example you are in Connaught Place, Delhi, posting an update about meeting an old family friend, the location-based app will track your current location and thereby help nearby restaurants send you app notifications (like 20%off on Aloo Parathas at a well known Punjabi dhaba) or if you are hanging out with friends and posting pictures on Instagram, you may be notified of the nearest pizza hut store (and its new range of pizzas).
Quickzy.com, a food delivery apps by Pixel Solutionz are few of the promising food tech startups in India. With a set of winning feature, quickzy will soon hit the market.
Bahrain-based restaurant booking app Eat has recently secured an estimated funding of about $1.2 million from Dubai-based Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP). Eat was founded by Bahraini entrepreneur Nezar Kadhem in 2014 after he moved to his home country from Paris. Till date Eat has seated more than 3.5 million customers generating over $250 million worth of orders for restaurants across Bahrain and the U.A.E.
The overall food market in India is believed to be worth $193 billion and is poised to cross $540 billion in the next three years. From Swiggy’s aggressive acquisition, funding and growth push, it is clear it intends to keep a strong hold on its large market share. In 2017, Swiggy grabbed $100 million in Series F funding from Naspers and Meituan-Diaping, taking the total funding raised to over $255 million for a valuation of $650 million. Swiggy accounts for 25 percent of the total funding raised by food-tech startups between 2015 and 2018.
Watch out for more appetizing apps in the platter!
