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Food. It is shared, photographed, raved and ranted about, and searched endlessly online. But the internet is shifting into our hands more and more every day. In North America over 89% of mobile internet usage is through apps, and 90% of a mobile user’s time in general is spent in apps! This is staggering, and a key insight as companies develop mobile marketing strategies.

So how can mobile apps benefit the restaurant industry? An obvious answer is by creating tablet applications for customers. Tablet menu applications are highly adaptable and easy to alter for fresh menu items and features, look super slick to the customer, and provide a portable interface for servers to place orders and requests. Forget clunky POS ordering, tablet apps are capable of providing an all encompassing system for your customers and staff that sends a signal to the integrated device.

Outside of the restaurant, customers are always looking for information. Think about how many times you have viewed a menu online, and it was a picture someone had took and uploaded to a third party site. With an app you can be in control of the menu your customers see – and it can be dynamic. No need to update your website every time you have a new dinner feature. Updating your app can be easy and interesting, giving customers a reason to see what your specials are for the evening.

Hours of operation, directions, reservations… there are many other reasons customers search for restaurant information. Having a dedicated space on their smartphone gives your business a leg up, because there is no searching involved. It is all at their fingertips. And with the recent expansion of Apple Pay in Canada, payment integration means customers don’t even need to bring their wallet to dinner.

Many companies utilize mobile apps for customer loyalty. Gone are the days of punch-cards for every coffee you buy. Now giving customer rewards is as easy as a bar-code scan. This makes the process easier for staff and managers as well, eliminating lengthy discount codes.

Mobile apps save time for back-end operations, eliminating duplication of tasks by having everything on one interface. Instead of having to update menus, internal systems, and your website, it can all be done with one adjustment. This saves time, confusion, and countless errors. What it all boils down to, is it saves you money.

Mobile websites are yesterday’s news. The wave of the future is mobile apps, and the restaurant industry can benefit from staying ahead of the curve and developing a mobile app now. There are many options available with a variety of prices and intricacies. If you have a restaurant and want to discuss your options, please contact Terraform today for a free consultation.