During a sales call yesterday I was presented with a very good question; ‘Do people still want to download an App to order anymore?’

The short response is YES they do, but we also need to understand that some customers may not want to, and we need to cater for them as well.

The more detailed response is that an App is just one part of a complete ordering solution. The whole package includes an online ordering system for use on a computer or tablet, an App for people to download and a ‘web app’ that people can access via scanning a QR code or click a link on a wifi login page.

Depending on your business type, it may be that the majority of your customers are ‘transient’ or ‘single visit’, meaning they want the convenience of online or table ordering, but don’t need an app as it’s a one-time or very rare occurrence, so the simple scan, order and pay service is ideal, and other than a confirmation text or email, the footprint on their phone is nothing.

The flip side is a business that has a very loyal and regular customer base, with many customers ordering multiple times per month, or even per week. These customers love to be able to tap the icon for your business on their phone, that remembers all their details and what they like to order, and simply browse the menu, order and pay. These customers also want to know when you have a new offer or an updated specials menu, so tend to opt in to push messages, email and SMS marketing, to help you encourage more orders and greater customer spend.

The key when choosing the right service for your business is working with a provider that understands the profile of your business, and how best you can engage with your customer base, whilst ensuring you have right solution that will work for all of your different customer types.

App4 provides a complete solution for hospitality and food industry across the UK, with a full range of products to fit all business and customer types. To make it as accessible as possible, we wrap it up in a flexible pricing model, that is designed to work for start-ups through to established chains, so all business sizes can maximise their gains.