Mobile technology is exploding, and with smartphones trending, a lot of restaurateurs are asking themselves whether they should build an application for an iPhone or Android phone. The answer is no. Building a mobile website is easier, more efficient and much less expensive.
Building a mobile website
You already have a website, so it’s easier to optimize it for mobile devices than to find someone to build two different applications, one for iPhones and one for Android phones. Hiring someone to optimize your website for mobile devices is easy; they can pull all the important information that’s already on your website, tweak it and your website will function beautifully on a mobile device.
Building applications takes a lot more time. You have to write the program, install the menu, add an online ordering option and create other features. And don’t forget that you must have two separate apps.
Better efficiency
Creating mobile applications is incredibly inefficient because only 40% of your audience has an Android phone or an iPhone. Nielsen reported in March that about 50% of mobile devices in the United States are smartphones. Of those smartphone users, 48% use Android phones, 32% use iPhones and 20% are using other operating systems.
You’re completely neglecting the other 60% of your audience who don’t have an iPhone or Android phone. Optimize your mobile website, and everyone who has a smartphone, or a basic phone with limited browsing capabilities, can visit your website easily and conveniently.
Less expensive
Lastly, but most importantly, applications are expensive to build. The minimum cost for a quality application set-up is about $3,000 per application. This means that the cost to build an application for both iPhones and Android phones is about $6,000. However, you can find people on websites such as oDesk to create an application for about $1,500 each. Maintaining those applications will cost about $140 a month.
Optimizing your existing website for mobile devices is much cheaper. Punch Mobile Marketing builds mobile-friendly websites for $150 for a one-time set up, and maintenance is $50 a month.
Things to keep in mind
The first thing to remember is that if you own a restaurant with only one or a few locations, your customers probably aren’t going to download your app. Even if you offer your app for free, it takes up valuable space on your customers’ phones and it’s unlikely they’ll download it, if it can even be found. Some people may download your application just to look at your menu, if that’s the only place they could find it, and then delete the app after they were done.
Applications don’t offer search-engine optimization. If your app were to get searched in the app store or marketplace, it would most likely be buried in the results. Mobile websites, however, can utilize SEO and be listed in the top results for a local search on Google or Bing.
Sara Petersen is the content and marketing manager at Punch Mobile Marketing. Punch’s mission is to produce the best mobile-marketing content and solutions for foodservice providers to succeed at the mobile level. Read the company’s blog, follow it on Twitter and “like” its Facebook page.
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Great advice! Native apps are really only required for things like games, where you need fine control over the device and the screen. When you think about, the apps on my iPhone are really information silos. They don't really integrate with one another at all (with a few small exceptions). If your app is mobile web, it can do pretty much anything because it's a live HTML website.
For restaurants, specifically, technology choices are going to get better and better, and prices will continue to drop. Witness the new service at http://www.gospacecraft.com (I am not an employee there) for restaurants. Turnkey, inexpensive, website and mobile web, SEO too. Ordering probably coming soon.
I think it's just the beginning of a coming technology revolution for retailers in general.
A lot of companies are looking to SubtleData (subtledata.com) for the ability to create mobile websites with card-present transactions using iPads with credit card readers. It ends up saving a lot of money and time which means a quicker path to sales.
I agree with the fact that applications are usually games or tools. However, I do use my Chipotle app fairly often–and the only exception where mobile applications are useful is for large, national chain restaurants.
And technology is only going to continue to make it easier and cheaper for restaurants to process orders and credit card transactions. It's definitely interesting to watch what's happening. Keeping up with it is another challenge in itself.
I just read this article and find it to be greatly inaccurate, in it you mentioned the following…
"Lastly, but most importantly, applications are expensive to build. The minimum cost for a quality application set-up is about $3,000 per application. This means that the cost to build an application for both iPhones and Android phones is about $6,000. However, you can find people on websites such as oDesk to create an application for about $1,500 each."
This is incorrect, we develop custom apps and we charge $750, this includes a version for IPhone, IPad and Android that is $750 total for all three versions.
"Maintaining those applications will cost about $140 a month."
Again this is greatly inflated, it only costs $39.95 total to maintain all three versions, this also includes Unlimited Push Notifications!
We recommend that all our Restaurant Clients have a Mobile Website and a Mobile App, they both have the ability to fill your restaurant during slow times and keep your existing customers coming back more often thus increasing your profits! We have clients ranging from major chains to one locale restaurants and it has helped them increase their profits immensely
Rick Mosca
CEO – Go Mobile Business Solutions.
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Rick,
Even though your services are greatly discounted, for the reasons also stated in my article, applications are a waste of time. You create apps for iPhones, iPads and Android OS, however, only 40 percent of people in the US having devices that can get those apps you create. If you optimize your mobile website, you can reach 100 percent of your audience who has a mobile device.
Not to mention that many people don't keep mobile apps for small restaurants, if they even download it. And eliminating slow times can easily be achieved with text message marketing that again, reaches 100 percent of the audience. Don't limit yourself by just trying to reach out to those with and iPhone or Android.
I agree with Sara. Unless you're a chain or you are EXTREMELY engaged with your customers on mobile already via Foursquare or some other platform, don't waste your time on a mobile app. Leave that for the big chains. We (www.tvidesigns.com) have done a lot of work for the restaurant industry and don't recommend apps over mobile sites. Most restaurants don't even have their mobile sites properly set up let alone an app. There are a ton of cheap mobile restaurant apps being created today but like the old Citysearch website templates, they are generic, boring and look like they're designed by students. How they expect users to stay engaged with these apps I don't know.
I work with Halo POS and our mobile app has been very successful for many of our quick service clients. They do not seem to work well with customers in full service who do not have many take-out customers. Our app is fully integrated with our POS system for all your reporting and processing of orders.
You mentioned neglecting the other 60% without smartphones – the app isn't meant to neglect them, but to cater to the growing number of people who use their phones for everything! Ordering their morning coffee on their way to the cafe, or placing a lunch order to avoid the lines are benefits of harnessing new technology. Mobile ordering is one of the growing trends in the restaurant industry. http://hospitalitytechnology.edgl.com/top-stories…
Moving forward, the power of having information and purchasing habits of your customers is extremely beneficial and something the food service industry has never seen. If I love Subway, and Subway knows I always order a BLT, and send me a notification to purchase from my phone a 2 for 1 BLT coupon… I'm going to buy it.
Our app is priced around $1,000 with a low monthly fee. If you want to see more click http://www.vivonet.com/halo-pos/halo-mobile/ or send me an email, I can answer some questions. kbryan@vivonet.com
I am searching to produce an iphone application for my enterprise. We have researched through out but I continually feel as I don’t know what way to go.
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