Here are our top 10 tips on how to make your own branded app be more successful!
Having your own app with myAPPetite is great because on average, our customers save £1,500 a month over having to fork out commission fees on much larger online ordering apps such as Just Eat and UberEats etc.
However, we understand trying to get your own app out there can sometimes be a struggle. This is why we’ve created the list below to further help you get your app in front of more potential customers.
We’ve compiled these tips based on the feedback we’ve received from our most successful customers. One thing is for certain, all our most successful customers have one thing in common: they are all willing to promote the app their end to make it work.
We’re not suggesting you do all of the below, but they are all things to consider, and we’d highly recommend trying to implement at least a few of them…
1. Flyers in bags
When you come onto our Silver or Gold package, we send you 1,000 flyers, designed to your liking, to help promote your app. The flyers feature a QR code making downloading your app super easy for your customers. If you’re using online ordering services like JustEat, UberEats, Deliveroo etc. we highly recommend migrating your customers from using these services to your own-branded app. This is because we don’t charge commission, so every order you take from these services means you are potentially losing out on up to 33% of your revenue. A relatively easy way of doing this is by putting your flyers into your JustEat, UberEats, Deliveroo etc. bags to let them know there’s better offers on your app. While this can take a couple of months to get your customers migrating, it does work!
2. Handing out flyers
Like the above, it’s all about getting your flyers seen by as many potential customers as possible. Handing them out to the local community will do this, but handing them out in strategic locations will also be hugely beneficial in promoting your business and your app. This could be at local sporting events, high rise buildings (flats / halls of residence), on the high street etc.
3. Customer conversations
It’s important to always be having active conversations with your customers about your app and having a handful of flyers on your counter ready to hand out. Why do you want to be promoting your app to your current customers? Well, surveys have proven having your own branded app on your customers’ phones, is hugely influential in regular repeated orders and helping retain your customers.
4. Google MyBusiness
This is a really simple yet effective change to make. It’s so important to change the order links on your Google MyBusiness account to your myAPPetite ordering links. This will mean more people will order from your own online ordering page we’ve provided you with, so you won’t get charged any commission on your orders. If you’re wondering what Google MyBusiness is, it’s the details of your business that pop-up on the right-hand side of the webpage when you type your business into Google. If you don’t remember your details, simply click the forgotten password link and follow the process. If you need links to your ordering page from myAPPetite, simply get in touch and we can provide you with these.
5. Social media
Being active on social media is really important for your business. If you’re not, get in touch with us or click here. If you are, great! This is where you can really successfully help promote your app. Adding in the links to download your app on your posts, makes it extremely easy for your potential customers to get hold of them, as they only need to click two buttons. Sharing your posts into relevant community groups will also help open up your business and app to new customers.
6. Exclusive offers
This is something all the big players (Domino’s, McDonald’s, Burger King etc.) do and your business should be no different. By adding an exclusive offer that can only be obtained via the app will certainly drive new customers to download your app. Setting up offers such as 15% off between certain times and bundle promotions etc., will have been shown in the training session we provide when joining. However, if you’ve forgotten, or need a refresher, we’ve got some videos to show you how to set them up – they’re extremely easy to add and very effective!
7. Sending push notifications
This is another really effective way of helping further promote the app when you’ve built up your customer database on your app. You can see exactly how many customers you have in the back end of your app analytics (RestaJet) and from there, you can send as many push notifications to your customers as you want – at no additional cost. This is a great marketing strategy, as a push notification will immediately display your logo and message on your potential customers’ phone. Sending push notifications is extremely easy and would have been shown in your training. Again however, if you can’t remember or need a refresher, simply let us know and we’ll help show you.
8. SMS marketing
This might seem extreme but, it is an alternative approach and should be considered if you have a marketing budget in place. It does take time and money, but the rewards could be game changing. First, you will need to buy local data from around your area. The cheapest company for this is Data HQ (follow the link for more information: https://datahq.co.uk/). Once you have your data, you will need to send it to a bulk SMS messaging company. The cheapest and most effective is Text Marketer (follow the link for more information: https://www.textmarketer.co.uk/). What you put in a message is up to you, but something like “Download our app here for exclusive offers (include downloadable links)”. This again, will help put your business and your app right in front of new potential customers.
9. Email marketing
Similar to the above, this is an alternative approach and should only be considered if you have a marketing budget in place and have time to implement it. Sending an email to the local community with details of your app and exclusive offers can further increase your exposure and ultimately, your revenue. Once you have data to send to (please see above), you can then send free marketing emails by creating an account with a bulk email software provider. One we recommend is Mailchimp (https://mailchimp.com/en-gb/), which offers a free and easy-to-use service.
10. Paid advertising
Again, one to think about only if you have a marketing budget in place, is social media advertising. If you wanted to get your posts (with your downloadable app links) seen by a wider audience to attract new customers, then ‘boosting’ your posts could have a great impact. It’s cheaper than you think and can be very effective. Boosting a Facebook post for example is extremely user-friendly and you can easily instruct the ‘boost’ on exactly how much money you want to spend.
For more details or help and assistance on any of the above, don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’ll do our best to help support you. Feel free to call us on 01562 270009, or email us via sales@myappetite.co.uk.
