Rushabh PatelNo matter how much we evolve, one place where we cannot compromise is food. Irrespective of which generation we belong to, the love for food is eternal. So is the fondness for dining out. The cult of food and restaurants spreads all over our streets and extends to our Instagram feeds. Finding the best place to eat and reserving a table there still poses a challenge. Like always, technology has come to our aid once again. The mobile-driven world we reside in has provided us with an advanced solution for booking restaurant tables. With the help of restaurant booking application development, many mobile app development companies have created multiple restaurant booking apps.
Due to more people opting to dine out, the struggle to reserve a spot at your favorite restaurant increases. All of us have more or less faced the agony of waiting for an eternity outside restaurants, longing for a table. These booking apps make our struggle for getting reservations simpler and effortless. Finding the best place to eat has become smoother via a few simple taps on our smartphones.
How can you benefit from restaurant booking app development?
Restaurant booking app development has also benefited business owners to a large extent. Restaurant owners are resorting to mobile apps to acquire newer customers and retain older ones. With the help of booking apps, they are not only able to boost sales but effectively manage bookings. The restaurant booking app takes care of table reservations, food menus, etc., relieving the management of many burdens. These are reasons enough for owners to move on to mobile platforms and opt for restaurant booking application development.
Restaurants that operate without the aid of mobile apps miss out on a lot. For starters, surveys reveal that they couldn’t avail around 35 percent revenue boost. This is because around 65 percent of modern-day consumers use restaurant booking apps to reserve tables and dine out. These mobile apps are becoming easier to operate owing to efficient application development from developers. Hence, consumers are sticking to their smartphones to make table reservations at their favorite restaurants. Owners yet to adapt to this technological advancement are falling behind largely both in customer retention and revenue boost. It is high time that they resort to restaurant booking apps and increase brand awareness and sales.
App development – Features to have in your restaurant booking app
1. Registration and login
Like any other app, user account creation is the primary thing that any consumer-oriented app requires. This feature would need users to provide personal details such as email address r phone number and create a login credential. Alternatively, they can also use their social media account to login into the app.
2. Search Panel
Make that a smart Search panel that allows users to filter through restaurants as per their taste. Leveraging smart selections based on preference, offers and events is an added advantage for both users and restaurant owners. Incorporating the same on the restaurant booking app will allow users to conveniently find the restaurant they want to dine out in.
3. Reservation module
This module is very instrumental as this allows the users to make table reservations on the app. This module will allow them to seamlessly select the restaurant they want to dine in and book tables as per requirement. This feature must be very user-friendly and informative to allow seamless reservations to the users. It must show the number of vacant reservations and the price of every platter on offer.
4. Payment modules
Payment is another vital aspect that every digitally advanced app must possess. While most prefer paying at the restaurants when going ala carte, there are some who prefer paying upfront. This holds true especially when users book buffets or unlimited menu offers provided by select restaurants. The restaurants would also require users to pay up against their reservation. Hence, a payment module is crucial for facilitating smooth payments from consumers. Include a variety of options such as UPI, credit and debit cards, wallets, and coupon codes.
5. Reviews and feedback
Users rely on feedback and reviews more than anything else to make up their minds about restaurants. If they aren’t sure where to dine out, they search for restaurants having higher ratings. Thus, including a rating and reviews module against every registered restaurant is mandatory for restaurant booking apps. It helps the restaurants as well if they can flaunt a health rating amidst all their competitors. It can lead to further sharing and referencing among the customer base of the app.
Costs of developing a restaurant booking app
A lot of factors determine the cost of making a smartphone app. When it comes to developing a restaurant booking app, these aspects can be measured down to the following. One such aspect is the physical location of the mobile app development company. If you opt to hire one such company, then learn about the models prevalent in various countries. A US-based developer would charge around $200 per hour, whereas that in India will fetch $40 to $80 every hour. The following aspects will influence the costs involving your restaurant booking app development.
1. Choice of Platform
Going by modern app development requirements, cross-platform app development has become somewhat mandatory to gain maximum users. But you can always choose your OS platform as per your budget and requirements. IOS and Android developers have a slightly different charge model, and you’ll have to incur those beforehand.
2. Marketing
Marketing your app is very crucial in securing the consumer base and making it a successful venture. You have to invest considerably before the release of your app and then for a few weeks after its release. Once your app has gained a handsome user base, then you can cut down the marketing expenses.
3. Incorporating features
The basic and advanced features of your restaurant booking app will add to its development expenses. Besides, including each individual module in the app’s user interface will pile up additional charges for your mobile app.
Conclusion
Investing in Restaurant booking application development has picked up steam in the last five years, with more mobile app development companies showing keen interest. Therefore, learning what to include while developing your restaurant booking app goes a long way in securing its success in the long run. Knowing the costs involved beforehand would prepare you for any monetary setbacks along the path.
