How Push Notifications Are the Key to Better Customer Relationships for Your Restaurant

TLDR

Walking to your favorite coffee shop only to find a sign on the door saying they're closed for a private event can leave you feeling really frustrated, right? As a restaurant or coffee shop owner, you know disappointing loyal customers is bad for business. Push notifications allow you to easily keep customers in the loop so your brand stays top of their mind. With just a few taps, you can let customers know about a temporary closure, a change in hours, an upcoming event, or new menu items. Push notifications keep the lines of communication open so customers feel valued and informed. In this article, we'll explore how push notifications strengthen customer relationships and increase engagement for restaurants and coffee shops.

You'll discover easy ways to use push notifications that customers will love, not loathe. Let's get started!

The Power of Push Notifications for Restaurants

Push notifications are one of the most powerful tools restaurants have to build lasting relationships with customers. They allow you to reach customers instantly with updates, offers, and relevant information to keep them engaged with your brand.

Push notifications enable restaurants to engage customers with timely and relevant offers and information. By sending push notifications for flash sales, limited time offers, and upcoming events, you give customers a reason to come back again and again. Studies show sending push notifications can drive up to a 20% increase in revenue when used effectively and increase app retention rates by 3 to 10 times.

Push notifications are a powerful tool for increasing revenue and marketing new menu items. When you release a new dish or want to promote a seasonal special, push notifications are the perfect way to spread the word. Customers who enable updates from your app are giving you permission to message them, so use it to highlight your latest and greatest.

Push notifications allow restaurants to personalize offers and discounts for customer loyalty and engagement. By tracking customers' ordering habits and preferences, you can send personalized push notifications for their favorite items or suggest new products you think they'll enjoy. Make customers feel special by sending birthday or loyalty program messages. Personalized push notifications are a great way to make lasting connections.

How Push Notifications Build Brand Loyalty and Engagement

Push notifications allow you to stay in touch with your customers and keep your brand at the top of their minds. By sending personalized messages, you can strengthen your connection with repeat customers and encourage new visitors to become loyal fans.

• Increase engagement

‍Push notifications drive customers back to your app and website. Studies show push notification subscribers are twice as engaged as non-subscribers. Keep customers engaged by sharing updates, events, promotions, and other relevant information.

• Build brand loyalty

‍Personalized push notifications make customers feel valued, fostering brand loyalty. According to research, push notification subscribers spend 33% more than new customers. Loyal, long-term customers also provide word-of-mouth marketing by recommending your brand to others.

• Improve lifetime value

Highly engaged, loyal customers spend more money over the lifetime of your relationship. Push notifications are key to boosting customer lifetime value through repeat purchases and word-of-mouth referrals. Over time, the incremental value of loyal customers far outweighs the cost of acquiring new ones.

While push notifications are often associated with sales and promotions, they can also be used to strengthen relationships in other ways. Consider sending messages just to say hello, share exclusive content, or invite customers to events. These types of engaging, non-promotional communications build goodwill and position your brand as a helpful resource.

In today’s digital world, push notifications are one of the best ways to stay connected with your audience and build lasting customer relationships. When used thoughtfully, push notifications can transform casual customers into brand advocates and boost your bottom line.

Use Push Alerts for More Than Just Promotions

Restaurants often rely on push notifications primarily to promote sales and special offers. However, they are an extremely versatile communication tool that can strengthen your customer relationships in many ways.

Share Timely Updates

Push alerts are ideal for providing customers with important information about your business. Let customers know if your hours change, whether due to holidays or unforeseen circumstances. Inform them of any closures or events that could impact their plans to visit your establishment. Keeping people in the loop with timely updates fosters transparency and trust.

Build Anticipation

Use push notifications to create excitement about new menu items, seasonal offerings or other enhancements to your restaurant. For example, you could provide a sneak peek at a few of the options that will be featured on your new fall menu. Drop hints about an upcoming flavors or a beer party. Building anticipation will make customers eager to come in to experience what you have in store.

Offer Exclusive Rewards

Push notifications present an opportunity to provide special rewards and discounts just for your loyal customers. For example, you could offer an exclusive 15% off coupon for anyone who enables push alerts. You could also use push notifications to distribute secret codes or passwords that unlock special perks. Sending exclusive offers and rewards through push alerts shows customers you appreciate their business.

Promote Engagement

Use push alerts to inform customers about fun events, activities or contests at your restaurant. For example, let people know about an upcoming trivia night, paint and sip event or other experience at your establishment. You could also promote social media contests, giveaways and other engaging initiatives through push notifications. Keeping customers actively engaged with your brand will make them more likely to think of your restaurant first when making plans to dine out.

In summary, push notifications should be an integral part of your restaurant’s customer relationship strategy.

Best Practices for Restaurant Push Notification Marketing

As a restaurant owner, you want to build lasting customer relationships and push notifications are key. By following some best practices, you can ensure your notifications are effective and appreciated by customers.

Personalize your push notifications by using customers’ names and saying “you” and “your.” For example, “John, your usual order will be ready in 10 minutes!” Customers will appreciate the personal touch.

Ask for permission before sending push notifications. When customers first download your app, ask if they want to opt in to receive push notifications or email updates. This shows you respect their privacy and the notifications won’t seem intrusive. Customers can always opt out at any time.

Provide value in your push notifications. Only send notifications that would genuinely interest or benefit your customers. For example, notify them about:

• Store closings or changes in hours
• Upcoming events like tastings, classes or partnerships
• New menu items or special offers
• Reminders for loyalty program rewards about to expire

Keep your notifications brief and to the point. Push notifications should be short, around 40 characters. Get straight to the key message you want to convey. Customers will appreciate the conciseness.

Test and optimize your push notification strategy. Try sending notifications at different times and with different content and messaging to see what resonates most with your customers. Look at metrics like open and click-through rates to determine the most effective approach. Make changes as needed to ensure high engagement and a great customer experience.

Following these best practices will help you build better customer relationships through push notifications. By personalizing, asking permission, providing value, being concise and optimizing, you'll keep customers happy and engaged with your brand.

FAQs: Leveraging a Restaurant Notifications through Mobile App for Success

Push notifications are an essential feature of any restaurant mobile app. They allow you to connect with your customers and keep them engaged with your brand. Here are some frequently asked questions about using push notifications effectively:

How can push notifications increase customer loyalty?

• Personalized push notifications make customers feel valued. Send birthday greetings, exclusive offers for loyal customers, and updates tailored to their preferences.
• Keep your customers informed about the status of their orders in real-time with the Per Diem app, which allows you to send prompt updates. Notify them when their food is ready for pickup or when their delivery is on the way. This convenient service will keep them coming back.

What types of messages should I send?

• Informational messages about special events, new menu items, or temporary closures.
• Exclusive offers and discounts for app users only.
• Updates on order status so customers don't have to check the app constantly.
• General announcements to stay connected, e.g. "We appreciate your business and support!"

How often should I send push notifications?

• Don't bombard customers with constant messages or they may disable notifications.
• For most restaurants, 2-3 messages per week is ideal. Send promotional offers, events details, or order updates.
• Important service announcements should be sent as needed. Inform customers immediately about unforeseen closures or issues that affect them.

How do I get started with push notifications?

1. Choose a reliable mobile app developer to build your custom restaurant app. Ensure the app has robust push notification capabilities.
2. Create an engaging onboarding experience that encourages new app users to opt-in to receive push notifications. Explain the benefits of staying connected.
3. Segment your customer list based on preferences and send relevant messages to different groups.
4. Monitor the performance of your push notification campaigns and make improvements to maximize customer engagement.

Using an intuitive mobile app like Per Diem with strategic push messaging is key to building lasting customer relationships and boosting loyalty for your restaurant. With some planning and testing, you'll be sending effective notifications in no time.

Final Thoughts

You don't always need a flashy new loyalty program or promotional offer to deepen your connection with customers - just send them updates they'll appreciate through push notifications. Keep them in the loop on new menu items, events, closings and more to show you value them beyond each transaction. Take the first step by integrating this simple but powerful tool into your marketing strategy. When customers feel acknowledged and involved with your brand, they'll keep coming back for what they love the most.

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