How to Increase Restaurant App Checkouts on Slow Sundays

TLDR

Sometimes Sundays can be the slowest day of the week. Foot traffic is lower, and many customers choose to cook at home. This results in fewer app orders coming through. Don’t despair. With a few proven techniques, you can increase restaurant app checkouts even on the sleepiest of Sundays. Offer time-limited flash sales exclusive to app users. Send push notifications reminding customers of your delivery options. Running targeted social media ads can also help drive app downloads and orders. Stay tuned for more ways to boost revenue on slow Sundays with strategic in-app promotions and smart cross-promotion.

‍

How to Drive More Restaurant App Orders on Slow Sundays

Upsell through incentives and exclusive offers

Restaurants should create targeted campaigns and offers exclusively for Sundays to entice customers. For example, you can offer a free dessert or drink with orders over a certain amount, bundle popular menu items at a discount, or create a special “Sunday Funday” menu with crowd-pleasing options at lower price points. Exclusive offers give customers a compelling reason to order from your app on Sundays.

Optimize pricing and menu visibility

Review your menu and pricing to ensure the best items and deals are prominently featured on your app, especially for Sundays. You may want to temporarily reduce prices on select drinks, shareables, and other items popular for casual weekend meals. Also, make sure images of your most photogenic and share-worthy menu items are displayed on top of the homepage to catch customers’ attention. Optimizing your menu’s visibility and pricing is an easy way to boost Sunday sales.

Leverage search engine optimization

Use SEO best practices to improve your restaurant’s ranking in local search results and increase traffic to your app. Focus on keywords and phrases like “[city name] food delivery”, “[cuisine type] takeout”, and “Sunday brunch”. You should also claim and optimize your business profiles on sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google My Business. Higher visibility in local search results translates to more customers discovering and using your app.

Engage customers on social media

Promote your Sunday specials and exclusive offers on social media platforms where your customers are active. Post photos of menu items, behind-the-scenes shots of your staff, or images of happy customers enjoying your food. Engaging social content, especially on Sundays, keeps your restaurant top of mind for customers and gives them an incentive to order delivery or takeout. With the right social strategy, you'll have customers lining up to place orders through your app.

‍

6 Proven Ways to Increase Mobile App Checkouts for Restaurants

1. Send Targeted Push Notifications

Push notifications are one of the most effective ways to engage app users and prompt them to make a purchase. Send notifications about flash sales, limited-time offers or a special Sunday brunch menu to drive checkouts. Time the messages around your slow periods and include eye-catching images. According to research, push notifications can increase app engagement by up to 88%.

2. Offer In-App Deals and Discounts

In-app deals and discounts are an easy way to motivate customers to checkout on Sundays. Create coupons for popular menu items like 20% off brunch cocktails or buy-one-get-one entrees. According to the National Restaurant Association, 90% of operators say customers crave value. In-app deals are an ideal way to provide value to loyal customers.

3. Start a Loyalty Program

A loyalty program through Per Diem app is an efficient way to boost checkouts compared to traditional punch cards. Customers earn points for purchases that can be redeemed for rewards like free menu items. The program keeps customers engaged with your app and coming back, especially on slower days. Digital loyalty programs are also more convenient for customers than physical cards.

4. Advertise on Social Media

Promote your app and any special Sunday offers on social media platforms where your customers are active like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Create eye-catching ads highlighting your deals and loyalty program. Schedule ads to run on Saturday evenings and Sundays when customers are planning their meals. Social media advertising is an affordable way to increase brand awareness and prompt more checkouts.

5. Offer Pre-Ordering

Allow customers to place orders through your app for pickup or delivery. Pre-ordering is convenient for customers and helps ensure more checkouts on Sundays. Advertise pre-order options on social media and through push notifications. Offer special deals only available when pre-ordering to motivate customers. Pre-ordering also helps streamline staff productivity by allowing them to prepare orders in advance, reducing wait times and kitchen backlog.

6. Improve Your App's Search Ranking

An app with a high search ranking in the app stores is more discoverable to new potential customers. Use relevant keywords like “restaurant deals” or “brunch menus” and optimize your app description. Engage with reviewers by responding to their comments. A higher ranking means more downloads and more checkouts, especially on slower days. Continually improving your app's ranking and reviews is key to long term success.

‍

Creative in-App Promos to Boost Weekend Sales for Coffee Shops

To increase app checkouts on Sundays, coffee shops should run exclusive promotions targeting app users. Here are some suggestions:

Limited Time Discounts

Offering limited time discounts, such as 25% off all orders placed through the app from 10 am to 2 pm, incentivizes customers to use the app to place their order. These time-bound deals create a sense of urgency and exclusivity that will motivate app usage and in turn boost sales. For example, a popular Australian coffee chain offered $1 coffees for the first 100 app orders one Sunday and saw a 15% increase in app checkouts that day. Lucky Coffee Roasters also ran such a campaign and witnessed a 200+ increase in app downloads

App-Only Specials

Create special menu items or meal deals only available to those who order through the app. For instance, a buy-one-get-one free deal on brunch sandwiches or a special “App-Only Latte” made with premium ingredients. These app-exclusive offers give customers a compelling reason to engage with your app. In addition, offer first purchase perks for new app users to motivate first downloads and first purchases. Consider offering a free drink or pastry with the first purchase through the app. This can help get more customers familiar with using your app and build the habit of ordering through it.

Prize Draws and Giveaways

Running prize draws, competitions and giveaways through the app is an easy way to increase engagement and drive more checkouts. For example, offer app users the chance to win a year's supply of free coffee or a gift card by placing an order on the app that Sunday. The potential to win an exciting prize will motivate many customers to use the app to order. Studies show that prize-based promos can lift sales by up to 40% due to customers making repeat purchases to increase their chances of winning.

Using a combination of time-bound discounts, app-only specials and prize-based promotions is an effective multi-pronged strategy to drive higher app engagement and checkout rates on Sundays for coffee shops and restaurants. The key is to make the app the most attractive and rewarding way for customers to order and pay to change behavior in your favor. With regular use of creative in-app promos, you'll soon be enjoying the benefits of increased sales and fewer slow Sundays.

‍

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, the key to driving more app engagement on slower days is being proactive. Don't wait for customers to take action - incentivize it. Craft promotions that feel exclusive and personalized, like special Sunday savings or loyalty rewards. Experiment with different offers until you find what resonates with your customers. The more you show them you value their business on Sundays, the more likely they'll be to show you the same in return through increased app engagement. With some strategic testing and creativity, you can transform your sleepy Sundays into sales-driving opportunities.

Sign up with Per Diem to receive valuable tips and techniques for your restaurant's success right in your inbox.

‍

‍