To be competitive, your restaurant needs custom API and UX development. There are many advantages to leveraging third-party APIs and instituting specialized online ordering UX flows to enhance functionality and feature sets for your brand, chain, or franchise.

From driving more revenue to improving ordering accuracy and overall efficiency, there simply isn’t an upper limit to the benefits you can tap into, including happier customers and huge increases in online ordering ROI.

And, in case you’re skeptical, the demand is there. According to Statista, since 2014, roughly 30 percent of diners aged 18 to 54 have ordered food from a restaurant’s website via their phone or tablet. This audience is steadily increasing at a very rapid rate.

But due to growing customer demands, there are some instances in which restaurants require more.

Perhaps you need your online ordering to better integrate with other apps you’re already using. Maybe delivering a better customer experience would help you build your brand and generate higher ROI. There is a lot to consider.

So, here are several key reasons your restaurant needs custom API and UX development.

Your Website & App Are Outdated

We’ll assume that you already have a website and app your customers can use to order food online. So why do you need custom API and UX development?

Is your interface as efficient as it could be? Can users quickly find what they’re looking for and get to checkout without endless menu surfing? Is it possible for prospects to find your locations quickly and easily?

Unfortunately, unless you’ve already had a skilled and experienced team work on your online ordering platforms, your answer would likely be “no”.

And, if you’re still skeptical, get a few of your customers to try your app and see what they think. Watch them as they voice their thoughts and concerns. Encourage them to communicate openly. You’ll be surprised at the results.

The reality is that, again, unless your platforms are as efficient and convenient as they can possibly be, you’re probably missing out on a lot of business. The more scrolling and clicking the user must execute, the greater the drop off likely is.

You’re Not Tapping Into Your Revenue Potential

Now, as you’ve already learned, you’re probably not reaching your potential if your ordering platforms are inefficient. But there’s more to this than meets the eye.

Outdated systems often don’t prompt users to customize their orders and purchase upsells. If your app is tied in with your loyalty program, your revenue numbers could further increase, as the stats show customers tend to spend more when they can collect points.

Leaving less money on the table is already an attractive proposition. But if you could further increase revenue by prompting your users with the right message at the right time, the value of custom API and UX development should become clearer.

Your Ordering Platforms Don’t Offer A Consistent Experience

You may well have full control over customer experience in-store. But what about online?

If you’re depending on third-party apps to handle all your online ordering, then you probably aren’t making the most of the online market.

There’s nothing wrong with using third-party services. But having your own custom, branded experience can be a more powerful way to engage your prospects and customers.

And, again, unless your apps have been customized to your specifications, your platforms probably aren’t creating the quality of experience you’d like them to.

Final Thoughts

With encouraging more walk-ins becoming an uphill climb, one of the best ways to match and even outpace your competition is the wield custom API & UX development to build an improved online ordering experience.

If you can make it more efficient, convenient and attractive for your customers, your revenue from online ordering is sure to grow.

Challenges will undoubtably present themselves, even in best-case scenarios, and that’s why you should seek out a technology partner to help your brand, chain, or franchise remain competitive.

Today’s consumers have higher standards, and expect to interface with the latest digital solutions. In order to maintain superior guest engagement, it is imperative to continually upgrade your digital customer experience using custom API & UX development services.