Category: Articles

Business, Food Industry, Marketing

E-Store: Is It The Right Medium for My Business? 

Aug 22, 2022 by Catherine Alcalde

In the last five years, there has been explosive growth in numerous industries, and online shopping is only one example. In 2022, the global e-commerce sector is expected to reach a staggering $5.55 trillion, in fact, it is anticipated to increase even higher in the coming years. There’s no denying that the growth of e-commerce has changed the way people shop, and it challenges entrepreneurs to meet the demand of the consumers.

In the world of e-commerce, numerous technologies allow for fast responses and round-the-clock service, both of which greatly benefit the satisfaction of customers. With a fast-paced society and a very competitive industry, beginning an online store may be the best option. Given that an online store can operate without the overhead costs and limited space of a physical shop, it’s simple to see why so many business owners are drawn to this innovation. Read on to know more about well-known shops that have shifted to becoming E-stores and how it helped them thrive and stay in the market!

This is My Food Type Industry: Is E-store still for me? 

We can all see how both fast food joints and even fancy restaurants are  embracing technology to improve their customers’ dining experiences. Many businesses are making the transition to either switch or add online retail as a sales channel because it allows them to reach a larger customer base with fewer resources than are necessary for brick-and-mortar locations, but is it applicable to any type of industry? 

Below are some of the well-known businesses in the Food and Beverage Industry with different types of product offerings that utilize E-stores:

Vikings

Vikings is one of the best buffet experiences in the country, featuring a variety of flavours that can’t be found elsewhere. However, is there a need to shift to an E-store with this kind of industry? Vikings seemed to think it would be beneficial. Currently,  they have utilised different E-commerce approaches like loyalty programs, promos & discounts, and creating a website that allows customers to read blogs and reviews and be notified of current exciting deals! Their decision to add an E-store as another sales channel has made the buffet resto unlock new opportunities making Vikings more flexible with the different demands of customers- be it in physical stores or online! 

Macao Imperial Tea   

Macao Imperial Tea is best known for its Espresso line that offers ice-blended drinks and many other varieties of beverage that caters especially to sweet-tooth consumers. However, the milk tea industry has been emerging with more competitors making the market a tough sector to survive at. Competition in the milk tea market has heated up significantly over the years providing customers with a wider selection. Businesses risk losing customers if they don’t modify their strategies to accommodate the changing demands. Fortunately, Macao Imperial Tea has proactively decided to jump into the transition in establishing an E-store and has now adopted cashback points that entice customers to keep coming back! Currently, Macao is still one of the leading players in the market.

Jipan Cafe & Bakeshop  

On-the-spot bakery goods, including pastries, bread, and cakes, have made Jipan Cafe famous. Besides pastries, they also offer a variety of traditional Japanese dishes. But as we all know, baked goods and sushis are perishable inventory so if they aren’t sold today, they will most likely end up in the bin. By establishing an online presence, Jipan Cafe & Bakeshop has created another sales channel that would lessen the risk of having inventory go to waste.  Being an E-store has also helped the bakeshop garner more customers through their loyalty programs and by adding pick-up or delivery services that can be accessed online. 

Food and Ecommerce Industry with ZAP E-store

For well over two years, nearly all of us have relied on online shopping and delivery services to satisfy what we want. To meet this demand, many companies are outsourcing development teams to create custom apps for marketing efforts.

But with ZAP Group,  building an online presence couldn’t be easier! ZAP connects consumers to different food and beverage businesses through e-store services that power online order fulfilment and build a relationship with customers that makes them want to come back. 

Businesses don’t need to shell out thousands of dollars for expensive website developers. Simply contact the ZAP team, and they’ll provide you with just about everything you need for a fully functional and effective online store!

Articles, Food Delivery, Food Industry

Food and Beverage Industry: The New Look

Aug 12, 2022 by Max Limson

photo from Pavel Danilyuk

The movement of the Food and Beverage Industry to the future is loud, fast, and near. Everyone loves good food. Who doesn’t? We bond over it, enjoy great times, celebrate, and make memories with the best people around us. It has become part of our warm and creative culture that we’ve grown to take care of. The Food and Beverage Industries that we have witnessed being back during the pandemic are now starting to make a movement- a comeback that will change the way we appreciate our age of digital progress, our time to move and thrive, and of-course food!  

We have shifted drastically to more efficient, safe,and fast food-shopping. No more missing out on our favorite cravings! Our favorite food restaurants and drink shops have heard us. They’re finally serving again- and this time, even better! And we believe that there’s more to come. Are you part of the new movement? 

Food and Beverage Industry: Back on Their Feet

People are always in for exciting and thrilling experiences when it comes to food and drinks! But,  due to restrictions and the pandemic, it’s good to be cautious. While eating out is a great experience- when we think of our family’s safety it could be a factor to have options to deliver. You might ask “But, wait… is our favorite restaurant servicing deliveries? “Could we order online?”  The answer is yes! More and more restaurants are now shifting to a more accessible way of making their food, drinks,  and services available to you. Not just that, they’re improving on giving loyalty rewards, coupons, and exciting deals for their customers to enjoy their overall e-shopping experiences. They’re making their foundations stronger and making better enterprise and marketing plans smarter and efficient. 

Faster and Easier 

The idea is for food to be delivered fast and accessible to customers. Food and Beverage industries like Vito’s BBQ, Mcdo, KFC, Yogost, and Heavenly know better that investing on what would make their restaurants deliver better is the key to get back on the game. The new look is speed, quality, and engagement to the customers. But how? 

Technology plays a big role as we now live in a digital era. Instead of it being a problem for restaurants to be left behind, they’re bringing about wits and determination to step up and meet their customers by utilizing available data, services, and online platforms like social media to step up their marketing efforts and aim to be successful. We’re not just talking about targeting millennials- we’re talking about the entirety and the continuous shift to deliver better and adapt to the current situation of pandemic and lockdowns. 

Take-away
The Food and Beverage Industry is now moving into a new phase, and trusted companies like ZAP that’s offering e-store platform and Loyalty Programs are one of the key-roles that have helped more than 2,000 F&B merchants of any size go online. Whether you are a business that’s small but aiming to grow big and wide- ZAP team is here to help. We are made for the food and restaurant industry. We will equip you to accept, fulfill, and deliver orders to customers with ease with your very own branded eCommerce website. With the ZAP Group Team, merchants are able to offer same-day delivery with Grab, Lalamove, or Borzo integration. Give customers an easy-to-use online ordering platform for instant or scheduled pick up or delivery. Interested? Contact us!

Food Delivery, Food Industry

Filipino Food Picks For You!

Jul 26, 2022 by Catherine Alcalde

Filipino food is so diverse and filled with so much flavor, it will satisfy any of your cravings. May it be spicy, sweet or sour, there’s definitely a perfect Filipino delicacy for you. But if you’re not sure where to start your Pinoy food trip or If you’re looking for that specific taste of Filipino food, this list of ZAP merchants can certainly quench that hunger.

  • Iceberg’s

Got that sweet tooth? Iceberg’s got you. Famous for their delicious ice cream concoctions and hearty meals, Iceberg’s has been serving since 1986. One of their staple items on their menu is the Filipino dessert, Halo-Halo. Iceberg has been offering this delicious local dessert for 3 decades along with a list of traditional Filipino food. But if Halo-Halo isn’t for you, you can also check out Iceberg’s Specialty portion on their menu which is a list of other sweet and cold desserts they offer. Order Here!

  • Indulge by Daisy Marie

With the rainy season coming, what better way to warm you than a hot sweet serving of Champorado. Indulge by Daisy Marie offers different flavors of champorado like Ube and Strawberry Pannacotta Champorado, perfect if you’re feeling daring or just looking for a new taste on your Champorado.  Order Here!

  • Vito’s BBQ

Vito’s BBQ is the Pambansang BBQ! It has been a food staple in all occasions that started as a small family business that caters to the traditional food meals that we enjoy. Now they share our Vito BBQ with other Filipino families to enjoy and also be a part of both their big and small celebrations. Their mouthwatering menu can surely satisfy your palate. Order Here!

  • Empanada Nation

No need to visit the province of Ilocos to get a taste of their special empanada. Just head over to Empanada Nation’s online store and order their authentic Ilocano Empanada. Their empanadas are made upon ordering and are served fresh and hot straight from the pot. Take a tour on their menu and discover a variety of traditional and tasty Filipino food, perfect for an all day meal. Order Here!

  • Betty’s Best

We Filipinos love gatherings, since these occasions usually involve food. Betty’s Best has a variety of delicious party platters of our favorite traditional Filipino dishes your family and friends will surely enjoy. Their menu also offers other appetizing dishes such as the Filipino party favorite, shanghai. Betty’s Best is also home to the Best Sisig Sotanghon. Sotanghon noodles topped with their signature sisig, this unique dish will make your celebration more memorable.

Filipino food is definitely a must try as it has one of the richest food cultures in Southeast Asia. And these restaurants successfully showcase that. Not only are they full of flavors, but also carry a piece of the country’s culture and heritage. Most of their dishes even have influences from Eastern and Western countries such as Spain and China. If you like food from these places, you’re gonna love the Filipino style. So what are you waiting for? Just head over to their websites and check their online store and enjoy your Filipino food trip. Tara, kain! Order Here!

Articles, Food Industry, How to's

How to Prepare Your E-Store for Fathers Day

Jun 6, 2022 by Max Limson

Photo by Marcus Herzberg

This year, we have seen our country open up, and life now is somehow similar to how it was pre-pandemic. Employees have returned to the office, we can physically meet up with friends, and social gatherings are now even allowed at restaurants and bars! Yes, it’s the return to normalcy many of us have been craving for. Some things, however, are forever changed – practices we’ve adopted over lockdowns that we can never truly un-learn – and most of it is related to embracing digital. 

So while we’re sure that we’ll be seeing a ton of dine-in promos and restaurants booked through the roof this upcoming Father’s Day, there’s bound to be a huge chunk of customers integrating their newfound digital transformation into their celebrations. Many will undoubtedly be pre-ordering dishes online regardless if they’ll be dining in or having food delivered. Some will be more lowkey and skip physical meet-ups altogether, sending gifts and food via apps. And, speaking of apps, there will also be those on the lookout for promo codes, prioritizing restos with the best discount deals.

The question now is: is your F&B business ready for a Father’s Day under this new hybrid reality?

Winning under the new hybrid reality

In a previous article, we highlighted how the rule of thumb for F&B businesses to win under our new circumstances is to create fulfilling experiences online and on-ground. Ideally, these experiences connect, forming an ecosystem. How do you bring loyal online customers to your store and vice-versa?

Given these learnings, such considerations should be applied when you’re gearing up for a celebration where there will be an influx of orders and reservations. Don’t sleep on an opportunity with lazy promos unable to capitalize on a special occasion or via operations ill-optimized to your’s and customers’ situations. Below are tips on how your E-store can prepare for Father’s Day 2022.

Think outside of the box in creating promos

We made it a point to emphasize how “lazy” promos are equivalent to sleeping on opportunities. So what do we mean by creative promos that take advantage of the situation? 

The key to creating a good promo is considering our change in online behavior and how it affects our consumption, whether in-store or at home.

So we’re not saying to stave off the standard discount offered during special occasions; instead, think of how you can build on this practice in a way that both customers will appreciate and differentiate your business.

For example, a service like Zap E-store allows you to easily see which customers keep coming back to you. So, using this service, why not create a unique in-store Father’s Day discount for customers that had deliveries this month of June?  Inversely, maybe a patron who dined in your store could avail of a “Father’s Month” promo code or other discounts exclusively for delivery. This way, the treats don’t just end after one visit. Plus, you also encourage them to explore your service across channels. (Extra points if they discover how good your customer service is in all of them).

Explore the beauty of bundles

Over the pandemic, many F&B businesses prepared take-home kits and frozen trays for their best-selling dishes, so patrons could experience these products from the comforts of their homes. Now, just because your business allows dine-in, it doesn’t mean these dishes have to be offered in-store. Many families will still celebrate from their homes this year regardless of their reasons. What’s important is that you are ready to accommodate them if they come your way.

Come up with Father’s Day take-home kits and frozen trays and offer discounts – attractive enough to encourage patrons to consider celebrating at home, just to avail of your promo. Or, why not mix it up and come up with unique bundles that have dine-in and take-out components? The beauty of bundles is that you can be creative in their curation.

Furthermore, a digital platform like Zap E-store can help you with inventory management, lessening the burden of manually organizing online and in-store offerings. Use these digital tools to streamline processes. The less time spent on procedures, the more time for creativity and innovation!

Preorders are now part of the norm

Lastly, the pandemic taught us that consumers are now not just willing but are actually proactive in using the internet and digital tools to ease processes and cut waiting times.

So for Father’s Day, why not be prepared for those that are bound to visit your website looking to get a leg-up on the pack of dine-in customers and deliveries they know are coming on Father’s Day? Don’t just allow pre-orders; create “early bird” rates and bonuses for those that will digitally pre-order or pre-deliver their dishes. Reward them for their foresight!

Through this, it’s not the customers that will only benefit. You, as an entrepreneur, will also get an idea of how many people you’ll be serving and what dishes will be in demand on the day of the occasion. This, in turn, will help you plan ahead.

A service like Zap E-Store will get you ready for such occasions as it streamlines workflows and removes manual processes like inventory management and delivery coordination. This will allow you more time for other value-adding activities, like interacting with these customers that pre-ordered. Knowing that you’re taking extra time to make their special occasion even more special will build loyalty to your business.

Creative promos, special bundles, and customizable pre-orders are just some ideas that take advantage of our new hybrid reality. Having an E-store powered by Zap allows you to be creative with your F&B business. Your store, your customers, YOUR control. Now, are you ready for Father’s Day?

Business, Finance, How to's

‘More than just discounts’: with Zap Affiliate Circle, we help you earn

May 30, 2022 by Max Limson

Ever wondered how your favorite celebrities, personalities, and influencers get to give discounts on their favorite brands via special links and promo codes? Well, if you have, those promotions are part of an advertising strategy called affiliate marketing. 

Affiliate marketing is when brands allow themselves to be marketed by other entities (called “affiliates”) so that their products get recommended to the affiliates’ audience. These are frequently in exchange for a commission from successful purchases. These recommendations can often be seen on blogs, websites, or social media platforms. Think of it as the spirit of word-of-mouth advertising but transferred onto the digital space.

Earlier, we did say that this practice is most common with celebrities, influencers, and generally people with me substantial clout, but what if we told you that you can now do the same to your organic network? That is just one of the beauties of Zap’s Affiliate Circle.

The Zap Affiliate Circle 

You can think of Zap’s affiliate marketing program, called the Zap Affiliate Circle, as a merging of their past and present. Zap started as a company focused on being a loyalty and rewards programs provider to F&B businesses before growing its scope to include its E-Store service to help restaurants manage orders and deliveries online amidst the pandemic.

Now, with the Zap Affiliate Circle, we see the restaurant discounts we’ve grown to love from Zap front and center once again. However, Zap takes the concept further and mixes it with the idea of commissions via affiliate marketing.

When you sign up to the Zap Affiliate Circle, you get to register to as many restaurant affiliate programs that you want to be part of, and you get 5% from each successful purchase using your assigned link and promo code. And when we say “as many,” we mean there is no limit to the number of programs you can sign up for!

How does it work?

There are 4 simple steps to joining the Zap Affiliate Circle:

  1. Go to this website and register as an affiliate with any of the programs available – Go over the list of Zap’s affiliate merchants; we’re sure you’ll find some of your favorites! There is Macao Imperial Milk Tea, NYFD, and Sugarhouse, to name a few. Pick the brands you love and want to support, and press the register button below their name.
  2. Fill up the registration form per affiliate program – There’s no limit to how many affiliate programs you want to be part of! If you wish to register with all merchants, be our guest. Just don’t forget to put your name, social media accounts, and bank details.
  3. Be the influencer you want to be. Promote your discount promos! – Onto the exciting part! Once you’ve successfully registered, you will receive custom links via email. This takes about a week, at the latest. Share these links on your personal platforms – whether it’s your blog, a Youtube video, or your social media accounts. Encourage people to click the link and use the discount promo codes.
  4. Watch the money come in – Sit back, relax, and witness the magic of commissions. You will earn a 5% commission every time a customer purchases from a Zap E-Store merchant partner through your link. You can literally make money as you sleep!

Need more convincing?

We know affiliate marketing is relatively new in the Philippines, and some of you might feel alienated diving into this technology. However, just like how Zap guided numerous F&B businesses through the pandemic with our E-Store, we also want to ease your adoption of this innovation. We have designed our platform to be easy for you to choose your brands and generate affiliate links – that you can use instantly!

Beyond that, as a Filipino company, Zap has made it its advocacy to support local businesses. And now, we want to give our users the same opportunity. You can choose from various local businesses and become an affiliate of the brand you want to support.

And lastly, if you’re in the business of community management and engagement, what better way to grow your following and make your community feel special than with special promos exclusive to them?

So what are you waiting for? Be part of the Zap Affiliate Circle today! Learn more by clicking here.

Articles, Food Delivery
Business, Food Industry

Is your restaurant ready for our new hybrid reality?

Apr 25, 2022 by Max Limson

Photo by Bluerhinomedia

As our world begins to open up again and we start to realize that the leisures we indulged in before, like dining out, are finally here to stay (hopefully!), restaurateurs and food entrepreneurs are faced with a new question. How will they integrate the new way of life they built during the pandemic with the fulfilling dine-in experience they will be returning to?

Two years in, we all know how the pandemic taught F&B businesses the importance of going online. It was an “evolve or perish” scenario where all had to embrace digital in one form or another. Whether that be merely accepting online payments to setting up their own websites and e-commerce platforms. However, full hybridization – where equal priority is given to creating a fulfilling experience both online and on-ground for your restaurant – presents a new set of challenges.

For example, how do you bring the loyal online customers you’ve cultivated over the pandemic to your store and vice-versa? Is there a way to apply the customer programs you’ve built over the pandemic to in-store dining? And most importantly, how do you still keep your online store appealing?

Innovate and differentiate

Photo by Sam Lion

Just as COVID-19 forced many restaurateurs and food entrepreneurs to pivot, so should this “return to normal.” Think of it as the final stage of your business’ transformation – from in-store to online to a total merging of the two. 

What were the best experiences customers garnered dining in-store that you couldn’t replicate online? What were the best practices that made your business thrive amidst the pandemic? Can these things go together?

Designing restaurant operations in this new hybrid reality doesn’t necessarily mean a uniform experience covering online and in-store. Hybridization also entails customizability and applying channel-specific best practices; it is about complementing rather than being identical.

For example, over the pandemic, a business created take-home kits and frozen trays for their best-selling dishes so that patrons could experience these products from the comforts of their homes. Just because the in-store dining is as lively as it once was, it doesn’t necessarily mean that these new pandemic-born products have to be offered in-store too.

Plan for variety. Create products offerings that are exclusively online. Create special discounts for products purchased in-store. Think of ideas that encourage people to explore your channels.

A digital platform like Zap E-store can help you with inventory management, lessening the burden of manually organizing online and in-store offerings. As the pandemic taught us, use digital tools to streamline processes. The less time spent on procedures, the more time for creativity and innovation.

Incentivize, online and in-store

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

A service like Zap E-Store allows you to directly see which customers keep coming back to your F&B business without the stress of exorbitant commission fees. Use this to your advantage in growing closer to your audience.

Ideally, your online and in-store presence complement each other, and this forms a nice loop in the customer journey. Using a rewards program gives you the power to not just solely incentivize online and in-store purchases; it allows you to encourage both.

For example, online deliveries and purchases can lead to discounts or freebies that can be availed on the customer’s next dine-in. Likewise, dine-in patronage can also lead to delivery discounts, promos, and other deals.

Having an E-store powered by Zap allows you to own your food business. Your store, your customers, YOUR control.

Customer service translates

Photo by Mentatdgt

Lastly, all these efforts to assure that customer experience is a priority amount to something greater: they tell your audience that you care for them and that you are willing to go through multiple pivots to put their needs front and center.

Excellent service translates to customer loyalty. By streamlining your online workflow and removing manual processes like inventory management and delivery coordination, you get to have more time to get to know your customers. Interacting with them, thinking of promos and products for their benefit, rewarding them for continued patronage. 

This online interaction has the same heft as that built through conventional in-store means pre-pandemic. Your customers knowing that you put the effort for them encourages them to believe that you would do the same for their in-store dining experience. There is already trust on which to build a long-standing relationship.

Be creative and innovate, play around with what you can offer online and in-store, incentivize loyalty, and, most importantly, whatever the channel, keep customer service as the top priority. These are the values that will keep your restaurant ready for our new hybrid reality.

Articles, Food Industry, Success Stories

Strong and Independent: The Women Behind Your Favorite Brands

Mar 29, 2022 by Max Limson

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

March colored purple. In celebration of International Women’s Day held every March 8, we saw our screens and streets dyed in varying shades of violet and purple. This is a global movement, one that has been championed by the United Nations and various countries around the world since 1975. But to honor the achievements of women from all walks of life, it takes more than just 24 hours. So throughout the month of March, we take the time to celebrate women’s achievements in every field – from science to the academe and even in the culinary world. 

There are enough females in the culinary industry to fill a whole book with names but here we showcase the women at the helm of some of our favorite foodie spots: 

BAMBI DEL ROSARIO

ICEBERG’S 

Summer is fast approaching. You can literally feel it in the air. As Filipinos, there’s nothing that screams summer more than a bowl of shaved ice immersed in milk and some mais or langka with our favorite home-grown ube ice cream. This is Iceberg’s at its essence – the nostalgia of a hot Philippine summer brought to the table.

ALEXANDRA YAO

YAO’S KITCHEN

Yao’s Kitchen is all about Chinoy comfort food. The Filipino palette is fascinating, and when we say comfort food it could be just about anything. But Sundays spent ordering dimsum from the fast-moving carts around the restaurant or battling cousins around the lazy susan for the first spoonful of steaming hot Yang Chow Fried Rice is another kind of comfort altogether.  

MARITES APIADO

KING CHEF

King Chef believes that the customer is King… or Queen. This is not only a restaurant, but a royal dining room, where the food is created to suit each person’s individuality. From creative spins on traditional dimsum platters to to full-on party sets and even frozen options to keep in your freezers for a rainy day, King Chef aims to bring the royal treatment right to the doorstep. 

STEPH BRIMO

JIPAN

Raise your hand if you’ve never craved some Japanese goodies. No one? It’s because, at one time or another, we’ve all marveled at the goodness of Japanese breads and pastries. This is what Jipan is most known for – a home for artisanal Japanese cuisine. From delectable loaves to sumptuous dishes, Jipan is dedicated to bringing creative and delicious food to their customers.

MONICA MENDIOLA

TAKE ROOT

Take Root has only three rules: Junk-Free, Plant-Based, and Addicting. This forward-looking shop is led by not one but two phenomenal ladies. Their goal is to bring wellness to the households of their customers and “let the good habits take root.” In the time of overwork, fatigue, and burnout we’re all in great need of a change in lifestyle and mentality. Take Root will support you every step of the way. 

Who knew so much of our comfort foods were being brought to us by phenomenal women? It’s true what they say: Behind every great brand is an even greater woman. The Zap e-store hopes to bring these experiences straight to you, so you’ll never have to crave for another halo-halo or kale chips or dimsum platter ever again. In working with Zap, these five women have also been able to amplify and enhance their brands for you, their valued customer.

Business, Marketing, Success Stories

Building Your Community of Customers

Feb 10, 2022 by Max Limson

How creating a community of customers helps your business

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo from Pexels

Whether you’re a business owner or a customer in the Philippines, you will have heard the term “suki” at least once in your life. Translated, a “suki” is what those in the business world often call a repeat customer. These are the groups and individuals who swear by a brand or product and will, as the name suggests, come back for more. Repeat customers are more likely to repurchase a particular product or even venture further into what a business has to offer because of the existing rapport that has been established between brand and customer.  

Such customers come in all shapes and sizes and each individual will have their own reasons for staying loyal to a brand or product. Whether their loyalty is due to product satisfaction or even sentimental reasons, these people are essential to the growth and success of any business. They are also most likely to promote the brand to their own circles and communities on their own account, which allows the brand’s following to grow with minimal effort or expense in advertising and marketing. 

Creating the community

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

But how can you turn your one-time customers into repeat customers? There are many ways, and we’ve summarised some best business practices that might help you turn your next customer into your next “suki.” 

  1. Keep the conversation going. One example of keeping in touch with your customers is through SMS marketing. In this day of Ecommerce websites and online shopping platforms, establishing a relationship with your customers may seem more complicated. You may think that the lack of person-to-person contact is a hindrance to community creation, but it’s not! Using SMS gives businesses a direct and personal line to their market, allowing them to offer and remind people of ongoing promotions or even informing them of new products available.
  1. Reward loyalty. There are many variations of how loyalty to a brand can be rewarded. Some of them are through loyalty cards that allow customers to accumulate points in exchange for their in-person or online purchases. Others have more elaborate customer loyalty programs that offer a whole catalogue of rewards. Whatever program a business chooses, it’s important that the customer feels their loyalty is being appreciated. 
  1. Build a database. An added benefit of the ever-growing Ecommerce platform is the ease of creating a hub of customer profiles. Because their purchases are done online, a business gets invaluable information on who their customers are and what they’re buying. That way, you can easily craft marketing campaigns or even new products with the needs and wants of your customers at the forefront. What better way to make sure they come back for more! 

How can ZAP help? 

Zap’s loyalty program, available both for physical and e-commerce stores, can be adapted to the needs of any business. Through this tool, you can collect data on your customers and create targeted SMS campaigns just for them. Customers simply have to register through whichever option is most convenient to them – by entering their mobile number via the in-store merchant tablet or by purchasing on the Zap E-Store platform. 

Other than that, Zap also offers various automations to complement its SMS blast system – from time-based automations to customized or targeted texts, this ensures that a company is able to stay in touch with its clientele, thus increasing its chances of creating a community of repeat customers. 

Photo by nappy from Pexels

Once a member is registered, their information becomes key to a brand or business’s engagement with them. The more we know about our community, the better we can serve their needs. It’s really that simple! 

One of Zap’s partner companies – Nature Republic – a Korean skincare brand that’s all the rage in many parts of Asia and beyond, makes use of Zap’s many loyalty program features to engage with their clients. Through the data collected by Zap, Nature Republic is able to offer its customers specific rewards, such as birthday coupons, and promotions that are specifically targeted to their needs, such as skin care products for varying skin types.
Ready to take the next step in building your business’s community? Check out zap.com.ph for physical stores and zapestore.com for Ecommerce platforms for more information on how you can partner with Zap!

E-Commerce Site, Food Industry, Webinar

Grow Your Home Food Business for 2023!

Dec 6, 2021 by Max Limson

It’s that time of year again! For many businesses, the holiday season is a particularly lucrative time of year – sales tend to increase significantly over the rest of the year, and this can have a serious positive impact on the bottom line of your business. So what can you do to help ensure that your business is able to take full advantage of this opportunity?

Well, one of the most effective things you can do is to start selling online via an online store and if you have one already… it’s not too late to step up and find more ways to make your marketing initiatives to better perform and grow efficiently! Inspired by ZAP’s webinar called: Grow Your Home Food Business- here’s our tips for you to run a successful year ahead!

1.) Start Your E-Store:

Starting an E-Store is a great way to grow your business and gain new customers in the festive period and beyond. By having an online shop, you can reach people all around the world, and sell your products or services to customers in your area as well as those further afield. Start your e-store with ZAP. 

2.) Set Up Your Loyalty Program:

A loyalty program offers a number of benefits to you and your customers. It can help to increase sales and build stronger relationships with your customers, while also encouraging repeat business by offering special discounts to loyal customers. Setting up a loyalty program doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive – there are a number of options out there that allow you to set up a loyalty program quickly and easily. Set up Your Loyalty Program. 

3.)SMS Marketing Campaigns:

SMS marketing is an underrated marketing strategy and can easily be overlooked in favor of more ‘flashy’ tactics such as social media and email marketing campaigns. ZAP Fetch– our latest marketing precision tool offers an effective way of getting your message out there and engaging with customers. You can promote your customized discount codes for a particular product/ service  and announcements and be able to target specific markets according to your campaigns.

You can also use text messages to encourage customer testimonials, which can help you to build up a following of loyal customers who are likely to recommend you to their friends and family.

WEBINAR: Grow Your Home Food Business

If your starting your culinary empire from home, view our Webinar: Growing your Home Food Business to learn the best way to grow your business from home, and take your store online. Utilizing ZAP’s E-Store, problems such as manual orders, payment verification, and delivery integration become a thing of the past.