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Welcome to The App Faceoff, a Bottle Rocket series in which we perform a digital experience review across two apps in the same industry to explore how they stack up in areas such as design, customer engagement and growth.
At Bottle Rocket, we specialize in building and growing digital experiences for leading brands in a variety of industries. In partnership with MoEngage, we explore how real-time insights and personalization fuel their digital experiences. Each of the analysis points for this App Faceoff are measurable areas that should be considered when evolving and growing a digital experience, such as a mobile app, website, or kiosk. Checkout the latest App Faceoff’s here!
User Acquisition
Considering that Fuzzy’s has roughly 3x the number of locations as Velvet Taco, they are driving less than 2x the number of monthly active users, suggesting that Velvet Taco is doing more to drive users to their mobile app, possibly through more point-of-sale or on-prem marketing materials.
Both brands prominently feature their apps and loyalty programs on their websites though neither appears to feature them in their advertising as you might see with a McDonald’s or Popeyes where nearly every advertisement ends with a call to “order through the app.”
Check out page 5 to see a deep dive into how each brand performs.
Conversion
While both Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and Velvet Taco’s apps aim for a streamlined user experience, they prioritize different features. Fuzzy’s focuses on the ordering process, with intuitive tappable segments, pull-to-refresh for reward updates, and a helpful map view with integrated calling and automatic nearest store selection. Filtering by handoff method adds further convenience. However, it lacks a dedicated home screen, a feature Velvet Taco’s app excels in. Velvet Taco prioritizes its loyalty program, using appealing imagery, birthday rewards, and clear communication of its “1 point per $1 spent” earning rate to drive engagement. Both apps offer convenient features, with Fuzzy’s emphasizing order placement and Velvet Taco highlighting reward redemption and a user-friendly home screen experience.
Engagement
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop utilizes frequent emails (around 9 per month) featuring diverse content like limited-time offers, while Velvet Taco sends fewer emails (around 3 per month) focused on enticing promotions. Conversely, Velvet Taco favors push notifications, sending regular deals and promotions multiple times per week, whereas Fuzzy’s push notification strategy is less consistent and lacks clear value propositions.
See pages 8 & 9 for a deep dive.
Retention
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the usability challenges faced by users of the Fuzzy’s and Velvet Taco apps, we conducted a heuristic usability analysis complemented by a review of user feedback from the Google Play and App Store reviews. By merging expert analysis with direct customer feedback, we aimed to pinpoint areas needing improvement and enhance the overall user experience of the apps.
Pros
- Users appreciate the great rewards and offers, quickly earning points and finding it easy to upload receipts.
- Customers appreciate the addition of takeout options, aiding those who cannot dine in due to accessibility challenges.
- Many users compliment the service quality provided by the staff.
Cons
- Some users struggle to find and use rewards; issues include difficulty removing offers from the total bill and inability to redeem rewards unless in-store. And reports of instances when not all reward points are accurately added to the app.
- The app is often described as glitchy and poorly laid out, with frequent malfunctions impacting user experience.
- The app does not always indicate when locations are not accepting orders until the end of the ordering process.
Pros
- Informs users when the time estimate for their order changes, keeping them informed throughout the process.
- The app confirms the order is for pickup and verifies the location before completion, helping users avoid mistakes.
- Users report that the app is reliable, has “really good UI,” and a general appreciation for the weekly taco specials.
Cons
- Users complained about getting an error validating their basket and tried reinstalling their app to no avail.
- Several users had rewards they wanted to redeem and were struggling to do so. This might be because rewards are in a separate part of the app.
- A few user complaints about not accepting Google or Apple Pay.
See pages 10, 11 & 12 for the deep dive.
Whats Next?
Over the past several weeks, we’ve thoroughly evaluated Fuzzy’s Tacos and Velvet Taco, and we’ve enjoyed both experiences—especially those who were able to dine in and savor the diverse menus as part of this endeavor. Each brand demonstrated unique strengths in our review, showcasing their maturity in the fast-casual dining space. However, there are areas for improvement that we’ve identified that both might implement to enhance engagement and adoption within their customer experiences. Below, we have outlined a targeted roadmap with high-impact items to drive better ordering processes, engagement strategies, and loyalty programs.
For a closer look, check out page 13.
If you’re looking to elevate your brand’s digital presence, our team is ready to provide the guidance and strategies needed for exceptional results. Contact us to learn more today!
Did you miss the last App Faceoff? Check out our comparison of American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
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