Elevator Pitch

Have you ever had to wait in queue to dine at your favorite restaurant? Does the thought of dining out burn a hole in your pocket?

If the answer is yes - then EazyDiner is your go-to app for table reservations and exclusive deals on total bill!

Whether you're planning a special night out or just grabbing a quick meal, EazyDiner ensures you get the best table at the best price, with rewards that keep giving back.

Understanding the Product

The product flow

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The above image shows the product flow where the app first requests for the location of the user to provide apt suggestions of restaurants. The design of the buffer also showcases the value proposition of the business. The main page displays the search bar followed by any ongoing offers before providing any recommendations for the user. The profile page encourages Prime Membership sign-up and redeemable EazyPoints.

According to my research, EazyDiner has reached the mature scaling stage within the restaurant reservation market. Founded in 2015, EazyDiner has significantly expanded over 100 cities in India. As of March 2023, the company received funding of INR 40 crores (USD 4.8 mio) to expand its presence to new cities across the country and also scale its operations in the Middle East (Dubai). The platform lists around 8,000 restaurants, offering a range of features such as exclusive deals, rewards, and even pre-purchased meals. This growth is supported by substantial funding, totaling USD 14.6 mio over multiple rounds.

Despite its success, EazyDiner faces increasing competition from other platforms like Zomato Gold and Dineout, which offer similar services. The company has responded by introducing new features like the Prime subscription, which provides users with additional discounts, indicating that while it has reached a mature stage, it continues to innovate to maintain its market position.

Why did I choose EazyDiner?

1. 6 years ago when I wanted to book a table at a busy restaurant for my friend's birthday, I learned about 'EazyDiner' through one of my family members (WOM) and instantly was intrigued to try the app.
2. The app not only helped me book a table at the restaurant but I was also able to avail good offers. Since then I was hooked to the app when I preferred dining out.
3. My main goal during this project is to analyze the acquisition potential for prime membership of EazyDiner and understand the installation trend of the app.

Core Value Proposition

Discovery: Since the product is in the app format it is easy for any new acquisition to download the app on their smartphones.

Alignment with the problem statement: People often want to find solutions to their challenges at the click of a button, and the presence of any complications when it comes to technology is usually seen to drive away any potential user. This is why the EazyDiner app is available for all types of mobile devices making it easy for users to download the application from the 'Play Store' and access it.

Convenience in Booking: EazyDiner enables users to book tables at thousands of restaurants across multiple cities in India and Dubai. The platform ensures that users can make reservations quickly and easily, avoiding long wait times at popular venues.

Alignment with the problem statement: Many diners face the issue of long wait times or not finding a table at popular restaurants. By providing an easy reservation feature, EazyDiner addresses this problem directly.

Exclusive Deals and Discounts: One of EazyDiner's standout features is the exclusive deals and discounts it offers. Users can access special offers like complimentary desserts, discounts on meals, and more, which are not available elsewhere. This adds significant value, making dining out more affordable and attractive.

​Alignment with the problem statement: Diners often look for ways to save money while enjoying a good meal. This feature ensures that users can enjoy dining out without breaking the bank.​

Personalized Dining Experiences: The platform offers customized recommendations based on user preferences and past behavior. This ensures that users are matched with restaurants that align with their tastes and expectations.

​Alignment with the problem statement: With so many dining options available, choosing can be overwhelming. Personalized recommendations help users find the best options that suit their tastes, enhancing their overall dining experience.​

Loyalty Rewards: The Prime subscription on the EazyDiner app enables the user to avail of additional discounts above the regular offers. EazyPoints are redeemable loyalty points that diners can earn through the EazyDiner app by making table reservations, uploading bills, and paying through the app.

​Alignment with the problem statement: Loyal app users expect rewards such as additional discounts or other incentives as a token of appreciation. Through the EazyDiner Prime subscription and the accumulation of EazyPoints, users can earn rewards that can be redeemed for future dining experiences. This loyalty program incentivizes users to continue using the platform.

Bill Payment Feature: Users don't have to switch between apps to look for offers and do the transaction at the time of bill payment.

Alignment with the problem statement: The 'Pay Bill' feature helps the users settle the bill after dining with suggested and additional offers. This also aids in earning EazyPoints with which the user can avail discounts on products or services.

Understanding User and ICP

ICP

The top two ICPs.

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About 5 users were interviewed on their experience with the app. The observations are mentioned below, 

• All users are aware of the app's use case which is table reservations and offers provided on the bill. 

User Demographics and Preferences 

• The age of the users interviewed varied from 22-58 including both male and female. 
• All interviewees belonged to Tier 1 cities. The urban setting influences their dining habits and exposure to tech products like EazyDiner.
• Most of the users (3 out of 5) were vegetarians which plays a role in their evaluation of restaurant options and discounts available in the platform. 

Usage Frequency and Attitude

• Users have varying levels of engagement with EazyDiner, with some using it regularly for table bookings and others using it less frequently due to dissatisfaction.
• The app is generally appreciated for its convenience in booking tables, but users express concerns about the clarity and availability of offers, especially for specific preferences like vegetarian dining

Pain Points 

• Excessive push notifications were a significant issue, leading to the uninstallation of the app by some users.
• Users found the offers either insufficient or confusing, particularly when compared to competitors like Zomato and Swiggy.
• There were concerns about the app's user interface, especially during the payment process, which some users found confusing.

Competitor Influence 

• Strong competition from other platforms like Zomato and Swiggy, which offer more attractive and easier-to-access deals, affects user retention on EazyDiner. 

Marketing and User Acquisition 

• Social media and targeted ads were effective in user acquisition, but the lack of sustained value (e.g., relevant offers, and user-friendly experience) led to lower retention.

Opportunities for Improvement:

• To enhance retention, EazyDiner could focus on providing more relevant and clear offers, improving the user interface, especially during payments, and managing notification frequency to prevent user fatigue.

Time VS Money

• Both the ICPs prioritize time over money and this is where EazyDiner's core value proposition comes into play. Users preferred booking tables in advance rather than having to wait at their favourite restaurants.

Money Spending Habits

• When it comes to money spending habits, all the users agreed on food being the principal expense. Though there are many similarities in spending habits for both the ICPs, note that ICP 2 gives more importance to socializing/social life compared to ICP 1 where users are responsible and investing their money. This is where the ICPs could leverage different core value propositions of EazyDiner. While offers on bill payment could be significant for ICP 1, ICP 2 is interested in meeting their friends at their preferred dining place.

Referral

• ICP 1 is truly satisfied with the product and has already referred it (WOM) to their family and friends. However, the users are unaware of the referral program that is introduced by the app. This is a huge gap that needs to be filled by optimizing the acquisition channel.
• Since ICP 2 is at risk of churning away, the users are not willing to refer to the product. This is where content loops could help in redirecting the users back to the app.

Key Features Used/Valued

• This parameter was considered only for ICP 1 as they are truly invested in the application when it comes to reserving tables and availing offers (core value proposition). ICP 2 does not delve into the features as much as comparing the offers available at the restaurant with other apps such as Zomato, DineOut, etc.

Prime Membership

• Neither of the ICPs has a prime membership. Based on earlier observations, it is understandable for ICP 2 to not have a membership but ICP 1 though loyal users did not feel the necessity to have membership as the usage is minimal (once in 2 weeks to once in 2 months).

Understanding the Market

1. Total Addressable Market (TAM): 527 million

India

• EazyDiner focuses only on Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities as there wide range of restaurants that require table reservations. The total population of tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 cities in India is ~1307345901
• Only 40% of the total population in India is said to dine out at restaurants regularly. ~522938360

Dubai and Abu Dhabi​

• The company has recently launched its app in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The total population of Dubai and Abu Dhabi is ~7470645​
• According to Khaleej Times, about 61% of residents dine out frequently in Dubai ~2245278​
• The National (Abu Dhabi) stated that about 50% of the population dines out often. ~1894930

Total​

• The sum of the population of India, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi who dines out frequently is 527078569

2. Serviceable Addressable Market: 358.8 million

India

• 68% of the population in India within the age bracket 18-60 with smartphones and internet connection ~355598085.

Dubai

• 79.5% of the population in Dubai within the age bracket 18-60 with smartphones and internet connection ~1784996.

Abu Dhabi

• 75% of the population in Abu Dhabi within the age bracket 18-60 with smartphones and internet connection ~1421197.

3. Serviceable Obtainable Market: 35.8 million​

Although the EazyDiner app focuses only on table reservations, food delivery apps like Zomato, Swiggy, and Magicpin are considered competitors as they cater to the same ICPs.

The total market share among these apps is considered and weighed against the number of app installations (for each app) to calculate SOM.

10% of SAM is considered based on qualitative analysis ~35880427

Acquisition Channel

Jobs To Be Done (JTBD)​

The core job of EazyDiner is to simplify and enhance the dining experience.

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Marketing Campaigns

• Social Media Campaigns: EazyDiner leverages platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to run targeted campaigns. These campaigns generate buzz and increase brand visibility among a younger audience.
• Influencer Marketing: The company collaborates with food bloggers, influencers, and celebrities who share their dining experiences via EazyDiner, which helps reach a broader audience through authentic recommendations.
• Content Marketing: EazyDiner also invests in content marketing by producing engaging blog posts, videos, and reviews on their platform. This content provides value to users by offering dining recommendations, reviews, and exclusive offers.
• Email Marketing: The platform uses email newsletters to inform users about new offers, restaurant deals, and exclusive events. This helps retain existing customers and encourages repeat usage.
• Partnerships and Collaborations: EazyDiner partners with credit card companies, hotels, and other service providers to offer co-branded deals and discounts, incentivizing users to make reservations through their platform.
• Mobile App Engagement: EazyDiner’s app is a key channel, with push notifications and in-app promotions driving user engagement and bookings. The app’s user-friendly interface and the ability to earn and redeem rewards further encourage repeat use.

Channel Decision Framework

Organic search is the most significant contributor to marketing efforts. This indicates that the product is well-optimized for search engines and has strong brand recognition, leading to high levels of organic traffic.

The second most effective channel is direct marketing, which includes strategies like email marketing, direct outreach, and CRM-based initiatives. This suggests that existing customers or those familiar with the brand are being effectively targeted and engaged.

1. Organic Search​

First, let's look at the comparison between organic traffic and paid traffic to understand the importance of optimizing organic search.

The search performance saw an increase of 6.8% in organic keywords whereas a drop in paid keywords of 14%, this is our first clue. Looking at the traffic trend, it is obvious that organic traffic is the only traffic that the app is receiving, especially in the last 6 months.

The top 5 organic competitors are dineout, zomato, magicpin, swiggy and Ibb. Competitive positioning map shows that eazydiner has the least traffic with organic keywords.

On analyzing the above 2 screenshots, it is found that optimizing keywords to increase organic search traffic is important.

Optimizing Keyword Search Results

Problem Statement: Targeting keywords don't match user intent and are too competitive. The content does not offer value or align with user queries. The domain authority is affected due to insufficient or low-quality backlinks High bounce rates are due to slow load times or poor site navigation.

Solution: The best solution would be to analyze and target long-tail, less competitive keywords that align with user intent. Ensure proper meta descriptions, keyword usage, and alt tags. Improve internal linking. Enhance page load times, mobile responsiveness, and overall site navigation to reduce bounce rates.

• High-performing keywords are 'restaurants near me', 'restaurants', and 'starbucks coffee price'. The term 'eazydiner' has very little traffic %.
• 43.7% of the search intent was transactional, meaning the user wanted to complete an action, mostly bill payment.
• The next highest search intent was informational with 29.8%.
• The weak organic keywords are 'restaurants near me', 'restaurants', 'best restaurants near me', and 'food near me'.
• To optimize keywords, the product can include keywords such as 'midnight food places near me', and 'healthy food places near me' as these keywords bring in a lot of traffic and are relevant to EazyDiner's core value proposition.

Content Strategy

• Blog posts on 'Top 10-midnight food places' and 'The best healthy food restaurants' will increase organic search.
• Based on user interviews, it was found that users are spending time on apps such as Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. There for content loops on these social media applications will drive traffic.
• The main topics of discussion are 'What healthy food can I have when I'm dining out?', 'What restaurants are near me which are open till midnight?' and more so.
• Hence, content that is short, fresh (something new), and visually appealing videos or posts on restaurants that serve gourmet meals in every popular areas in every cities (at least Tier 1 cities) will increase users.
• Interactive content like polls, quizzes, and contests related to EazyDiner usage, such as guessing famous food at a particular restaurant will encourage users to participate and share their experiences.

2. Product Integration

IndusInd Bank and EazyDiner collaboratively launched the ‘EazyDiner IndusInd Bank Platinum Credit Card’. This card distinguishes itself as an entry variant from the existing EazyDiner credit card by IndusInd Bank and EazyDiner. It provides an additional discount of Rs. 500 while paying through the EazyDiner App via PayEazy for both dining as well as for takeaways at select restaurants. This co-branded card comes with a complimentary EazyDiner Prime membership for 3 months.

Apart from the credit card, users can earn rewards (EazyPoints) that can be redeemed for future dining experiences. This loyalty program incentivizes users to continue using the platform.

Problem statement: Users are not fully aware of the benefits of integrated products, such as EazyPoints' use across platforms. Product integrations are not prominently featured in marketing channels.

Solution: Launch clear, targeted campaigns explaining how product integrations work and their benefits. Highlight integrations prominently in the app, website, and all marketing materials to increase visibility and adoption.

• The application can once again leverage social media to announce interesting product integrations such as Cultfit, Uber, Urban Company, etc. could boost the users' interest in gaining those reward points (EazyPoints).

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To explain further, let's take the example of EazyDiner integration with Cult.fit

EazyDiner X Cult.fit

We already know that optimized keywords revolve around 'Healthy food places' and this shows that users are becoming more health conscious these days. However, apart from showcasing nutritious meal-serving restaurants, we can improve engagement with the addition of offers on Cult.fit memberships.

This would attract users who are already inclined to be fit and healthy.

Below is an idea of what that product integration would look like,

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