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Homepage Widgets & Promotional Pop-Ups

Homepage Widgets and Promotional Pop-Ups allow you to highlight promotions, featured menu items, subscriptions, and important announcements directly within your online ordering experience.

Written by Sarah Hassler

Overview

These tools help increase visibility for specials, seasonal offerings, loyalty initiatives, gift card sales, and other marketing campaigns without requiring development work.


Promotional Pop-Up

What Is It?

A Promotional Pop-Up is a full-screen image that appears when a customer opens your mobile app or ordering experience.

Use it to:

  • Announce limited-time offers

  • Promote new menu items

  • Advertise special events

  • Highlight seasonal campaigns

  • Drive awareness of important updates

Example Uses

  • "Try Our New Summer Drinks!"

  • "Buy One Get One Free This Week"

  • "Holiday Catering Orders Now Available"

  • "Download Our App & Earn Rewards"


How to Set Up a Promotional Pop-Up

  1. Log into your AppFront Portal

  2. Navigate to:

    Design → Ordering → Setup Images

  3. Scroll to the Promotional Pop-Up section

  4. Upload your promotional image

  5. Enable the Show Promotional Pop-Up toggle

  6. Click Save & Publish

The image will begin displaying to customers when they open the app or ordering experience.


Best Practices

Recommended Image Size

  • Under 400 KB for best performance

  • High-resolution image

  • Minimal text

  • Clear call-to-action

Keep It Focused

A Promotional Pop-Up supports a single image only.

Use it for one key message at a time.


Homepage Widgets

What Are Widgets?

Widgets are content blocks that appear directly on your homepage below your primary navigation and ordering options.

They provide customers with quick access to promotions, featured items, subscriptions, and more.

Widgets can:

  • Display custom graphics

  • Include buttons and links

  • Be scheduled

  • Be targeted to specific customer groups

  • Drive customers to specific pages or offers


How to Add a Widget

  1. Navigate to:

    Design → Ordering → Homepage

  2. Scroll to the bottom of the page

  3. Click Add New Widget

  4. Select the Widget Type

  5. Configure the widget settings

  6. Save and Publish


Widget Types

1. Promotion Widget

What It Does

Displays a promotional banner on your homepage.

Unlike a Promotional Pop-Up, Promotion Widgets can include:

  • Custom images

  • Titles

  • Scheduling

  • Call-to-action buttons

  • External links

Example Uses

  • Buy Gift Cards

  • Order Catering

  • Join a Loyalty Program

  • View Seasonal Menu

  • Register for an Event


Setup Steps

  1. Add a new widget

  2. Select Promotion

  3. Enter a title

  4. Upload an image

  5. (Optional) Schedule start and end dates

  6. Add a Call-to-Action button

  7. Choose where the button should link:

    • Custom URL

    • Internal Page

    • External Website

  8. Save and Publish


2. Featured Items Widget

What It Does

Highlights specific menu items directly on the homepage.

This helps drive attention to:

  • Best sellers

  • New menu items

  • High-margin products

  • Seasonal offerings


Example Uses

  • Signature Entrées

  • New Bubble Tea Flavors

  • Limited-Time Specials

  • Lunch Combos


Additional Features

You can:

  • Add descriptive text

  • Schedule display times

  • Target specific customer groups

  • Rotate featured offerings throughout the day

Example:

  • Lunch specials only during lunch hours

  • Happy Hour items only during afternoon hours


3. Reorder Widget

What It Does

Displays a customer's most recent order, allowing them to quickly reorder.

This can reduce friction for repeat customers and increase order frequency.


Best For

  • Restaurants with frequent repeat business

  • Coffee shops

  • Quick-service concepts

  • Subscription-style ordering habits


4. Gallery Widget

What It Does

Displays multiple images in a gallery format on the homepage.

Use it to showcase:

  • Menu photography

  • Restaurant atmosphere

  • Seasonal campaigns

  • Customer favorites


Example Uses

  • Food photography

  • Event photos

  • Catering displays

  • New store locations


5. Subscription Widget

What It Does

Promotes active subscription programs offered through AppFront.

Examples include:

  • Monthly Coffee Clubs

  • Bubble Tea Memberships

  • VIP Loyalty Programs

  • Meal Plans

The widget directs customers to the subscription enrollment experience.


Additional Design Features

Custom Map Pin Icon

For brands with multiple locations, you can customize the map marker shown on the location selection screen.

Requirements:

  • SVG file format

Location:

Design → Ordering → Setup Images


Payment Processing Screen Image

Customize the image shown while payment is being processed.

By default, this uses your desktop homepage image, but it can be replaced with a custom graphic.

Common uses:

  • Branding

  • Seasonal imagery

  • Promotional messaging

  • Store photography

Location:

Design → Ordering → Setup Images


Recommended Widget Strategy

For most restaurants, we recommend:

Widget #1

Promotion Widget

  • Current special offer

  • Gift cards

  • Catering promotion

Widget #2

Featured Items Widget

  • Best sellers

  • Seasonal menu items

Widget #3

Subscription Widget

  • VIP Club

  • Monthly specials program

Promotional Pop-Up

  • One major campaign at a time

  • Limited-time offers

  • New product launches

This combination provides maximum visibility without overwhelming customers.

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