The social media company’s apps have 3.43 billion unique active users globally and its AI-driven tools help create personalised ad variations, image backgrounds and automated adjustments to video ads, making it lucrative for advertisers.

A brand could provide a product image and a budget, and Meta’s AI would generate the ad, including image, video and text, and then determine user targeting on Instagram and Facebook with budget suggestions, the report said.

Meta also plans to let advertisers personalise ads using AI, so that users see different versions of the same ad in real time, based on factors such as geolocation, according to the report.

The owner of Facebook and Instagram, whose majority of revenue comes from ad sales, referred to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s public remarks about AI-driven ads, when contacted by Reuters.

Zuckerberg last week stressed that advertisers needed AI products that delivered “measurable results at scale” in the not-so-distant future. He added that the company aimed to build an AI one-stop shop where businesses can set goals, allocate budgets and let the platform handle the logistics.

Social media firms such as Snap, Pinterest and Reddit are increasingly investing in AI and machine learning tools to attract advertisers in an intensely competitive ad market.

Meta’s shares were up nearly 1 per cent in morning trading, while stocks of ad giant Interpublic Group and Omnicom Group fell 1.9 per cent and 3.2 per cent, respectively.

Shares of France’s Publicis Groupe SA slid 3.8 per cent. US-listed shares of WPP, the owner of agencies GroupM, Ogilvy and VM, were down 2.2 per cent.

Technology firms such as Google and OpenAI have also launched video and image-generation AI tools, but their widespread adoption in advertising remains in doubt as marketers weigh concerns over brand safety, creative control and quality.

• Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo, of Reuters.

The post Meta aims to fully automate advertising with AI by next year appeared first on Inside Small Business.

The most common aids, according to research commissioned by Shopfully, include promotion hunting, product searching, or price comparison.

So, how should retailers respond to the trend, and what are the potential risks of such tech-driven journeys?

“Retailers today must start the consumer journey where it begins: Online,” says Brendan Straw, Shopfully Australia’s country manager. With the majority of shoppers now researching purchases via mobile, digital touchpoints are no longer optional; they’re essential.”

About 83 per cent of shoppers sometimes or always make product findings in advance of in-store purchases. Straw says that personalised and relevant insights collected online play an essential role in completing the purchase during the customer’s purchasing process.

According to Shopfully’s report, more than half of consumers shop for deals and discounts while scrolling online for products.

Not just promotions, but the personally-driven data

While value-driven marketing is no longer optional, 84 per cent of shoppers said that promotion is the dominant factor in their loyalty and spending.

In addition to promotions, half of Australians value ads when discovering new products and deals, while 42 per cent will strategically weigh up prices and hold out for the best offers.

The report reveals that besides personalised sales alerts, consumers also focus on real-time product availability, new arrivals, and engaging content like articles, recipes, and how-to guides.

“Meeting consumers where they are is only half the battle. To truly succeed, an omnichannel strategy must do more than exist across multiple platforms – it needs to add real value at every touchpoint,” Straw says.

AI tools are emerging in the shopping journey

“Embracing smart technologies like AI and virtual tools isn’t just an advantage, it’s becoming essential to deliver the seamless, personalised experiences today’s shoppers demand,” says Straw. 

Notably, 42 per cent use AI tools for regular shopping, and about half of them will let AI assist their shopping list and streamline their planning. Meanwhile, 18 per cent place a high value on virtual try-on tools for clothing and cosmetics.

The post More than 80 per cent of shoppers go digital before checkout, report finds appeared first on Inside Small Business.

But the new Shop with AI feature is already causing a lot of buzz among experts and businesses – and many think it’s part of a new age of automated shopping.

New innovations by OpenAI, Perplexity, and Google all essentially give shoppers their own personal assistant. Through conversation-style interactions, they learn – and store – a customer’s context, body shape, history, age, location and much more, and use this data to make hyper-individualised product decisions.

Not only that, but Google’s new shopping agents can purchase items for a customer. If a shopper wants to buy an item while it’s on sale, gone are the days when they would have to check in periodically – Google agents can now notify them when a discount is available. It can also repurchase products and services that a customer buys frequently, like toilet paper or lash appointments.

Retail expert Kelly Slessor thinks the adoption of these technologies by big players like Google signals the beginning of a new era.

“Agentic automation is going to disrupt everything in the next 24 months,” she told ISB. “This ability to automate processes, to remove the pain we go through whenever we’re looking for something, is going to change not only [the retail] industry, but every industry.”

How does agentic AI – like Google’s Shop with AI – affect buyer behaviour?

People are already outsourcing their research and decision making to AI – so it stands to reason that the same will happen with their purchases.

Marketer Matthew Forzan is already seeing a paradigm shift in the way customers are searching; they want to have a natural conversation with a search tool, not input keywords by themselves. 

“Now, customers are saying ‘I have a budget of x, I like x brand, what do you have for me?” he told ISB.

And AI isn’t just acting like a personal shopper; it’s also doing the research for your customers. Both Forzan and Slessor think this could push customers towards price-based purchasing decisions.

“If you ask your AI agent to buy you headphones and you don’t care where they’re from then a lot of the time price, delivery and bundles will inform it – I definitely think there’s risk there,” said Forzan. “We know there’s cohorts of people who definitely want to support small businesses, but if you’re looking at a user who’s never purchased before, that could be more the case.”

Slessor is concerned that AI Agents could make shopping a price game, removing emotional connection or brand loyalty from the equation.

“I can be on Instagram, see a pair of Converse, stick in to my [AI] agent and say, ‘When you find those same Converse on sale at this price, let me know, and I’ll buy them,’” she explained. “There’s no emotional connection, no urgency – I’m just literally waiting on price.”

Slessor added that negative reviews – and returns – could also be more common if customers can outsource these to AI. Customers who might previously not have been bothered to return an item, request a refund, or leave a negative review might now be more empowered to do so.

Will Google’s Shop with AI hurt or help small businesses?

It depends on who you ask – and on the business involved.

If customers aren’t shopping around themselves – that is, browsing online websites or search results – it could certainly stop them from discovering alternative options. Let’s say you sell a common item like toilet paper: Plenty of toilet paper brands offer comfort or sustainability, but unless you occupy a unique corner of the market (Forzan points to the purpose-led Who Gives a Crap as an example) agentic AI could reduce your product to a price point.

Slessor and Forzan both think that businesses with unique products – or unique angles – might have a better chance of discovery under these conditions.

On the other hand, because this is an emerging technology, there is a chance for small-business owners to jump on AI optimisation now before its widespread adoption. 

“There is, I think, a lower barrier to entry now,” said Forzan. “Because there is more opportunity to show up for these terms. It’s so conversational, so there’s an opportunity for small businesses to create content that competitors potentially don’t have…”

Small-business owner Gabi Saper is already taking action to optimise for AI. We previously spoke to Saper in an article about AI shopping overviews, where she mentioned setting up her website to target conversational queries. Now, she’s doubling down on her efforts to become an online leader in her product niche.

“We’re creating solid content, answering questions, and becoming that reliable source,” she told ISB. “…Whenever we make a video on a topic, we also make a blog on that same topic, and then we make an email, and then we put it on Facebook and YouTube.”

What can you do next?

Make sure your SEO is up to scratch: Good SEO will work on AI search tools as well as traditional search tools.

Use conversational language: AI tools are trying to interact in a humanlike way, said Slessor, and will prioritise content written in a conversational style.

Answer questions pre-emptively: For instance, use headings on your website pages that work as answers to common questions. Follow these up with a short, simple clarifying paragraph below. Then, don’t just answer the most common questions, but think about what someone would ask next. This pairing of pre-emptive questioning, clarifying paragraphs and supplementary questions is netting great results for Forzan’s small-business clients.

Don’t just rely on search as a funnel in: Diversify across platforms – the more you’re across, the more trust signals the agent can pick up on.

Get to know your customer avatars: AI agents will know everything about your customers, so you should too. Saper said that every quarter, she uploads customer reviews to build and adjust her three customer avatars. Every marketing move then speaks to at least one of these avatars. 

Don’t be afraid to experiment: Saper thinks that agentic AI will be like all the big tech shifts that came before it – kind to experimenters and first-adopters, less so to those who drag their feet.

“People have to be really open to leaning in, giving it a go, and not being afraid,” she said. “The most exciting thing is that we’re all learning at the exact same pace, this is new to all of us – and the ones that are going to succeed are the ones that aren’t afraid to step in and learn.”

The post Google’s new Shop with AI will “disrupt everything”. Here’s what means for small business appeared first on Inside Small Business.

A study by commerce accelerator Pattern says the trend is aptly illustrated by the 51 per cent increase in the price of health and beauty products this year.

“The days of marketplaces winning Australian consumers with ultra-cheap pricing alone are over,” says Merline McGregor, MD at Pattern Australia. “Although leading platforms like Amazon will continue to attract shoppers with competitive pricing, consumers are now making purchasing decisions based on factors like credibility, product variety, and ease of shopping.”

Customers’ loyalty comes from convenience

“Australian brands selling on marketplaces that deliver frictionless shopping experiences are more likely to secure both the first purchase and increase their chances of building customer loyalty,” said McGregor.

About 57 per cent of Australians rate Amazon as the most convenient platform for purchasing goods, with a user-friendly ordering process, fast shipping options, and a seamless returns policy. 

Despite Shein and Temu’s continued strategy of bombardment marketing, welcoming deals, and an effortless shopping experience to entrench market presence, their convenience ratings remain significantly lower, at 14 per cent and 27 per cent, respectively.

“Convenience is more than just speed of delivery, it’s about every touchpoint of the shopping experience, extending from intuitive search functions to reliable customer service and simple returns,” said McGregor.

Customer relationships for trustworthiness and reliability

“We’ve seen a positive improvement in returns processes for all marketplaces, with only 3 per cent of Australian consumers stating they do not trust any marketplace for reliable returns. This is a huge drop from 18 per cent in 2024 and shows that all platforms are prioritising improving the customer experience in this critical area,” said McGregor.

As price advantages diminish, Amazon is leading with stable product quality and reliable return processes, with 60 per cent of Australian shoppers choosing it for product quality and 53 per cent for reliable returns.

While other e-commerce platforms such as Ebay, Kogan, and MyDeal are rated by Australian customers at 42 per cent, 16 per cent, and 9 per cent when it comes to trust, Chinese platforms Temu and Shein’s consumers’ confidence in product quality are 12 per cent and 11 per cent.

“In an increasingly competitive and regulated environment, trust is not an aspiration. Marketplaces must consistently deliver quality products, backed by hassle-free returns to build enduring customer relationships,” said McGregor.

Amazon, Ebay, and Temu’s extensive product range

According to the 2025 Marketplace Consumer report, Amazon Australia holds the leading position in the widest variety of inventory, including electronics, homewares, and sporting goods, which is recognised by 60 per cent of shoppers.

This is also true for Ebay, at 45 per cent for second-hand and collectible products, and for Temu, at 32 per cent, which notably saw an 87 per cent increase in the platform’s visiting rate last year.

“A broad and evolving product range is proving key for marketplaces to retain and grow their shopper base. Consumers are moving towards platforms that offer a one-stop-shop experience, and marketplaces that can deliver this effectively across multiple categories have a clear competitive edge,” said McGregor.

• This story was originally published on Internet Retailing.

The post Trust, convenience, loyalty trump price when Aussies shop marketplaces appeared first on Inside Small Business.

Cloud storage isn’t automatically secure, and even minor oversight can result in data loss, ransomware, or reputational damage. Most sole traders and small business operators don’t have the time or technical support to build out complex IT systems – and they shouldn’t need to. According to our research, 80 per cent of cyberattacks stem from user behaviour, such as misconfigured permissions or weak passwords.

Fortunately, a few simple practices can dramatically boost cloud storage security without
significant expense or effort.

The do’s: Five smart cloud storage habits

1. Encrypt data and limit access. Even if you’re a one-person operation, encryption matters. It ensures that if someone gains unauthorised access, they can’t read your files. Most cloud services offer encryption tools – use them. Also, make sure employees only have access to the files they need, and review those permissions regularly. With 36 per cent of IT leaders citing human error as the top cybersecurity risk, these small access missteps can lead to big problems.
2. Back up automatically – and test recovery. Don’t wait for a crisis to realise your backup didn’t work. In our 2025 survey, 60 per cent of businesses believed they could recover their backup in under a day, yet only 35 per cent could restore data within 24 hours. Automate your backups and periodically test them.
3. Monitor activity and stay compliant. Keep an eye out for unexpected logins or large file transfers. Most platforms offer alerts or logs – switch them on. Also, don’t overlook industry data standards, especially if you handle sensitive information. 25 per cent of respondents to Kaseya’s report lacked the policies and controls in place to keep their workloads secure, while additionally, less than two-thirds of respondents have an incident response plan, leaving many exposed to evolving compliance risks and unable to recover.
4. Train yourself and your team. If you have staff, teach them how to recognise phishing attempts through phishing simulations, share files securely, and maintain strong password habits. Even if it’s just you, keeping up with basic cybersecurity knowledge is key. A single wrong click is often all it takes for a breach to occur.

The don’ts: Common mistakes with cloud storage

1. Don’t assume the cloud is secure by default. Cloud vendors offer security tools, but you’re responsible for using them. Nearly half of MSPs say customer apathy is the biggest barrier to effective cybersecurity. Don’t set it and forget it – make sure your security settings are properly configured.
2. Don’t ignore updates or reviews. Cybercriminals actively exploit unpatched software. Enable automatic updates, and aim to review your cloud security setup every few months. Even a quick check can close serious gaps.
3. Don’t use public Wi-Fi without protection. If you’re working from a café or airport, always use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). It prevents attackers from intercepting login details or sensitive files.
4. Don’t keep everything in the cloud. Not all files need to live online. Storing outdated or highly sensitive documents in the cloud increases risk. Keep those on encrypted local drives or air-gapped systems where possible.

Final thoughts: Security isn’t optional – it’s good business

Cloud storage has levelled the playing field for small businesses – but with greater access comes greater responsibility. The good news? You don’t need a massive IT team to protect yourself. With a few practical habits and the right partners, your business can stay secure, resilient, and ready to grow

The post Are you nailing your cloud storage? appeared first on Inside Small Business.

For small business owners navigating a fast-changing digital landscape, this evolution isn’t just inevitable – it’s a competitive advantage.

Why are desk phones on the decline?

Desk phones served their purpose for decades, but their limitations are increasingly clear. They tether employees to a single location, lack integration with modern tools, and require ongoing hardware investment and maintenance. As the demand for remote work, agility and cost-efficiency grows, so does the need for a more dynamic communication solution.

Enter the softphone: Smart, mobile and seamless

A softphone is a software-based phone application that allows users to make and receive calls via the internet using their smartphone, tablet or computer. It’s not just a replacement – it’s a communication upgrade.

At UCOM, our intuitively designed mobile softphone app offers everything small businesses need to thrive in today’s mobile-first world:

• Freedom to work from anywhere.
• Crystal-clear call quality.
• Seamless integration with PBX systems.
• No bulky hardware or complex setups.

How mobile softphones empower small business owners

1. Mobility without sacrifice: Take your business number wherever you go. Your clients see professionalism, even when you’re on the move.
2. Cost-effective scalability: No need to purchase physical phones for every employee. Scale your communication stack as your business grows.
3. Unified communications: Sync voice, video, voicemail and team messaging – all in one intuitive interface.
4. Business continuity: Whether working remotely or during outages, your communication channels stay live and reliable.

The future is wireless, agile and app-driven

Softphones are not a trend – they’re the new standard. And as customer expectations rise and business tools become more integrated, mobile softphones give small businesses the agility to keep up and stand out.

• Thinking about upgrading your communication setup? Explore how UCOM’s softphone solutions can bring your business into the future – minus the wires.

The post Desk phones are dead? The rise of mobile softphones appeared first on Inside Small Business.

So, you have just paid a developer a wad of cash to build you a shiny new website.

She has given you a login to ‘cPanel’ and suggested that you keep all the software updated – and you are now starting to realise that there is a cost of ownership for websites. They are not set and forget!

No stress.  In this article, we will break it down to the basics to give you a complete understanding of website maintenance. This will empower you to do it yourself or know what to ask when outsourcing it.

What is website maintenance?

The majority (62 per cent) of all Websites are built with WordPress, a Content Management System (CMS). Other CMSS include Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, Joomla, and more. This article will focus on WordPress maintenance.

What is a CMS? In the early days of websites, developers used programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build websites, as well as various tools to manage them and to present web pages on the screen. A CMS is a ‘one-stop shop’ that brings all these tools together to simplify and streamline the website development process.

The WordPress CMS has a few key components that need to be maintained:

• Themes (think styling)
• Plugins (like apps for your phone)
• WordPress version itself
• PHP (think middle-man between your website and web server)

Why do you need to maintain your website?

• Software updates. If you have a mobile phone, you will be used to getting software updates for your phone’s operating system. All your CMS components will need to be updated as new versions come out.  This is important to keep your website secure.
• Backups. You wouldn’t go on a road trip without a spare tyre! A backup does one better – it’s a spare car! If the car breaks down, jump in the spare car and continue the journey. If your site breaks down, restore from a backup and happy days.
• Security. You probably know someone whose website or social media account has been hacked. Prevention is always better than a cure, but regular scans can detect breaches early.
• Performance. Your website visitors and Google don’t like slow sites, and regular scans can spot any slowdowns.
• Links. Your website should have internal links to other pages and external links to other sites.  Sometimes these links end up pointing to a dead end. Google and SEO don’t like that. Check them regularly.
• Uptime monitoring. If your business relies on your website being available 24/7, ‘someone’ should be monitoring it and taking action if it goes off air.

What are typical costs?

Costs vary widely for website maintenance – anything from $40 to $1,000 a month.  The variables that impact price are:

• The size and complexity of the website – bigger sites with e-commerce may require more frequent backups and more updates
• The technology used on the website – specialist resources may be required in some cases
• The level of support included in the plan
• Premium plugins – some sites need paid plugins (small programs that support larger programs) to provide special functionality, and your developer may pass on the license fees.
• Some developers may include set hours to provide content updates

How often does your website need maintenance?

As you now know, things like backups, security and performance scans should be done fairly often, and other activities may be done on an as-needed basis.

DIY maintenance

If you have the time and some basic technical skills, you can perform basic maintenance tasks like backups, software updates and performance and security checks.

The most important thing for DIYers is to have a solid backup and restore process – but there are plenty of free plugins that can automate this. 

Bonus tip: If you take backups, store them somewhere other than your website server. Google Drive and Dropbox will do the job.  Storing backups on your web server is like leaving your spare keys in the car – it won’t end well if you lock yourself out.

Outsourcing maintenance

When you outsource, what communications should you expect from your website maintenance professional? The last thing you want is to pay a monthly subscription fee and never hear from your maintenance provider. You figure no news is good news. Right? A good provider will provide a monthly report to show what has been done, including any downtime, etc. They may also issue general alerts, tips, and tricks from time to time.

Red flags when hiring someone to maintain your website

Now that you know what is involved in website maintenance, you know what to look for.  Red flags could include

• No reporting or communication
• No breakdown of costings
• No one-one-one support
• Unexplained outages or site slowdowns

Regular website maintenance protects your website, ensures good performance, and maintains search visibility. Whether you manage it yourself or outsource, knowing what’s involved will help you stay ahead of problems – and to intervene if need be.

The post What you should expect from your website maintenance provider appeared first on Inside Small Business.

The latest data from NBN has found that the average Australian household supports over 20 connected devices and this is expected to rise to 44 devices by 2030.

Lag time, not internet speed, has been deemed the real culprit behind slow video calls and buffering streams. 

Also known as ‘latency’, lag time is measured in milliseconds and is the delay caused between users sending a request and the response time from the internet to carry it out. 

A lag time of under 10 milliseconds is optimal, while video call disruptions can be detected at 100 milliseconds. 

“Lag time is the invisible barrier that’s frustrating millions of Australian households every day,” said Philip Luo, CEO of Australian internet service provider Occom.

“The demand for fast, low-latency internet is only growing, as Australians increasingly embrace AI, smart homes, streaming and cloud gaming. Latency is starting to bother more and more people in everyday households,” he said.

The worst time for latency is between 7pm and 11pm at night, known as ‘internet rush hour’ when people get home from work. 

Mary Abas, a small salon owner in Austral, runs her business from home and stated that her unreliable internet and poor phone service have disrupted her business by driving customers away. 

Abas often finds her eftpos dropping out, leaving customers waiting as she tries to connect to the internet. 

Updating to a new modem or router could help with the issue, said Luo, or even turning the modem off for 20 to 30 seconds before restarting it. 

Relocating the router to get a better WiFi signal, managing network overload by upgrading to a higher-end router, reviewing your internet plan and scanning your devices to remove malware through an up-to-date antivirus software are other methods to minimise internet lag. 

“High-quality network services are becoming even more critical to meet the growing requirements for bandwidth, latency and stability and guarantee user experience,” said Mr Luo.

“True internet performance isn’t only about download speed. It also depends on factors like latency and packet loss,” he added.

• This story was originally published on Internet Retailing.

The post Small businesses are paying the price for poor internet connectivity appeared first on Inside Small Business.

By 2025, AI is expected to add $315 billion to the Australian economy. But if you’re running a small business without an AI policy, that boom could come with a bust.

If you’ve used Canva’s Magic Write, Xero’s auto-categorise, or Grammarly’s tone checker, you’ve already invited AI into the workplace. No sci-fi takeover, no robots in the storeroom – just clever algorithms baked into the tools you use every day. But while AI can be a productivity game-changer, using it without clear guardrails could land your business in hot water. And that’s why every Aussie small business needs an AI policy.

Not next year. Not when you “have time”. Now.

Think of an AI policy like the digital equivalent of locking up the shop at night. It’s not about red tape, it’s about protecting your business from avoidable mess.

Without a basic plan in place, small businesses risk:

• Accidentally breaching customer privacy laws
• Publishing inaccurate or misleading content
• Making decisions based on biased or incomplete AI outputs

The case for commonsense guardrails

Policies often get a bad rap in small business circles – seen as something for the big end of town. But this isn’t about adding paperwork. It’s about reducing risk and giving your team (and yourself) clarity. A basic AI policy should include:

• What tools your team are allowed to use
• When and how to fact-check AI outputs
• What types of content AI should never be used for (e.g. legal, financial or medical advice)
• Who is responsible for reviewing and approving AI-generated content

Imagine the following: A regional NSW tourism operator uses AI to write a blog post promoting local drives. The tool recommended a route via a road that had been closed for months. The post is published unchecked, leading to lost bookings and frustrated customers. A simple policy could’ve prompted a quick double-check and saved the PR headache.

Big business is already on it

Westpac, SEEK, and Woolworths are just a few of the major Aussie brands already training their teams and rolling out AI usage guidelines. Why? Because they know the risks of getting it wrong – and the competitive edge of getting it right. Global rules are also tightening. In 2025, the European Union began enforcing the AI Act, which bans high-risk AI applications and introduces strict transparency requirements. Aussie businesses exporting, partnering overseas, or simply wanting to stay ahead will need to be aware of these emerging global standards.

Writing a policy is easier than you think

The good news? You don’t need to be a tech whiz or have a compliance department. A one-page AI policy can be enough to guide your team and avoid most of the common pitfalls.

At a minimum, your policy should:

• List approved tools
• Set boundaries around what’s appropriate for AI use
• Outline a simple “review before publish” process
• Nominate someone as the go-to person for questions

This isn’t about fear – it’s about future proofing your business, and its reputation. For a great starting point, check the Australian Government’s AI Ethics Principles. You wouldn’t let a new staff member open or close your business without training. You wouldn’t let someone write a contract without a review. So why let AI make decisions, write your content, or interact with customers without a second look?

AI can be an incredible business ally. But like any powerful tool, it needs some commonsense rules around it. An AI policy helps you and your team stay productive, compliant, and in control – not playing catch-up when something goes wrong. It’s not about being techy. It’s about being smart.

The post Why every Aussie small business needs an AI policy – right now appeared first on Inside Small Business.

With the new Going Out feature, DoorDash is encouraging customers to take advantage of exclusive deals and discounts by dining in person at participating restaurants. DoorDash customers just have to head to the “Going Out” tab in the DoorDash app to claim a promotion from participating local restaurants, and check in by tapping their phone on the DoorDash Tile when they arrive at the restaurant to activate the promotion. 

The feature provides DoorDash customers the opportunity to be rewarded for their loyalty to local restaurants and enjoy exclusive benefits all while supporting their favourite local restaurants. At the same time, it is also helping restaurants attract new customers and retain their existing ones with the help of the DoorDash platform. 

Simon Rossi, VP at DoorDash Apac said: “We’ve heard from our restaurant partners that bringing more customers in-store is a top priority, and we’re thrilled to offer our platform, reach, and technology to make it simpler than ever to drive foot traffic when they need it most – whether it’s filling tables during slower periods or building consistent demand. We are always working to provide our partners with the tools and support they need to grow and keep their businesses strong – by encouraging people to dine out, and rewarding repeat visits, we’re helping restaurants build more lasting relationships with their guests.”

Feedback from participating restaurants has been positive thus far, many of whom have lauded the innovative way the Going Out feature is helping them attract old and new customers alike.

The feature is initially available in Sydney and Melbourne and can be accessed at the moment via DoorDash’s iOS app. Plans for the feature’s national expansion are currently in the works.

The post DoorDash’s new in-app features gives local restaurants a needed boost appeared first on Inside Small Business.