Additionally, the service has changed its name to Seamless, it was previously SeamlessWeb. The app is available for free download in Apple’s App Store and existing users can upgrade it to take advantage of the new features.

“We are continually focused on innovation and our mobile apps are a major part of that,” said Ryan Scott, chief marketing officer of Seamless. “The new enhancements to our apps are designed to streamline the food ordering experience and make it as intuitive, straightforward, and yes, Seamless, as possible.

“In particular, the iPhone app improvements are reflective of our goal to make Seamless the easiest way to find the food you want when you want it,” he said. “In talking with our members, more than 17 percent of whom order from our apps on weekends, we found out that they wanted more control over the variables they use to select restaurants, so we built in easy searching and sorting of the restaurant list, along with a more comprehensive set of filters for more specific searches.

“In addition, the new map feature lets members see exactly where restaurants are located from within the app, which makes pickup – and delivery – decisions that much easier.  On the whole, we’re confident that these enhancements will simplify the answer to that age-old question: ‘Where should I eat?’

The Seamless app lets customers order delivery or takeout food without having to be near a computer.

Mobile orders
Via the app, consumers can search, sort and filter.

Hungry customers can search by restaurant names only, sort by distance, delivery time, delivery cost minimum and rating, as well as filter by rating, delivery time, cost minimum and cuisine type.

The new mapping functionality lets consumer see a restaurant on Google Maps without leaving the restaurant list.

Additionally, the app features added loading messaging to better inform users of what’s going on.

“We’ll be using a combination of communication tactics that cut across email, social media, PR, and customer acquisition,” Mr. Scott said. “We think it’s critical that we both keep our one million plus current members up-to-date on all the latest changes at Seamless and leverage the opportunity of sharing these major enhancements to reach potential new members who could really benefit from the apps.

“Plus, we think that our strong ratings and reviews both in the iTunes app store and the Android Market will help do the work for us, showcasing how effective, easy-to-use, and fun our apps are according to the people who actually use them,” he said.

Consumers can filter their results

Consumers can browse by restaurant

Mobile taste
Consumers can customize to taste and add special instructions to any dish and any order.

In addition, users can pay easily and check out securely using a credit card.

The app also uses the consumer’s saved addresses and saved credit card info so that they can continuously order without having to punch in the information again.

“One of our top goals at Seamless is to offer the best way to order food for delivery and takeout from restaurants,” Mr. Scott said. “This is something that we’re in the process of pursuing on a larger scale with a re-design of our entire site, but since mobile ordering is our fastest-growing area right now, we’re devoting significant resources to mobile, as well.

“This rapid growth makes it critical for us to offer the best possible experience on all of our apps and our mobile website because that is how our members want to order food and it’s where our potential members are spending a large amount of time,” he said.

“Mobile ordering is perfectly aligned with what we’re looking to accomplish and our newly enhanced apps simplify food ordering, continuing to move us closer to where we, and our members, want to be.”

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York