Overview
Following the success of Jollibee's digital transformation initiatives, I was asked to take on an expanded leadership role supporting digital commerce across multiple brands within Jollibee Foods Corporation North America.
This expanded responsibility included helping guide the digital strategy for Smashburger, one of North America's most recognized fast-casual restaurant brands.
The objective was clear:
Continue modernizing Smashburger's digital customer experience while strengthening the brand's ability to acquire, convert, and retain customers through digital channels.
My focus included website strategy, mobile app strategy, customer experience optimization, SEO, analytics, digital product leadership, and overall digital growth initiatives.
The work reinforced an important lesson that continues to guide my approach today:
Digital growth is rarely driven by a single initiative. Sustainable growth occurs when websites, mobile apps, customer acquisition, and customer retention strategies work together as a connected ecosystem.
The Challenge
Customer expectations for restaurant digital experiences continue to evolve.
Consumers increasingly expect:
- Mobile ordering
- Personalized experiences
- Fast and reliable digital interactions
- Loyalty integration
- Frictionless checkout experiences
- Accurate location information
- Consistent experiences across channels
Like many restaurant brands, Smashburger had opportunities to continue improving its digital customer experience while creating a stronger foundation for future growth.
The objective was not simply launching new technology.
The objective was creating a better customer experience capable of supporting long-term digital growth.
Previous Setup
At the time, Smashburger had a basic WordPress marketing website that they linked out to a white label (templated) Olo ordering website.
My Role
As part of my expanded leadership responsibilities across Jollibee Foods Corporation North America's restaurant portfolio, I helped oversee and support digital initiatives across multiple brands, including Smashburger.
My responsibilities included:
- Website Strategy
- Mobile App Strategy
- Digital Product Leadership
- User Experience Optimization
- Conversion Rate Optimization
- SEO & Local Search
- Analytics & Insights
- Customer Experience Strategy
- Digital Growth Strategy
- Vendor Management
- Cross-Functional Leadership
My role focused on helping align customer needs, business objectives, and digital capabilities to create a stronger overall customer experience.
Strengthening the Digital Foundation
One of the primary areas of focus was continuing to improve the digital foundation supporting Smashburger's customer experience.
Before organizations can maximize acquisition and retention efforts, they need a digital experience capable of effectively converting customer intent into completed transactions.
This required ongoing investment in:
- Website experiences
- Mobile experiences
- Customer journeys
- Digital product strategy
- User experience improvements
- Performance optimization
The goal was creating digital experiences that were intuitive, reliable, and aligned with customer expectations.
Website Experience Optimization
The website serves as one of the most important customer touchpoints for restaurant brands.
Customers frequently begin their journey online while researching locations, browsing menu items, or placing digital orders.
We focused on improving the website experience by emphasizing:
- Mobile-first customer journeys
- User experience improvements
- Navigation enhancements
- Ordering experiences
- Performance optimization
- Conversion-focused design
Every enhancement was evaluated based on its ability to improve customer experience and support business goals.
Smashburger's New Website
Mobile App Strategy & Customer Experience
Mobile continues to be one of the most important channels for restaurant brands.
Customers increasingly expect fast, intuitive, and reliable experiences that allow them to engage with brands on their terms.
I helped guide initiatives focused on improving the mobile customer experience through:
- Mobile app strategy
- Product roadmap prioritization
- User experience enhancements
- Customer journey optimization
- Feature improvements
- Performance enhancements
The objective was creating an experience that encouraged engagement while making digital ordering as simple as possible.
SEO & Digital Discoverability
A great digital experience only creates value if customers can find it.
Search continues to be one of the most important acquisition channels for restaurant brands.
My responsibilities included helping guide SEO initiatives designed to improve:
- Restaurant discoverability
- Local search visibility
- Digital customer acquisition
- Location search experiences
- Organic traffic opportunities
By improving the connection between customer intent and digital experiences, Smashburger was better positioned to capture demand and support digital growth.
Conversion Optimization
One of the core principles that has shaped my career is that customer experience and conversion are closely connected.
Customers should never have to work hard to place an order.
Throughout my work with Smashburger, we continuously focused on improving the customer journey across digital touchpoints.
This included evaluating:
- Customer behavior
- User experience
- Funnel performance
- Digital engagement
- Friction points
While specific conversion metrics remain confidential, these efforts contributed to stronger customer experiences and improved digital performance.
Supporting Long-Term Growth
One of the advantages of working across multiple restaurant brands is the opportunity to identify best practices and apply lessons learned at scale.
As part of the broader digital leadership team, I helped support initiatives that strengthened digital capabilities across the organization while helping individual brands continue evolving their customer experiences.
This included collaboration across:
- Marketing
- Operations
- Technology
- Product Management
- Analytics
- Executive Leadership
The goal was ensuring digital investments aligned with both customer expectations and business objectives.
Key Takeaways
My experience supporting Smashburger reinforced an important principle:
Successful digital commerce is not about launching individual projects.
It is about continuously improving the customer experience across every touchpoint.
When websites, mobile apps, customer acquisition, conversion optimization, and retention strategies work together, organizations create stronger customer relationships and more sustainable growth.
These lessons continue to influence the work I do today helping brands build digital experiences that attract customers, increase conversion, and strengthen long-term loyalty.
Looking for Similar Results?
Whether you're modernizing an existing digital experience, launching a new mobile strategy, improving conversion rates, or strengthening customer acquisition efforts, I help organizations build connected digital ecosystems designed for sustainable growth.