You own a restaurant, and it’s going pretty well.
You’ve got good word of mouth traffic, your quality and service speak for itself, but you’re finding it difficult to fill the tables on the weekdays, and your labor costs are adding up, causing you to start thinking about advertising.
Well, before you go running to the Yellowpages, let me share some important statistics about your potential customers in 2017.
Currently 48% of consumers start mobile research with a search engine or voice recognition app, along with 57% of users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site, which means now more than ever you need to take control of your online presence.
So if you’re a restauranteur, or work in a restaurant that could use some more foot traffic, take note of these great ways to take control of your restaurant’s online presence.
1.) Get Listed & Verified on Google Maps
This is one is crucial, and I can’t stress this enough. If you’re a restaurant, or a business that relies on local traffic, you NEED to have an up to date Google Business Listing. You can set that up here.
2.) List your Phone Number Everywhere!
Most web browsers allow “Click to call” which means customers can call your number directly from Facebook, Google, Bing, or any other search engine that features your website. Additionally, your website should also have a clickable phone number for mobile users to access.
3.) Have a Friendly, Usable Menu
One of my biggest complaints with restaurants is they either don’t have their menu listed on their website, or they do, but it’s a gigantic photocopy of their existing menu as a huge PDF and takes you forever to download on mobile. A simple table of menu items and pricing goes a long way when people are deciding what to eat, and many search engines and food websites will then prioritize your restaurant for having more available information.
4.) Share Specials and Coupons Daily!
In many cases, posting to social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram can be a bit too much work on a daily basis. However, if you make sure to post at specific times in the day when people are looking to eat, you have a better chance of getting more return on investment (time). Be sure post your specials on your website and social media pages and keep them up to date. Day not looking too busy? Run a one night only special to help bring more customers through the door.
5.) Take control of your reviews!
I’ve seen many restaurants get looked over because of one bad review or empty reviews. If the review is bad, and you can’t delete it, post a follow up review inviting that customer to give you another chance, and show to other customers you care.
Reach out to Yelp, Trip Advisor and Facebook to obtain a small business media pack with stickers to let your visitors know you’re on the web and would love to hear their feedback.
Make sure your restaurant has control of the listing for these websites:
Additionally, leaving a line or two on your menu to invite customers to leave feedback right after the meal is a great way to build loyalty and get a constant stream of reviews for your restaurant.
Final Thoughts
As a restaurant owner, your employees rely on you to keep the business busy, so that they can make a living. An easy way to do this is to find the right marketing strategies for your restaurant, and building upon those successes. Take note of these tips listen in this article, and start delegating the easier tasks to other employees, while you take on the others.
Building a great web presence for your restaurant provides you with the peace of mind to run your business the way you want, and create the opportunity for growth and security for your guests, employees and yourself.
If you’re interested in learning how we can help you build an outstanding website for your restaurant, that includes all of the tips listed above, then please head over to our schedule a consultation page and take advantage of a free one hour consultation today.