Have you recently opened a restaurant, and are you looking for ideas to make your restaurant known online? Then, keep reading this article to understand how you can gain new customers at your restaurant.
The world of catering has undergone great changes in recent decades regarding advertising and communicating with customers. We have created a guide for you with 5 golden rules for promoting a restaurant online.
These are 5 valuable tips that will help you advertise your restaurant through new digital means and interact with your customers in a more direct and innovative formula.
Before discovering these important web marketing rules for restaurants, we remind you of a super-rule to always keep in mind: contacting expert communication consultants in the food and catering sector.
Promote a new restaurant online
To be successful, the marketing strategy for your restaurant absolutely cannot neglect communication on the web, namely:
- website
- blog
- social networks
- one-to-one communication
- reviews
We have listed the focal points of the 5 golden rules for promoting a restaurant on the web that we want to talk about in today's study. So let's start analyzing them one at a time.
Creation of a restaurant website
Let's use a phrase as inflated as it is true: the website is the business card of your restaurant. Before choosing a place and booking a table to spend lunch or dinner away from home, customers today go online in search of information. They want to see what your restaurant is offering, what the prices are, and what your customers are saying about you.
If you show up with a crappy site, you lose credibility. Websites for restaurants must absolutely be well done and focus on images. Therefore, make sure that your restaurant website has quality photos, both of the place and of the dishes. Verify that you have a functioning online restaurant reservation system and check that all contact and timetable information is correct.
It will seem strange to you, but people will also judge your restaurant by the impact they will receive once they land on your site.
Blog update
If you want to give an even more serious image of your staff and your restaurant, have a blog inserted on your site.
Having a blog where you publish two, three or four articles a month can give your site, and your restaurant in general, a positive and professional image. The blog will be an opportunity to show, through quality content and texts written for search engines, your skills and knowledge, your idea of cooking and catering, and your passion for food. Also, remember that Google will reward your blog content if it is well-written.
Social strategy for restaurants
Social networks such as Facebook and Instagram are very powerful means for the food sector.
If you haven't already done so, immediately create a Facebook business page and an Instagram business profile for your restaurant and ask a professional to follow your profiles or train someone within your staff who can do professional management.
With social networks, you will be able to speak directly with your customers and create interaction and involvement. Learn how to promote events on Facebook and run paid sponsored campaigns. Share quality content and photos, well-made videos and aim for emotion.
Loyalty Programs
Increase your restaurant's retention rate and keep customers returning by creating a loyalty program that pays them for frequent visits.
Upon purchasing, give your consumers a loyalty card. Stickers, stamps, or punched holes may be earned each time customers dine in or purchase certain things from your establishment. Give exclusive discounts, promotions, and rewards to consumers who complete their cards.
One of the most effective ways to promote a restaurant is to have a grand prize drawing utilizing a loyalty card system. Pick one lucky person at the end of each month to receive a fantastic gift.
Offering discounts via coupons and vouchers is a great strategy to ensure repeat business. Even while dining out, consumers always look for a reasonable price. Printed materials like this have been shown to boost revenue by fostering brand loyalty and fostering customer retention.
Community Events
Another great plan is getting your restaurant's name out there by showing up at community events. Fairs, festivals, and athletic events are all great opportunities to improve your restaurant's visibility and brand recognition quickly and easily by sponsoring or selling at the event.
Use the chance to market your eatery to event-goers by selling meals there. Display your restaurant's logo, menu, and contact information on signs, flags, and other outdoor advertising media. Distribute promotional materials such as leaflets, pamphlets, and business cards among your customers' orders.
One 2 one communication
There are simple and fast ways to communicate directly with customers. Try to build a profiled customer database and start sending SMS and promotional emails without stress.
Through professional platforms, you can run SMS marketing and Email marketing campaigns that allow you, with just one click, to write to your entire database or, conversely, to send specific communications to individual customers.
An example: If you host a live music night at your restaurant, you could text everyone a link to book a table. Conversely, suppose you know the birthday of your customers. In that case, you could send a happy birthday text message only to the customer born on a given day and invite him to reserve a table to celebrate in your restaurant with a special 15% discount.
Online reviews
Most people read online reviews left by other users before making a reservation and trying a new restaurant. There are sites like Tripadvisor where it is possible to leave reviews on restaurants and evaluate the service, the quality of the offer, and the quality/price ratio.
Positive reviews are great online advertising, but learn to deal with the negative ones as well. Listen to customers' opinions and if you find an unsatisfied customer, try to recover him. Pay attention to your customers' opinions and use those complaints to improve.
Conclusion
Promoting a restaurant online is crucial in today's digital age, and there are 5 golden rules that every restaurant owner should keep in mind. These include creating a quality website with high-quality images, maintaining an updated blog to showcase your expertise and passion for food, developing a strong social media strategy to interact with customers and promote events, using one-to-one communication to directly engage with customers through SMS and email marketing campaigns, and managing online reviews to improve customer satisfaction and address any negative feedback. By following these rules and seeking the advice of expert communication consultants, restaurant owners can gain new customers and build a strong online presence for their business.