In the present modern and technological era, almost everybody and everything is turning to the online window. The restaurant business is no exception. It has become a common practice for people to search for restaurants online.
According to a survey done by Adweek, in 2016, it is discovered that more than 25 percent of people have at least one restaurant app installed on their phone. If you want your restaurant business to flourish you cannot underestimate the power of online marketing.
Listed below are 9 online marketing ideas which will help you sure shortly grab the online audience.
1) Restaurant discovery platform – your foremost step
The very first step you should take in moving towards online marketing is to get yourself listed with the various restaurant discovery platform available. There are a number of sites and portals available in the market. Zomato, Swiggy, Binge are the most trending ones. And the best thing about them is you can get yourself listed for free or with some nominal charges. List a few of the most used restaurant discovery platform and get started, get going.
2) SEO compatibility is utmost important
How many times have a looked for a place near you for any service you require, say petrol bunk, bank, and so on? Same holds good for a restaurant. It has become a common practice for people to type “Restaurants near me” in the search engines. Do not let your restaurant lose the opportunity of showing up whenever such searches are made. Get your restaurant listed on search-engines commonly used, such as Google, Yahoo, Bing and so on.
3) Social media – your best advertising agent
Social media is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to connect to customers. So, do not let go it, grab it. It is a good practice to survey the customers about the social media they use the most and also keep a track of the media used by competitors and utilize it to the fullest.
Share information about your restaurant, like, where you are put up, your working hours, contact info, and so on. Get high-quality photos clicked by professionals of yummy and tasty food, your restaurant ambiance, satisfied customers and so on. Post it on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other social networks mostly used by people. Share about any special event you are about to host on social media. Once the event is over, post pictures of your happy customers from that event.
4) A website serves greatly, making a difference
Website can be your best partner to attract customers and it provides you with a professional touch to your restaurant business. Make an attractive website with all the good and positive attributes about your restaurant.
Make it eye-catching, informative, compatible with any screen size, easy for searching any information, interactive, and so on.Have the name of your restaurant embossed appealingly, with a logo. You can run a contest on your website. Have a blog for reviewing your restaurant services. Have different pages for menu, reservations, offers/discount, etc. Upload any loyalty program you wish to provide your frequent visitors.
Track your visitors behavioral pattern to optimize and amend your website in future to make the utmost out of it.
5) Emails and newsletters are indispensable
Reach out to your customers by sending newsletters and emails from time to time. Ask your customer’s email address through a feedback from, once they finish their meal. Make the utmost use of these address to stay in constant contact with your customers.
Keep a track of the visiting behavior of customers, send a note of thanks with a special discount to your recent visitors. And to the ones who have not visited you recently send a welcoming note, with message like “Missing your presence”, “Hope to see you soon”, and so on. Furthermore, announce a certain special discount/offer for them to persuade them to visit your restaurant.
Offer to send e-newsletters to your visitors. Grant them some exclusive deal on subscribing to it. Make it a point to sent newsletters on monthly basis discussing your success, any add-ons to the menu card, special discount for the particular month/day and so on.
6) Turn to YouTube
We all know videos speak a thousand words. It makes a direct impact on your mind. It can be of great use when it comes to marketing your restaurant online. Make videos to tempt your would-be customers to drop into your restaurant.
Make videos of your restaurant ambiance, highlighting the part which is most beautifully and/or differently decorated. Upload live videos of your chef cooking your signature or any other yummy dish straight from the kitchen. Upload videos of any out of the box talent of your staff members, like, some of the chefs can roll chapatis in such a way that is a joy for the eyes to watch, some have the caliber to carry and serve many dishes at a time, and so on.
7) Understand the power of online reviews
It has become a common practice of people to upload photos and reviews about their visit to restaurants. Ask your customers to review your restaurant on their visit. In your restaurant software module include a form for reviewing your restaurant services. Encourage your customers to post these reviews of your restaurant online. Offer them some dish/service free for every positive review done for your restaurant. Offer a certain percentage of discount/ any special service/ complimentary dish to them if they tag your restaurant online.
On the contrary, if they have posited some negative review, take it courageously. Try to rectify that loophole. If they visit your restaurant the next time tell that you are sorry for their bad experience last time and make it a point to provide you the best food and service this time. This will surely incline them to post something good about your restaurant once they go back.
8) Go for geo – targeted ads
Just imagine you are looking for a restaurant in a certain part of the country and an icon pops-up with a name of the restaurant in any other part of the country. Obviously, this is annoying and on the restaurant owner’s hand, he is paying for an ad which is going waste. It is a good practice to switch for geo-targeted ads. Whenever a person searches for a restaurant, your restaurant will only show up if it lies in the area approachable by that person.
9) Tie-knot with Delivering service providers
It is seen many times that the food-lovers do not want to take the pain or they do not have the time to travel and visit the restaurant. But, they love delicious food getting delivered to their doorsteps. Do not lose the opportunity of business with them. Partner with the various food delivering service providers to get your food delivered on an online order.
Remember, that more than 60% of the world has switched to online mode. So, online marketing can help you crack more and more deals. Hope the above tips will help you satisfy growling stomachs online and offline. Thus adding to your turnover and making you an ahead of the game restaurant owner!!
