In the past, all a restaurant needed to succeed was great food and great commercial restaurant equipment. With the advent of social media, location and menu are not enough to attract and keep a client base.
1. Invest in your web presence online
Customers today are overwhelmed with choices. Online competition is fierce. Your restaurant must stand out from the crowd. Potential customers will find you difficult to find if your web presence is not prominent and well-dispersed. A reputable online marketing company is a good investment for your business’s bottom line, much like an outsourcing bookkeeping service. Restaurants are vulnerable to the word of mouth advertising, just like other service industries.
Get started with a great site
Your website is often your first opportunity to impress customers. Your website should be user-friendly and professional. This will help you project a professional image that is customer-oriented and professional.
Consider if your site meets the following criteria if you already have one.
Does it load quickly?
Are they visually appealing?
Is it mobile-friendly
Is it simple to navigate?
Are all your important information readily accessible?
Is your menu on the market?
It is a fact that potential customers don’t have to do too much to discover where you are, what your services are, and when you’re available. A restaurant website costs a reasonable amount, depending on the complexity of the site. It can be tempting to save money and choose a website that is cheap, but this is a long-term investment that can bring many customers to your restaurant.
You can hire someone to monitor your social media.
People react emotionally to the experiences they have had, rather than the products they buy. It is not an exaggerated statement to say that customer reviews can make or break you in the restaurant industry. People talk.94% of potential diners base their decision on where to eat based on reviews. They will use those reviews to judge your establishment before they ever set foot in your door. Keep the mood positive by responding to customers’ feedback online. Or, outsource that work to a marketing company.
Encourage diners to leave feedback on your website and maintain accounts with prominent review sites such as Yelp. This will give you the opportunity to thank customers who have been satisfied, to take positive actions to improve dining experiences and to show that your restaurant truly cares about their opinions. This type of reputation management can make all the difference in your online presence. This service is often offered by marketing companies as an addition to other services. This can make it difficult to monitor all mentions of your company online. Hiring someone can help you save time and be a valuable investment.
2. Set aside a budget for marketing
Inbound marketing is crucial to your bottom line. It is an active process and should be maintained regularly. Marketing can include attending events, paying ads, printing marketing materials, and commercials. The best part? Advertising is a deductible expense. This means that it won’t hurt you so much in the end. Make an investment in yourself to increase your revenue.
Your business is the focus of your overall marketing budget. These are some of the things you should consider:
How competitive is your market
How high are your profit margins
Is your business new?
Who are you?
A new restaurant that caters to 20-40-year-olds in a highly competitive marketplace with high-profit margins, should spend more on marketing than a smaller, older restaurant with a narrow market.
Marketing should not be ignored as a financial investment in your restaurant business. Talk to your restaurant bookkeeper about the budget that you can allocate for marketing each quarter, and whether it is worthwhile.
Social Media Marketing: Make the most of it
Real growth takes time. The more you can do for your business, the better.
The faster your establishment grows, the more casual diners will become regulars and regulars will be happy promoters.
A strong social following is one of the best ways to reach new customers and engage with existing customers. Social media can be used to increase sales and professional reputation by sharing relevant content.
Use local food bloggers to your advantage.
Local food bloggers are a great way to improve the quality of your restaurant reviews. Twitter users have created some amazing lists of key industry bloggers.
After you are confident in your food and service, invite some bloggers to visit you. The reviews of your customers next door are great for spreading the word about your establishment. But, the opinions and recommendations from a reliable foodie can make it even more valuable.
3. Outsource your restaurant bookkeeping
Outsourcing restaurant bookkeeping can be a cost-effective financial investment. It saves time and simplifies financial reporting tasks such as payroll. A reliable advisor for future investments is also a good restaurant bookkeeper. You can make informed decisions about where to spend money on marketing for your restaurant business by using accurate financial reports.
This will help you get a realistic outlook for your restaurant’s future and allow you to set growth goals.