Reputation alone won’t net your restaurant new customers. While word-of-mouth is still useful, an online presence for your food business is becoming more and more essential. According to a recent survey by Retail Dive, over 67% of American consumers say they research products and services online before going to brick and mortar locations to purchase them. This means that you’re losing out on a lot of sales if your offerings aren’t on the web.
If your restaurant has a website that isn’t raking in customers, here are the changes you can make to improve them.
Make A Google-Pleasing Site
Everyone uses search engines like Google to get answers on almost everything, including the place they’ll be dining in for their trip to Denver. About 89% of customers worldwide say that they do research on products and services on search engines like Google and Bing before making a purchase. While you may already have a website, it may not be making Google’s top search results. It may be hurting your bottom-line, too.
According to search analytics platform Moz, over 71% of Google search results that get clicks come from the first page. If you want to increase your site’s search engine rankings, a search engine optimization service provider can help you. They can create and implement a strategy that will get you on the first page of search results.
Get Your Restaurant on Relevant Platforms
If you’re not listed on major review platforms like Yelp or Zomato, your potential customers won’t even consider you to be a choice. A 2017 survey by review site TripAdvisor showed that over 94% of American diners say that they choose their restaurants based on online reviews. Get your restaurant listed and verified on those platforms.
Make your place look more appealing by writing an engaging bio and history for it. Highlight possible awards and achievements, no matter how small they are. Are you first to bring a specific food item to your area? Claim it! Don’t forget to add professional photos of your restaurant, as well as pictures of recent events you had there. And when you finally get those five-star reviews, don’t forget to thank the customers who sent them by commenting on their post. A little positive engagement goes a long way!
Partner With Food Delivery Apps
Food delivery apps like Just Eat, UberEATS, and GrubHub are becoming more and more popular because they’re easy and convenient to use. What better way to engage with your customers than to show them that your hot, fresh, and delicious food is just a few taps away? Plus, if you don’t want to go through the effort of hiring delivery staff, these platforms will send theirs to you every time you get an order from them. It’s a win-win situation you should take advantage of.
Being online is essential for every business, especially for restaurants. If you want your customers to notice you and order your food, your restaurant should easily found in just a few clicks or taps. Give your food business’ online presence a boost with these tips, and you’ll go from hidden gem to household name in no time.