As the world comes to rely on modern technology solutions, businesses worldwide are facing a major twist in their operations, and the restaurant industry is no more immune from this disruption. Furthermore, due to the pandemic, restaurant owners are already battling for survival. Fierce competition and customer’s changing preferences are the major reasons behind the restaurant industry’s drastic change.
Food delivery apps such as Zomato, GrubHub, Postmates, etc., have changed the way people order and eat. Hence, more and more restaurants are upgrading their current technology in order to achieve optimal results and make their business successful for long-term suitability. Moreover, social media and various online marketing activities help restaurants to promote their products and services. Having a solid online presence is no more an alternative; it is a need.
If you have just launched a fine dining restaurant but lacking an online presence, then you are leaving lots of money and potential customers on the table. In short, you need to embrace emerging trends that build brand advocacy and boost your bottom line. From online ordering to social media marketing to business listing, you need to quadruple efforts to improve visibility in 2021.
Tried and Tested Ways to Improve Restaurant Visibility
These days, the restaurant industry is no longer just about offering quality food and earning money. Things have changed, and the diner’s preferences have been changing. Customer’s expectations from brands are also changing. Along with the quality, modern customers seek digital ordering facilities, strong social media presence, attractive offerings, and much more that encourage them to visit restaurants more often.
Gone are the days when restaurants opted for offline marketing techniques to attract diners. Now technology has changed the entire game since the era of the Internet and smartphones has begun. Diners and restaurants are relying more on modern technology to maximize their business revenue and customer base. According to research, almost 95% of restaurants admit that technology has improved their business efficiency.
Some well-known brands like Starbucks, Chipotle, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut have already implemented mobile technology and are following ongoing marketing techniques to get an edge over the competition.
Overall, it opens the door for new opportunities and improves profitability. So let’s discuss several ways that improve restaurant visibility and keep your customers entertained.
Let Customers Order Food Online
Source: TweakYourbiz
Online ordering has become a boon for time-starved customers. This is why the online food ordering market is not growing, but it’s exploding; it will soon cross the $200B mark. Digital ordering services allow customers to order their favorite food within a couple of clicks.
Hence, technology partners are developing ordering platforms for startups with exclusive features as it offers many golden opportunities to make a solid customer base. As a restaurant business owner, if you have not jumped on the bandwagon of online ordering, this is the right time.
Popular food delivery service apps such as Zomato, Postmates, and DoorDash have encouraged people to order food online as it saves time and money. The majority of customers claimed that attractive deals are the reasons they often order food online. Hence, more and more restaurants are listing themselves on these apps. If you are not doing so, you will lose out on a huge chunk of customers.
When you offer online ordering, you also increase sales and clear up the crowd at your doors. Eventually, it will increase order accuracy, reduce waiting time and create an additional revenue stream for your food business.
Be Active on Social Media
Source: SproutSocial
No matter how quality food you offer, all your efforts will go to waste without having a strong online presence, and you won’t be able to drive traffic. This is what it is imperative for restaurants to have a strong social media presence. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are popular social media channels where you can engage with customers and promote your products and services at cost-effective rates.
You might be wondering how social media presence increases sales and improves visibility; the below statistics will give you a better idea.
- Almost 63% of restaurants leverage social media sites to market their products and services.
- More than 35% of customers use social media websites to research brands before making purchase decisions.
- And 88% of diners are influenced by online reviews and comments; Sprout Social stated that.
Now you must be clear why social media presence is critical for the restaurant business as it is one of the most powerful advertising weapons for your food business. Apart from the promotion, you can engage with customers on a personal level. All you need to create a business profile on these platforms; later, you can promote and communicate with your diners.
Leverage Other Form of Marketing
Earlier, restaurants had limited resources and understandings of marketing. Radio and newspaper were key sources to market restaurants, but now we have plenty of emerging online marketing techniques that have the potential to reach a large audience.
More than 88% of customers research a restaurant online before they order or actually visit the place. While 70% of the American diners stated that they read online reviews to make informed decisions. The introduction of different sites such as OpenTable, Yelp, Zomato, etc., has changed the entire landscape of the restaurant industry.
Here are several emerging online marketing techniques that you can adapt to improve the visibility of your restaurant.
- Video content (YouTube)
- Get Found Locally ( Google My Business and Local listing)
- Website and App ( for menu browsing and ordering)
- Paid advertising ( Google Ads)
- Content marketing
- Email marketing
Above are the popular online marketing techniques that can expand your business reach, boost brand value and upscale your restaurant business without any geolocation barrier.
Stay Updated with Modern Technology
Technology keeps changing, and restaurants are one of the sectors that are disrupted more in recent years. Customers’ expectations are also increasing; this is why it is important to adapt ongoing technology changes to stay competitive and relevant. From ordering online to social media to offering wifi and digital kiosks facilities, technology is everywhere.
Moreover, customers are now preferring online payments over cash, so offering them multiple payment options would be advantageous for you. Make sure the offered payment system is swift and secure. Before you lose a huge chunk of customers, implement modern technology solutions and stay one step ahead in the competition.
Verdict
Once everything is humming for your business, and you have a strong customer base, you have a website, you have a strong online presence, now it’s time to focus on what works and what not for your restaurant business. Change is constant; all you can go with the flow and keep adapting to new changes to thrive your restaurant business.
