Over 260 million searches are performed for restaurants every month.
Restaurant Digital Marketing
Over the last decade, restaurant marketing has become extremely competitive. The key to a successful restaurant marketing plan is knowing how to target your audience and how to attract them to your restaurant. Most of the answers lie in digital marketing. While traditional restaurant marketing ideas may still work, the world has largely gone digital so you don’t have an online presence, you might as well close up shop. Most restaurant operators assume “online presence” just means having a website and a few good reviews on Yelp. Online presence consists of many different elements such as website, search visibility, social media, online reviews, online menu, and online ordering.
Sure, millennials are more likely than any other age group to use technology to research restaurants before making their choice, but they are not the only demographic doing this: 89% of people view menus online before dining out. So be sure that your menu and whatever other information you make available online, is updated regularly otherwise you’re shooting yourself in the foot. In fact, 80% of consumers lose trust in a business if their online information is inaccurate.
With the responsibilities and pressures that come with owning and operating a restaurant, you may be too busy to put a laser-focus on your online marketing and visibility. If that's the case with you, the MenuClub team can create an online presence within weeks and develop and ongoing digital marketing that brings new and returning customers to your restaurant.
Restaurant Website Design
Just as your menu is the most powerful marketing tool inside your restaurant, your website is the most powerful marketing tool outside your restaurant. A good restaurant web design gives guests an idea of the kind of atmosphere your restaurant provides. Your website needs to be professional, functional, user-friendly and mobile-friendly. Research shows that of those 89% of people who research a restaurant online, 57% view that restaurant’s website before selecting it. So your guests judge your restaurant’s credibility based on your website above all. If your website is not up to par, odds are visitors are going to leave your website to find one they like better.
When searching for someone qualified to create your website, It's not enough to find just any website designer, it's important to find an experienced restaurant website designer. With over 19 years of experience using some of the best web development technologies, the MenuClub team is fully capable of delivering a website that gives your restaurant a professional image and produces measurable results.
Restaurant SEO
One of the most important steps in restaurant digital marketing is Search Engine Optimization. SEO is what brings up your website on organic searches and ultimately, land customers in your seats. Over 260 million searches are performed for restaurants every month, but these searches don’t end up on your website by chance. Considering that 93% of online experiences begin with search engines, it’s very important that you improve your organic search engine visibility through SEO. With over a decade of proven SEO track record, the MenuClub team can implement the right SEO strategy for your restaurant and deliver a steady stream of customers to your door.
Email Marketing for Restaurants
The internet and digital marketing run on data and intelligence. If you’re not building a database of information about your customers then you’re wasting a tremendous resource. Obtaining your customers’ email as well as those who visit your website is very important. Once you have that information, then you can send emails that go out once a week to encourage your customer to come back to your restaurant. Research has shown that 32% of restaurant visitors engage in email marketing and 45% of guests make dining decisions based on an email.
Since email marketing has proven to be a highly effective marketing strategy, MenuClub has included email marketing as a part of our standard service to all of our Silver, Gold, and Platinum members.
Social Media for Restaurants
90% of restaurants use social media to connect and engage with their guests. The fact is if your restaurant is not on social media, you’re missing out on a huge revenue opportunity. Social media is now engrained in our daily lives and if you don’t integrate it into your restaurant marketing, you’ll be left behind. The top 4 social networks for restaurants are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Yelp. Here are a few statistics that you may want to know:
-
Over 70% of American adults are on Facebook.
-
80% of US social media users prefer to connect with brands through Facebook.
-
67% of Twitter users are more likely to make a purchase from a brand they follow on Twitter.
-
30% of millennial diners actively avoid restaurants with a weak Instagram presence.
-
A one-star increase in Yelp rating leads to a 5-9% increase in revenue for your restaurant.
So whether you manage your restaurant’s online presence yourself or you’ve delegated the task to a staff member, it’s critical to define an online presence and identity that stands out.