Himalayan Yak Restaurant
Online marketing for restaurants is like online marketing for many other things, but with a slight twist. Most people care about food. And you are talking about an experience here. Some cherished memories are made when you sit with someone across a table.
9 Companies Doing Social Media Right and Why
#8: San Chez Bistro ..... San Chez Bistro is a tapas bistro and restaurant in Grand Rapids, Michigan...... they’ve taken social media and infused it with the needs and preferences of their local audience. San Chez encourages their patrons to use Twitter to reserve a seat at their restaurant. They call it “Tweet-Ahead Seating” and it’s a great use of social media local marketing. Once you tweet your interest in a reservation, the online hostess tweets you back with a message similar to this: “Great, you’re on the list. See you in a little while.” ..... With the number of smartphones on the rise, San Chez knows they can reach even more potential customers if they make access to their restaurant easy and quick. By combining smartphone capabilities, social media and local marketing, they were able to create an extremely successful marketing campaign online. ...... utilizes Foursquare to gain even greater viral visibility. ..... fun for the fan and powerful exposure for the physical business .... San Chez Bistro has customized their Foursquare page, making it easy for patrons to see the incentive for checking inMarketing Your Restaurant Online Without a Website
The interest in finding restaurants online is growing at a staggering rate! .... So how do you get your piece of this pie? The first step is to have an online presence. .... The most important aspect of web advertisement is getting the attention of search engines. You want your potential and repeat customers to be able to find you easily if they cannot remember your web address. ..... have your restaurant mentioned on as many websites as possible with a link to your menu ..... Blogs are a good place to start. Blogs are web sites that are actively being updated and commented on and Google loves them. Find blogs about restaurants, restaurant reviews or your local area and then make comments relevant to the subject. Make sure to mention your restaurant and give out your web addressTop 3 Online Restaurant Marketing Tools for 2012
Foursquare, Facebook and OpenTable .... Foursquare and Facebook are growing in importance. .... a good website is the central piece of a restaurant’s online marketing strategy. Start there and then incorporate other platforms. ..... Foursquare is our first choice because restaurant owners can run a deal over Foursquare for free. After a restaurant owner claims their venue, it is easy to set up a deal (you are allowed two at a time). Foursquare users in your area will see the deal and this will drive traffic to your restaurant. It’s free and if you have any interest in appealing to customers under 35 (the Foursquare demographic), you should post a deal on Foursquare. ...... Facebook is the center of the social media universe. Half of your customers are on it if not more. There is a lot to Facebook, but there are two aspects central to a restaurant marketing. The first is a restaurant’s Facebook Page ..... Your Facebook Page is a place to convey information, represent your brand, and most importantly, engage with customers. If managed correctly, your Facebook Fans can become like a second email list. The difference is that it will be interactive. The interactive component allows for deeper engagement with your current customers. ...... Facebook Ads .. Facebook Ads are getting better too, so if you need an extra push, you should look into ..... A set-it-and-forget-it attitude will be more damaging in the future. More of your competitors are learning the value of online marketing, so just being present won’t do the trick anymore. You will have to invest either your time or money into online marketing to not be left behindOnline Marketing for Restaurants
5 Online Marketing Strategies Every Restaurateur Should Know About
In recent years, a number of hyperlocal platforms have stepped in to make it easier for independent restaurateurs to develop websites, manage social media, and cultivate better relationships with their customers online. ..... restaurant owners should focus on creating simple websites that run quickly on a variety of mobile devices ...... Offer a call to action. Hundreds of online visitors may click on a typical restaurant’s website each day, but what turns those online visitors into real customers is a definitive call to action. The most successful calls to action use limited-time deals and discounts — usually posted on a restaurant’s website, Facebook page, or Twitter feed — as a way to encourage people to get on their feet and get inside a restaurant’s doors. ...... The number one thing that diners look for when they search for restaurant information online is a current menu — just ahead of a telephone number, address, and photo of the establishment. ...... Solicit anonymous feedback from customers. ..... Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter should be a major part of any local restaurant’s online marketing campaignRestaurant Online Marketing
when I am consulting with many restaurant owners. I teach them the techniques, they acknowledge them and recognize that they make sense and should work, and then... nothing happens. They are so busy running their daily operations (even if the restaurant is half-empty), and complaining about the economy that they don't have any time or energy left to take any action and improve their business. Successful marketing means connecting with customers and understanding their feedback ...... most of your customers access, or have access to, the Internet. ..... And yet, most of the restaurateurs are doing next to nothing to promote their business online. ...... People, (and not only young people, this also includes your potential customers) go online to look for places to eat. No more browsing in the paper ads, or opening the thick yellow book. No Sire. ...... Your customers are not looking for your restaurants where you advertise, they are looking online. They use the Web to search for the best places to eat. ...... have a great website with lots of useful information, promote your business online, where your customers are ..... Make everybody who goes to eat at your place very happy. Exceed their expectations. Deal with any potential issue generously and never, ever argue with a client, even if they are wrong. ...... they don't care about flashy ads in newspapers, radio, or magazines. They just Google "Italian Restaurant" or "Thai Restaurant" and read the reviews...... Does your restaurant have a good website? If so, are you capturing your customers' information? Are you emailing your customers with offers and information to keep your restaurant fresh in their minds? Emailing them a coupon and invite them to come over when it's their Birthday or Anniversary? ...... are you maximizing the Social Networks such as Twitter or Facebook to promote your restaurant? If not, you should. The only investment that you have to make is your time, and they can have a tremendous impact in your business...... Online Restaurant Directories Marketing ... Restaurant Website Marketing .... Restaurant Social Media Marketing ... Restaurant Email Marketing ..... Delegation is perhaps one of the most underused and underestimated techniques. If there are people who can do things better than you, you shouldn't waste your time struggling with those tasks. ...... leaving these tasks that you don't like, or don't know how to do, to an expertTop 10 Web Site Mistakes That Restaurants Make
Your full address and phone number should be on the top or bottom of every page. ...... Your menu is the number one thing that customers look for at a restaurant web site. ..... there should be a printable version of the menu available as well, perhaps in a PDF format. Exceed your web site customer's expectations by posting the most effective menu presentation possible. ..... Nothing else can convey the brand image of your restaurant better on your site than quality photography. ..... Photos of your food, your interior and exterior, as well as your people can make a major impact. ....... Time and again, I encounter restaurant sites with no evidence that any real people work there. This is amazing to me because your people are your restaurant. ...... your goal should be to answer every email inquiry that comes into your restaurant within 24 hours (or sooner). Emails, like phone calls are business leads, and customers taking the time to email are serious about contacting your restaurant. ..... Is someone dedicated to responding to incoming email messages? If not, go disconnect your phone as well -it's really the same thing. ..... At minimum, you should have a form on your site for customers to sign up for a newsletter or event information. Follow up with regular, timely emails to your list. ..... Upscale food, but low scale graphics and site design. It happens all the time on the web. Your cousin's friend could build your web site 10 years ago, but not today. ...... Your restaurant's web site should sell for you 24/7 with no breaks ... The best restaurant web sites look at their Internet program as an integrated marketing and sales tool. They do things like take reservations, sell merchandise, help book private parties and catering, and promote gift cards. Is your site selling for you? If not, then you've got some work to do
