It’s not enough to have a great restaurant. You have to tell people about it, and show them why they should go to your restaurant instead of just any old place.
Here are some tips on how you can attract more customers to your restaurant:
- Build an Online Presence: Create a website for your restaurant where you can list all the products and specials that are available, as well as give diners information about the decor and location of the restaurant.
- Welcome Online Reviews: Make sure your restaurant has lots of reviews online. Google+ and Yelp are great places to start.
- Beef Up Your Menu: If you have a big, diverse menu, you can attract a bigger group of customers. Include new, unique items on the menu as well (people love new stuff).
- Seek Out Special Events: By getting involved in charity events or business conventions, you can reach a new group of customers that might not otherwise come into your restaurant.
- Offer Gourmet Take-Home Packages: People like getting take-out food from good restaurants because they’re usually willing to pay extra for the food they get at such places.
- Look for Paid Online Advertising: Google AdWords is an easy way to find new customers. But you need to make sure that you’re at least targeting those people who are likely to come into your restaurant, not just any ol’ person who has discovered your website or seen it advertised on the TV.
- Prepare for a Possible Slump in Business: Make sure that you have enough cash set aside for emergencies.
- Place Ads in Local Newspapers: Many people still read newspapers, and the ads you place there can be effective. Just make sure that you have a professional ad placed and not a cheesy one that looks dodgy!
- Make Your Restaurant Stand Out: Make your restaurant unique so that customers feel like they’re getting something special just by dining at your restaurant.
If you implement these steps, you can be sure to attract more customers to your restaurant in the future!
Additional tips on restaurant websites :
- Make sure that you have a mobile responsive site, which will look good on both desktop and mobile. You want to make sure that your site is easy to navigate too. Do usability tests on the actual site, and fix any issues you run into.
- Make sure that your brand is consistent across all online channels (such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Your customers should always feel like they’re in the same restaurant when they visit each channel.
- Be real. Don’t have your patrons think that you’re a one-of-a-kind restaurant when you’re really just a chain restaurant. Customers will trust you, but they’re staying away because they don’t feel secure in your restaurant.
- Encourage reviews from both regular customers and anonymous Yelp and Google+ reviewers. Displays of genuine responses will help customers feel more comfortable with your restaurant, and it makes for a positive online reputation.
- Make sure that all of the information on your website is accurate, and stick to the facts when it comes to menu items, location, hours, etc.
Need help in creating a restaurant website that attracts customers? We can help! Just get in touch with us today to start creating a website that brings customers to your restaurant.