A study by Ohio State University on restaurant failure rates found that 60% of restaurants don’t make it past their first year and 80% close within five years of their grand opening. I think the number one mistake most small businesses make is not marketing their brand online and having a website. With the amount of freelancers out there and the ease of creating a website – there is absolutely no reason to not take advantage of the low cost marketing options of creating a website and using Google my business to help them grow.
Running a restaurant is a huge task that comes with a never-ending to-do-list. Most operators probably don’t like the idea of adding another assignment but there is one that is very important – a website. According to a Constant Contact/Single Platform survey, “75% of consumers surveyed often choose a restaurant to dine at based on search results”. Online visibility is huge for restaurants and can ultimately determine whether a customers come to your restaurant or not. If you don’t have the time or expertise, I am sure there is someone in your community that will help you do it.
A website gives you control over the image of your
restaurant. It gives a restaurant the platform to tell their own story, in
their own words (unlike third party sites). Customers will get a good idea of
who you are, as well as get an idea of the overall atmosphere of the
restaurant. This will promote people who are searching for a place “near me”,
with the information they are looking for to visit the store as a walk in
customers. Now a days it’s about given the customers the options – What they
want, when they want it and how they want it. I’m not a big believer of telling
the customer they can’t do something the way they want to do
“The growth in digitally ordered carry-out foods is a good example of responding to the need to eat away from home on our own terms,” wrote David Portalatin, of market research firm NPD, in a blog post analyzing off-premise. NPD found that digital orders for carryout have increased more than orders for delivery.
People are starting to shop at more local, family-owned stores again. That’s why you can see “buy local” movements popping up all over America. Google found that 76% of people who search on their mobile devices and computers for something nearby (local) will visit that business within 24 hours of their search. Having your business listed on Google maps is the easiest way to share your location, phone number, hours of operation and web site. This will also allow the customer to simply click on a couple buttons to call your business, find directions or place an order all from the same screen.
That means that most dining experiences now start with a online search. The use of mobile searches will dictate where they go to dine in or to streamline the ordering process for take-out. That comes in all shapes and sizes, from allowing users to browse a menu, order online, find directions and call the businesses directly from your listing. Not only are modern users knowledgeable of the process, but statistically likely to put them to use several times a month.
Because of this you will want to make sure that your site shows up in a web search above all the other listings for the business, ie , reviews sites, delivery service listing, other business pages and also your competitors. I know the delivery services make things easy for you, say they will create you a site, but they really aren’t looking out for your best interest. They aren’t trying to market for you, they are actually trying to steal your customers from you. They are marketing their services for the searcher to place a food order through them and not you; that’s what they do. If your marketing plan starts with the delivery companies taking control of your restaurant, then don’t wonder why nobody dines in your place any more. I do agree that there is a need for the delivery services, but it should only be one third of your plan.
So, It’s not all about online ordering for delivery !! You need that local foot traffic to drive sales, and without it, your business will not make as much money as it can. The answer is to make sure you have a good SEO driven website and use all of the free services from Google my Business and social media.