The pandemic has obviously played a crucial role in accelerating the digitisation drive by several years. For retailers, there is going to be a consistent rise and dependency on information as dynamics continue to change for consumers. Now that they’ve become accustomed to the digital space, customers expect restaurants to have Amazon-like interfaces, too, just like retails.
We have seen many changes over the last two years and location-based marketing strategies have been no different. But while the strategies have shifted drastically, location-based marketing remains the best way to maximise your revenue potential. Restaurants now have to market to online customers in addition to their dine-in guests. This calls for a careful balance between delivery/online growth against in-store dining for a positive net impact. You must continue to serve the guest in front of us while delivering a similarly remarkable experience for the “invisible” digital guest.
With more and more people turning to the internet for their dining experience, our web experts have come up with the Top4 tips to navigating location-based marketing in the new digital space for your restaurant business.
1. Dominate the near-me searches
According to Google Ads, searches for “local” + “business(es)” have grown by more than 80% every year. What’s more, two out of three dining consumers said they used Google search to find food and beverage information during the pandemic. Additionally, according to Google’s consumer insights study, there has been a 900% increase in “near me” searches.
Trend data shows that ‘near me’ search has never been more popular. This is especially important for the food and beverage industry as 84% of “near me” searches are food-related. This means if you’re looking to drive more foot traffic to your restaurant, targeting ‘near me’ local search is the first and best place to start.
Optimising for these search terms should be a key part of your local SEO strategies. This means getting in front of your target audience at the exact moment they are looking to buy from you. These are customers with high-intent as they are near your store and they are already looking to buy your products.
2. Meet customers where they are
Thanks to all the technology available today, a single customer can be found on multiple platforms. Meet your customers where they’re at through multi-channel selling!
Having your restaurant across channels like social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, etc.), online communities and your website is the best way to increase sales. On this note, Top4 is a location-based marketing platform to help local businesses get more leads and customers. With state-of-the-art technology, your Top4 Business Profiles connect with major social media and web platforms to help manage businesses with ease.
Why not try promoting your restaurant on Top4? Our unique platform is designed to deliver to your target market using geographic, categorical and demographic targeting. This means your business will reach the very suburbs that your potential customers are searching. Restaurants can also add menu to Top4 Business Profiles.
Additionally, our proprietary location-based marketing platform provides a number of features you can use to drive more customers’ engagement. From images, blog articles, announcements and promotions, you can post fresh content to maintain active engagement with your customers on Top4.
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3. Provide a seamless customer experience for all order types
With the rise in off-premise ordering channels, we are now seeing what we like to call the “invisible guests phenomenon.” This is when we have digital orders coming in at a significant volume, all while some guests are still dining in what seems like an almost empty restaurant. It can lead to a negative guest experience because team members are heads down, focusing on the “invisible orders.” At the end of the day, guests will remember your brand based on the experience they had. So you have to minimise the “invisible guest phenomenon” the best you can while maximising the high influx of digital orders.
Furthermore, in order to push your restaurant towards a seamless customer experience, you need to make sure that you’re able to provide an appealing and engaging experience for all order types. To do this, make sure that your website is geared towards mobile users and that you are able to provide the same seamless experience across all platforms. Another important tip to consider is the addition of technology tools like quick response codes (QR). These tools make it easier for customers to track their orders in a more efficient way and ensure a positive customer experience. Make your processes as easy as possible for both online and offline guests so that they can have an enjoyable time at your restaurant.
4. Leverage Google Business Profile (formerly GMB)
Google is the obvious leading search engine in the world, dominating more than 90% of the market share. This means you need to optimise your Google Business Profile (formerly GMB). Stats have shown that 86% of people look up the location of a business — including restaurants — on Google Maps. What’s more, Google has now become the biggest and most trusted source of restaurant reviews. Provide detailed information about your locations and companies as best you can and have a unique and attractive business description. Explain how your business is different and make sure any of your relevant keywords from an SEO standpoint appear in those first 100 words. Add high-quality pictures and make sure your hours, address and phone numbers are all correct. You need to make sure the primary category of your restaurant is set right.
Google Business Profile is free and easy to use. But this means your competitors also get to use the same tools. To get ahead in the competition, you need to strategically optimise your Google My Business profile to maximise your rankings in search results. Why not reach out to our web experts for help? Our GMB management services save your time because our digital marketing strategists take over all the necessary tasks to optimise your GMB profile. Rest assured that your business information is updated and relevant, all products and services optimised, all the latest content and offers are up-to-date with our Google My Business management service! We will take care of your Google My Business profile, maintain its reputation and handle all the posting. Get in touch with us today to save time and skyrocket your presence on Google!
To find out how we can help you with your Website + Marketing, using our unique location marketing platform called Top4, get in touch today at www.top4marketing.com
Looking to build customer loyalty through social media? Don’t forget to add your business to Top4.global
List your business, create your own digital store to sell goods and services, and share posts on social media. Promote your business on Google instantly! Should you need help with local digital marketing then view our new Google Marketing Platform and services Top4 Marketing
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