In recent times restaurant promotion has had a full revamp with regards to client expectation levels. As restaurants have fully moved into acknowledging web 2.0 and its capabilities, an online platform for a restaurant is considered very important. With that being said the previous forms of marketing and promotion still have a very impactful reaction from customers. It is dependant on who frequents your establishment and how they react to your marketing promotions.
Your Restaurant’s Website
Now most people make reservations at their chosen restaurant online. It is a much easier way to book in with a restaurant and look at their menus and offerings with ease. This can be easily shared with the people you are dining with too, and all parties can make a choice unanimously.
The website should include a lot of information about the brand, its cuisine and special menus and offers. There is scope to include additional information such as blogs, reviews and pictures of guests and the menu. There is also an opportunity for restaurants to then join other booking sites and increase their impact into other markets and gain new customers.
With an online presence and site, you can link them to your social media platforms too. This allows for more engagement and visibility to your site and in turn your restaurant.
Social Media
The impact of social media is tremendous; it can take a sub-standard restaurant to a globally renowned brand. If you are able to grow your online presence and increase your following, ultimately you will get more interest in your physical store.
As social media is a global outlet, this could also influence where you choose to expand to, if at all. For example, you could be based in the UK but get a huge following and interest in the UAE and decide to branch out overseas.
To be successful on social media you need to be unique and offer your customer a really immersive and informative experience. This will make your prospective customers more inclined to visit.
Email Marketing
With online bookings and a good website, you can grow a healthy database. Through this you can share your updates, new information or menus with your customers over email. Email marketing is a great way of connecting with you customer without overloading them with information. Refrain from sending junk or loads of mail; keep it focused and informative as a rule.
Effective email marketing strategies will invite all customers that share their email to leave a review of their experience online or on Trip advisor etc. They will offer exclusive rewards or promotions via email, like a certain amount off of the bill. The restaurant should segment their database and focus on the most engaged audience to keep on offering great benefits to. This way you can personalise your emails and make them more effective.
Rewards System
Running a rewards or loyalty system within your establishment will definitely influence retention. This can be done either with an app or with a card that customers can get points. These points can then allow customers to redeem free items or money off their bill when they next visit. It has been proven that restaurants that offer these schemes ensure that there customer base spend more time with them than other similar brands that do not.
Signage
Having good, fresh and interesting signs and posters in and around your physical store will improve the ambiance and recognition with your clients. There are many sites you can use to purchase various different signs for both inside and outside your restaurant, a good one is printmoz.com.
You should ensure that the customer can easily find you; this can be done by incorporating the same colour scheme inside your restaurant, online and on your signs. Use way-finding signs to guide them to your restaurant, clear signs with your logo that can be placed in close proximity with the site and posters or banners and flyers that can be distributed around the local area. This keeps your restaurant and its offerings in the mind of your customer, and it can entice new ones too.
Conclusion
Promoting your website requires a good strategy and a great marketing plan. You should look at your current promotions and revamp them to match your audience’s wants. Stick to a well thought out plan and edit your current promotional strategies to match the audience you would like to attract. Whilst an online focus of promotion is very engaging, enhancing your physical stores is important too. You need to ensure that your online aesthetic matches that of your in store one, otherwise you will not get repeat custom. Customer retention is a number one goal for any restaurant, you should strive for it at any chance possible.