Get More Online Attention for Your Restaurant with These 5 Tips

Written by Justine Nightingale
Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 08:00am CDT

It’s never been more important to draw customers into your restaurant and increase your online ordering.

You want to find new customers and retain your current ones through attractive and enticing marketing. In this article, we look at how you can get more online attention for your restaurant with these five tips.

#1: Create a Strong Web Presence

The most important thing you need is a strong, fast, user-friendly, responsive website that is attractive to users.

Your restaurant website is a pivotal piece of your online strategy. Most of your marketing channels will point back to your website. Google search pages will also point back to your website.

If your website hasn’t been updated in the last couple of years, it’s time to think about a new website design or at least a refresh.

#2: Leverage Social Media

Social media is one of the best ways to command online attention. You’ll find that people on your community are on their phones scrolling through their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds. They’re also watching videos on TikTok.

Where is your restaurant? Are you on any of these social platforms?

You want to make sure you’re on at least one platform if you want to increase online engagement. It’s so important that you create and maintain a vibrant and engaging social media environment. Your profiles are essential when promoting your restaurant and engaging with customers. (tweet this)

What’s more, you’ll find that alongside Google, when people are looking for places to eat, they’re hitting social media to do their research.

When they find your pages, they’re looking for your location, your hours, your website, and your menu. Each platform has a different way for you to include this information, so make sure you complete your profiles on each of your pages.

In addition, stay true to your brand voice on social media. Be real and authentic as social media users want to know your true restaurant. They want to see you in your restaurant, people cooking, and diners eating.

Post regularly on each of your social profiles and be sure to vary the content to fit the platform. For example, if you create a blog post, share a link to it on Facebook. Then, create a short video with the content for Instagram.

#3: Create Paid Ads

Wondering how to get more online views? Try paid ads.

Another way to command online attention is with paid ads on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and others.

Paid ads will find potential customers you might not otherwise have reached. Your paid ads can also remind current customers that you’re there and ready to serve them. (tweet this)

Ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram can help you reach both new and current customers. You can build awareness, engage people, and offer them a reason to visit in the form of a coupon or meal special.

Don’t forget Google AdWords as this is another way to reach people who might not know about you.

With all paid ads, you can target specific demographics and different locations to make sure your brand stays out in front of the competition.

#4: Maintain Your Google Business Page

This is crucial for your restaurant as well. Not only do you want to create the page, but you want to regularly update it.

If you don’t have a Google Business Page, please create one soon. You can add a profile pic and a logo pic and information about your restaurant such as location, hours, and menu.

It is also important to post photos of the inside and outside of your restaurant as well as your menu items. Try to post new photos once a month or so to keep your listing fresh.

Also, you can post on your page just as you would on Facebook. Do try and do this consistently, as Google really likes it when you do.

This also may help raise your restaurant on Google search engine results pages.

#5: Incentivize Your Email List

Do you use email marketing for online engagement? It’s a good tool and one that’s proven over years of use.

The most successful restaurants are staying in front of their customers through email marketing, sending one to four or more emails a month. Some emails provide engaging content and links to blog posts while others are using transactional emails to offer specials and encouraging loyalty.

One thing you can do to get more online attention is to incentivize your email list. Offer new sign ups an incentive like a coupon code or a free appetizer. You can increase the size of your email list through this tactic.

Then, you can keep them engaged through continued email marketing, coupons, and loyalty rewards.

Through your email marketing program, you can show subscribers and diners how much you value their continued business by creating an easy-to-use loyalty program. Reward customers and keep them coming back to your restaurant again and again.

Bottom line – email marketing is a powerful tool, so make sure you are encouraging new sign ups daily.

Final Thoughts

As one final tip, we encourage you to work on boosting your online reviews. The more reviews you have, the more new customers you’ll get.

Add a tag to your emails inviting people to use reviews, post a link on your website, and in your social media. Ask for reviews in your restaurant.

You’ll find this is a powerful tool to grab more online attention.

According to Robert Rose, “Marketing is telling the world you’re a rock star. Content marketing is showing the world you are one.”

Digital marketing is the pivotal piece for getting more online attention for your restaurant.

Nearly everyone is online these days, glued to their devices, browsing the internet, and scrolling through social media.

A strong online marketing strategy is crucial if you’re going to not only retain your current customers but attract new ones. Growing your restaurant business begins by creating a strong digital presence.

Your digital presence is a beacon, demanding the attention of online users. Improving your online engagement can propel your restaurant to new levels.

Start working on your online presence today, and you’ll watch your revenue grow as your business stands strong in the digital arena.

At Restaurant Engine, not only do we create great, responsive websites, but you can count on us to create a website that works seamlessly with your online digital marketing. Let us help you by creating the perfect site that draws customers in and helps you grow your business! Ready to take the plunge and create a new website? Get your free website consultation today!

 

Images: Brad and Keith Tanner on Unsplash