Are you an aspiring restaurateur determined to manifest your dream of owning a successful neighborhood eatery? Perhaps you have recently become the General Manager of an older establishment struggling to keep up with today’s tech-savvy world. The harsh reality is the restaurant industry is not for the faint of heart. In fact, according to CNBC, approximately 60 percent of new restaurants fail within the first year. And nearly 80 percent shutter before their fifth anniversary.

Most restaurant owners and operators didn’t enter the food and beverage industry because of their outstanding marketing prowess. They would much prefer to butter the inside of a cheese souffle or pour diners a brilliant red than spend time crafting catchy advertising headlines and evaluating cost-per-click ratios. However, to reap the reward of long-term success and sustainability, restaurateurs must become proficient marketers. 

Below are digital marketing tips from our See Deep Local team for becoming your neighborhood’s go-to restaurant. These suggestions are not in a specific order of importance and, if accomplished comprehensively, will increase your probability of running a thriving, profitable eatery for years to come. 

Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Optimizing your Google Business Profile seems obvious, but you’d be alarmed at how often restaurants have misinformation, like wrong hours or an incorrect address. When you have information discrepancies, it’s like the menu saying the ice cream has rainbow sprinkles, but the chef sends it out with chocolate chips. It was already hard enough to get your toddler to sit through dinner; now they’re having a full-blown meltdown because of toppings. The point is that you want to provide consumers with accurate information, not just on your Google Business Profile but all directory listings. 

Most local businesses, not just restaurants, have misinformation on numerous directories across the web, resulting in consumer confusion. The good news is there is a quick and affordable solution. Local search software effectively ensures your name, address, phone number, web address, etc., is accurate and consistent across all directory listings (citations). At See Deep Local, our Sonar Platform is an advanced tool that allows you to monitor the entire customer experience, from directory listing management to review building and more. 

Your Website Should Load Fast… Like Your Service

Nothing kills a dining experience like hungry bellies waiting too long for their meal. The same holds true in digital marketing. Slow-loading websites frustrate consumers, ultimately increasing bounce rate and decreasing potential reservations. Your website, like your service, should be fast! 

Running a comprehensive site audit is the best way to identify page loading errors and enhance speed and performance. The problem is you probably have a relationship with the best meat distributor in town, but you don’t know how to access a fancy site audit tool. Fortunately, you’re in luck because there is a free resource to at least get you started. Google PageSpeed Insights is a fantastic way to check your site speed and provide suggestions for improvement. Google PageSpeed Insights also provides a score for both desktop and mobile phones, as there could be drastic performance differences per device. 

Invest in Stunning Food Photography and Videography

Undoubtedly, the world is divided, but there is one thing we all can agree on… everyone loves pizza. You can’t help but salivate when seeing a photo of a freshly baked pie with the ideal cheese-to-sauce ratio, crust that looks crispy on the outside yet soft and chewy on the inside, and the perfect placement of toppings. Yum! 

Food photography and videography sparks emotion and entices potential customers to taste your culinary experience, ultimately helping you stand out among competitors. Investing in high-quality imagery is multipurpose because it can be displayed on your website, Google Business profile, advertisements, newsletters, and social media. Impactful food and beverage visuals are a must-have to elevate your brand in today’s world!

Utilize Targeted Advertising to Boost Branding

Unless you live in a one-stoplight town, you probably have restaurants offering the same cuisine as you. So, how do you stand out amongst your competitors in a saturated culinary landscape? Search engine optimization is an effective strategy, but developing rankings for quality keywords can take years. To jumpstart your brand visibility, we recommend targeted advertising, a powerful tool to capture your audience’s attention quickly. 

Crafting clever headlines, descriptions, and imagery encourages clicks that translate into reservations and online orders. Remember those stunning food and beverage photos we discussed in the section above? Incorporating them into your advertising campaigns is essential to heighten emotion and convey culinary superiority. 

You might be asking where to start advertising first. Which channel will give you the best bang for your buck? “It ultimately depends on the demographic you want to reach,” says Alex Milzer with Mile High Content, a Denver PPC agency. “We recommend various channels, such as Google, Bing, and social media, to promote special offerings, like happy hour times and new menu items. Don’t exclude off-line touchpoints, as well. For example, sponsoring a little league baseball field might be a good idea if you are a pizza restaurant wanting to promote a kid-friendly environment for birthday parties.” 

Leverage Online Reviews to Attract More Customers

Your Google Business profile is optimized. You’re running targeted ads on Google and social media. You have mouth-watering photos and videos displayed throughout your website and marketing materials. Still, reservations and online orders are subpar, and you’re barely breaking even. At this point, you’re probably scratching your head, wondering why. 

Consider the following review…

“Mediocre food and slow wait times. We made a reservation but weren’t seated until thirty minutes later. The fries were fantastic; we’ll give them that. However, I ordered my burger medium-rare, but it came out well-done. Maybe it was an off-night, but probably not returning for a second meal.”

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, online reviews have become a critical factor in business success. Negative reviews, like the one above, can feel like a punch in the gut for restaurants and kill your digital strategy altogether. On the other hand, by proactively encouraging and showcasing positive reviews, you can harness the power of social proof to harness new business. 

For restaurants looking to build their brand reputation, you need an effective strategy. Our team of experts at See Deep Local recommends making it easier for customers to leave reviews by including in-store QR codes or review links in your email newsletters. This not only promotes feedback but demonstrates your commitment to a great customer experience. 

Conclusion

The food and beverage industry is notoriously challenging and often intimidating for aspiring restaurateurs. Success demands a keen understanding of local marketing and the discipline to execute daily. We hope the above article provided a baseline of steps to becoming your neighborhood’s go-to restaurant. We also recommend utilizing other restaurant technologies, which you can find in the Restaurant Technology Landscape Report. 

If you are a restaurant wanting to generate new customers and improve customer experience, don’t hesitate to reach out to See Deep Local. We’re putting businesses on the map with local search, review management, listing management, social media management, food ordering, content curation, and more. We are looking forward to meeting you and your team!