
With the economy still in the toilet, and many businesses suffering, I’ve found that restaurants have been taking a big hit. With less spending money, people are choosing to cook at home or eat inexpensive food as opposed to eating at nice, casual restaurants. If they do go out to eat, appetizers and dessert are often skipped, which significantly decreases the total bill. Small bills means less profit for restaurants as well as the waiters/waitresses who make their tips on a percentage of the total bill. Simply said, for restaurants to really survive, and survive without stressing, a lot has to be done.
Many upscale restaurants typically attract customers with television advertisements as well as print ads, which are costly and have a limited shelf life, so to speak. Once a commercial runs, it’s over and done with. Kaput. This, my friends, is why the internet is far more beneficial.
Marketing a restaurant using the internet costs a fraction of what television/print ads would cost and lasts for decades.
On to the big question: how can I market my restaurant using the internet? This is a very complicated question, one that I can write 30+ pages on, though I will keep it short.
SEO — Saving Money + Building Brand Awareness
Search engine optimization is one of the absolute best ways to market a restaurant online. Customers know what they want, and directing them to such through proper keyword implementation is your ultimate goal. For example, if you live in Santa Monica and want a classy French restaurant for an anniversary, you would most likely search in Google for “French Restaurant in Santa Monica” or something along those lines. If your restaurant’s website fails to include your keywords you’re basically another spec of dust in the wind. Nobody will find the site, traffic will be very low, and sales will not be converted.
To fix this issue, brainstorm your most important keywords and prioritize them. Then, the keywords should be plugged into your website content, meta titles, meta descriptions, meta keywords, and more.
Viral Videos — The Same Effect As TV, Way Less Coin
Don’t be shy, this is your minute of fame! Create a cool, viral video about your restaurant. Shoot clips of food, the dining room, or anything else you believe will draw customers in. If you have an insane view of the sunset over a lake, shoot that. I think you get my vibe.
Once videos are shot, share them on the net. Upload the videos to food websites, YouTube, Myspace Videos, etc.
Blog Marketing — What’s New? We Want To See!
Foodies like myself, I mean true gastronomes, love seeing photos of food, hearing of menu additions, and seeing anything else related to food. Blogs allow a clear channel of communication between you and your customers.
I highly suggesting installing a blog on your restaurant’s current website, or building it into a new site. Use the blog to continuously update customers and keep them involved. In a certain sense, a blog is like a newsletter on crack.
Additionally, blogs rank very high in search engines, so blog posts receive far more impressions when compared to conventional, static sites.
I really hope the above information has been helpful and feel free to contact me if you have any questions — I’m here to save the day. ::runs out with cape::
If your restaurant is looking for a Professional Internet Marketing Firm please feel free to give us a call at 310-876-0874. We have over 60 years of combined experience and I myself have been in the internet marketing field for over 10 years. More importantly, I’m a big foodie, an avid cook, and a person who gave up a scholarship to culinary school so I can pursue business. I love marketing and I love food, it’s as simple as that.
Sincerely,
Aaron Schoenberger
The Brainchild Group