Marketing your restaurant on the Internet

The internet is now common to us all, 10 years ago most of us had never heard of it and didn't use it, so what should you be doing to use this powerful tool to promote your business?

Online Brochure

The simplest websites can be seen as a type of advertising brochure that you can deliver into people's homes without the expense of printing and delivering them through the letterbox. This means you can keep in touch with customers, run promotions and let them know about special events at a very low cost.

Promotions

When running a promotion using a traditional system such as a letterbox leaflet drop, you have to wait days and weeks to see the results. If you deliver one via the internet and email, not only can you make the design more interactive you can track the results instantly. This means you can try different things and check what works and what doesn't, making your promotions more and more effective.

Saving you money

If all of your customers can see your menu online you can change your prices and menu options much more easily and cheaply than by re-printing and sending them out again. You will still have to print some menus of course, but an online version should reduce the numbers you need produce.

If customers can order online via your site and place their orders with you at any time of the day ready for delivery later that evening, you don't have to have as many people tied up taking telephone orders and can keep your costs down or handle more orders with the same number of people.

Growing your business

By creating an attractive and easy to use website, you build customer loyalty and differentiate your business against your competitors. Allowing the customer to order in new ways, such as online will mean they are more likely to come back to you for their food orders.

You can also interact with them on a more personal basis, build up information about their likes and dislikes, store details of their regular orders, birthdays and so on. By sending them email newlsetters and making them feel part of the family you will grow your business and increase positive word of mouth. As with many things it is all about making your operation easy to do business with keeping your cusotmers tied to you and not the competitor down the road.

So how do customers find my website?

In order to be found you need to make sure your website is promoted in as many ways as possible. Start by printing it on all your paperwork and written materials; make sure you are listed in as many directories as possible especially restaurant specific sites such as Sugarvine and let your existing customers know when you deliver to them or they visit for their next meal. These are they key people you want to keep coming back, encourage them to tell their friends and family via special offers. Above all, never stop promoting your site this needs to happen on all of the time and in every way you can think of.

These are just a few ways the internet can help you now, many more will come about in the next few years so make sure you take advantage of them.