9 Tips for Online Marketing for Restaurants

1. Customers know you existThis is the most basic aim of all advertising, but building that profile so that you're easily found will take a while. Don't worry, we'll tell you how!2. They know where you are, when you're open and how to get in touch with youThere's nothing more frustrating that hunting around a website looking for these basic details, web users are notorious for their impatience. If they can't find this stuff quickly they'll go on to the next site on the search results and you've lost a customer.3. The image you portray in your marketing campaigns will appeal to your target audienceHigh class restaurants need a polished website that reflects the quality and exclusivity of the establishment. If your focus is on speedy service for busy business people you need something that looks snappy and sharp.4. You make it easy for clients to book and offer inducements for them to leave you contact detailsYou'll use these for more targeted advertising in the future.5. You build a method into your marketing that lets you monitor it's effectivenessIt's all about budget management, you'll want to focus your energies and budget on the things that have been proven to work.

Online Marketing as Part of an Integrated Advertising Approach

Developing an online marketing plan for your restaurant doesn't mean that you're going to ignore traditional approaches. Local networking, building a profile and getting people talking about you and your business is still important, but as consumers turn increasingly to the net to find goods and services you want to be sure that when they run that search your business is one of the first they find. There's a fair bit involved in making sure that happens, but if you take a step by step approach you'll get there. Some of the steps involved in planning your advertising are the same regardless of whether you're working on or off line:6. Identify your target audience accuratelyAge, social status, gender, even when they are most likely to eat out rather than at home. The better you understand your target customers the easier it will be to reach them7. Understand what they want from your type of establishmentConsider organising a focus group or some other type of market research, and never take anything for granted.8. Define your unique selling points (USP) to reflect the needs of your potential customersMaybe it's speed of service, organic produce or a wide menu choice or it could be that your focus is on offering low cost, simple, wholesome fare.

Specific to online marketing

9. Learn everything you can about your target audience's online behaviourDo they favour emails, are they social media users, what percentage use twitter? As in point 6 above, the more you know about your customers the easier your life will be and you'll get more out of your time and budget if you're targeting your marketing in the right places and at the right time.Make sure to follow our blog if you want to learn more about marketing for restaurants.