A common question we’ve heard is, “how does mobile technology impact the restaurant industry?” We Americans love our smartphones. We have them in our hands for over 3 hours per day, and check them 58 times per day (RescueTime study). With all of that time, we’re checking text messages and emails, getting social media updates, shopping, browsing, and looking for places to eat. It’s easier than ever to do a quick search for food, or even to just ask your phone to tell you where to find pho.
This technology has obviously affected the way we run restaurants. Instead of a casual listing in the yellow pages (remember that?) or a tv commercial, now your restaurant needs to be front and center online. Here are 7 things you can do to take advantage of mobile technology for your restaurant:
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Have a Google Business listing and keep it up to date.
With all of the searches people are doing for restaurants (among other things) on their phones, you definitely want to make sure your business is going to show up if someone is looking for the type of food you sell.
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Make sure your phone number is easily accessible on your website and business listing.
Your business number needs to be clickable for people who see your listing, so it’s as easy as possible for them to get a hold of you. If you – like most other food locations – are understaffed, you may want to try a solution like Reachify, which automatically answers phone calls for you and sends text messages with links or directions and saves you time and money.
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Post your business profile and pictures on social media.
People love to try what they see on social media, and it’s also where they do the most connecting. They trust reviews they find on social media, and many people try a new restaurant because they saw it on social media.
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Get online reviews.
When people are shopping online, whether for clothes, food, or anything in between, they generally look at reviews to see how good a product is, and whether they want to try it. It’s very important to have good reviews.
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Put your menu online.
While some people do search generically for “food near me,” most people have a general idea of what they want, and some even have a very specific idea of what they want. If you’re offering dumplings, or soup, or desserts, it is absolutely crucial that you notate that on your website, social media account, and business listing. In fact, it’s better if you have your whole menu up, so when people decide they want to eat “chocolate pumpkin pie ice cream” and you sell it, your business pops up. Don’t use a pdf for your menu online.
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Make sure you have online ordering available.
For people who are in a hurry, want to get their food delivered, or just want to pay before they get to your location, online ordering is a must. As an added bonus, online ordering frees up staff members and reduces errors on orders.
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Double check that your Google location is accurate.
If people are trying to come to your restaurant for the first time, they will often use a map app to plot a route there. If your location is wrong, they will have a difficult time getting there; make it as easy as possible.
