In the restaurant industry, it is completely normal to use today’s digital tools to increase the number of reservations. Indeed, developments in the industry in 2020 allow us to encourage customer loyalty, improve our visibility and receive continuous feedback every day. In many ways, this is a tremendous asset to all of us.
How many digital tools do you use to increase the number of reservations in your establishment? If you use a tool palette, we know you’ll be interested in the information in this article to get the most out of those tools. If you only use a few tools (or no tools at all), pay attention: the items below are essential for your business .
New reservations are yours!
Website
Websites are true digital pillars and should therefore include:
A sales landing page that directly encourages visitors to book a table. To achieve this goal, ensure the following:
– Use a simple structure and texts, organized from top to bottom.
– Graphic design and restaurant images that are impactful and clearly visible at a glance.
– A home page highlighting the strengths of your establishment and explaining to visitors why they should visit your restaurant.
– A clearly marked location.
but also…
– “Call to action” buttons to book directly. Something like “Book your table now”. “Yes, I would like to reserve a table”. “Great, I want to make a reservation”.
Make sure you have a convenient booking system so your customers can book directly from your website by clicking these buttons.
It is essential that the page to which the buttons redirect customers is also clear and intuitive and that it allows them to confirm their reservation or manage their information efficiently so that the shopping experience is perfect from start to finish.
If you still don’t have a website, it’s time to act! Click here to get one thanks to TheFork.
If you already have a website, but you don’t have a reservation system, TheFork can help you too. Click here .
Google Business
Google seeks to capture all aspects of users’ attention. This is why the search results first display the information of the companies appearing on the platform of the search engine. It is important to optimize your Google referencing in order to increase your number of reservations.
The idea is that when a customer types, for example, “budget restaurant nearby” into Google and your establishment appears, they can see:
The 3 most beautiful photos of your restaurant (food, atmosphere and service) because these are the first 3 that the customer will see on his mobile.
A short description with a “call to action” . “If you want to taste creative and delicious dishes, made from local products, we are the ideal establishment. Reserve your table. »
The menu in a format with detailed information and easy to read.
Photos of the most popular dishes.
Positive comments about your establishment.
A good rating (4 stars or more).
Your contact details: phone, website, etc. And of course…
A link to the booking platform.
If you have all of these, you’re more likely to get reservations through your Google listing, compared to other restaurants that don’t pay as much attention to detail.
Social networks
When it comes to social media, the first thing to do is put direct booking buttons on Facebook and Instagram. Click here to get some thanks to TheFork.
The other things you can do to increase your number of bookings are related to the marketing strategies you use on these platforms.
We advise you to use these 2 basic strategies to take advantage of reservations via social networks:
Use segmented ads
Today, the most effective way to attract the attention of customers is to use advertisements that are directly related to their lifestyle and the products they want to consume. As a result :
- Define the 3 types of customers who mainly make up your clientele or whom you want to reach.
- For each group, use ads that incorporate images, videos and text to really highlight what each type of customer likes about your establishment.
- Add direct booking buttons and get ready to receive continuous bookings.
The key is in carefully segmenting the customers that Facebook and Instagram will show these ads to (likes, preferences, location, and social data), as well as making the ad truly appealing.
Include “calls to action” in your posts
Asking customers to book is a basic thing, but we think it can sometimes be too direct.
So when developing your posting schedule, be sure to include at least 3 posts per week aimed at generating bookings and including text to that effect.
Posting “tutorial” style content that tells customers how to easily book a table on your social media channels can also be effective. Customers will remember that they can make a reservation.
TripAdvisor
In the digital world, one of the most effective ways to increase bookings is to have a good online reputation and positive reviews. We all know it: TripAdvisor is currently the most influential platform in this area.
Therefore, in addition to a good profile for your restaurant on TripAdvisor with a reservation button, we advise you to test the latest innovation:
The TripAdvisor Comments Center which allows you to manage comments from different digital platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Google and TheFork, in one place.
This advancement allows you to respond effectively and in a more personalized way to each comment received and better interact with customers in order to create a great image for your establishment, which will encourage visitors to book.
It’s also an opportunity to identify trends in customer feedback so you can give them exactly what they want.