4 Ways to Promote Your Digital Dining
Everyone is online these days – and so is your business. With the online ordering revolution under way, it’s only a matter of time before your customers want to enjoy your food from the comfort of their homes. After all, 41% of adults of all ages (and 55% of millennials) say that the availability of online ordering makes them more likely to choose one restaurant over another. Having your website optimized and your mobile app ready is just the first step. Now you have to get the word out and let your customers – new and old – know that they can order from your business and have it served up right to them, for a great digital dining experience.
Check out these four tips on how to let your customers know about your digital dining services.
1. Yelp
Yelp is a must for restaurants and food service businesses. Not only are customers flocking to Yelp to find cool to places to dine, it’s become a one-stop shop for information on your business. Menus, hours and details like whether you take reservations and have online ordering should be readily available for customers.
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Pro Tip: Do an audit of your business’s Yelp profile every week and make necessary changes. In addition to adding your most up-to-date information, you can also allow customers to place orders from your website through Yelp as an additional channel.
2. In-Store Activations
Patrons that are dining at your restaurant are the perfect place to start to gain online orders. They have already experienced your cuisine and by simply adding table cards and placards on your registers you can let them know they can enjoy it from their homes as well.
Pro Tip: Adding incentives like $10 off your first online order can let customers know that digital ordering is available and strongly encouraged!
3. Google Ordering
Customers use Google to find new places to dine and keep up with their favorite spots. Adding Google ordering to your business’s listing puts your new feature right in front of your loyal customers and fans and allows them to order right from their feeds. ChowNow allows for Google ordering and manages all of your digital dining orders through a seamless interface and tablet.
4. Search
Search is a natural fit for not only letting your customers and potential customers know about your online ordering but also just about your restaurant in general. Advertising on Google, Yahoo, and Bing puts your business in front of thousands of people searching for what to eat. Location targeting brings consumers local results and when your business is displayed, you can add copy to let people know they can also order online.
Pro Tip: When creating campaigns, make sure you have a corresponding Google Business Page, so that it can also be displayed in the search results. To really maximize your Google presence and promote your digital dining, get your restaurant set up with Food Ordering With Google, powered by ChowNow, so you can accept online orders straight from Google Search, Maps, and Assistant.
Customers are savvy and ordering online more than ever. As a service business, touting your features and ease of online ordering is key. Giving customers incentives for using your app or ordering from your website encourages loyalty and lets them know you have their interests – and appetites – at heart.