Successful Restaurant Websites

More ideas for ways food businesses can use Twitter:

“Twitter is a goldmine,” Rumford said, adding that a number of big consumer brands are already on the site–including Starbucks, which currently boasts about 6 million followers.

Rumford also noted that small businesses are using Twitter to advertise, citing the example of a gourmet Korean taco truck business in Los Angeles which since its launch in November has built a following through Twitter: “The driver tweets where the truck will be 20 minutes ahead of time, and literally hundreds of people show up,” one conference attendee confirmed.

Tweeters Use Twitter For Business

Did you know that here are still thousands of restaurants that don’t have websites?   Many are suffering in this economy but the majority of them could improve their business with a basic online presence.   Even a one page website is sufficient and can be virtually free.   No more exceptions!

“Back in the day, as they say, a business that doesn’t advertise was soon to be out of business. These days, a business without an online presence will soon be shopping for a Rest in Peace sign as well.

How can you survive today without a website? You can’t! How can you survive without driving traffic to your website? Again, you can’t. If you are still relying on the marketing weapons of yesterday, you might still attract a few prospects. But without an online presence for people to find you and validate who you are, you’ll continue to miss the majority of your potential customers.”

Where ‘o Where Have Your Customers Gone? (EVLiving)

The Wexley School for Girls is a unique, creative ad agency with some smart and sometimes controversial approaches to marketing.    You think creatively about many aspects of your restaurant business, but have you applied this same inspiration to your marketing?   This article reminds you to think beyond the viral YouTube video and consider what about your restaurant is unique.  How can you promote these differentiators in your marketing?  The sky’s the limit.

“Step 1: Ask the Right Questions

Before taking on a project, Wexley asks about a company’s business, marketing goals, and reputation. But the most important question is this: What sets your company apart from your competitors? It sounds easier to answer than it is. “A lot of clients say, ‘We have simply the best cheeseburger in Seattle,’” McAllister says. “But you see that claim on every restaurant menu.” A unique quality should be one that your customers recognize, not the same old line you’ve been repeating for years.”

The Wexley Way: How to Think Creatively in 8 Easy Steps (Inc.)

Yeah, yeah, twitter this, twitter that.  Whatever.  But do you know how specifically customers might come to find your restaurant website using Twitter?  This article has several simple, inexpensive (or free) ideas for how you can use Twitter to drive more traffic to your restaurant.

“Even better, if they endorse the business to their followers, this becomes an online species of word-of-mouth-marketing. So, how do you encourage this to happen?

Twitter is full of word of mouth Marketing opportunities. Here’s a sample of just a few tweets I saw that came up in the last week for people seeking NYC restaurants:

• “I need a good reco for a restaurant in NYC with fried chicken. Anyone have suggestions?”
• “looking for inexpensive restaurant options in NYC. Anyone want to help? I’ll be in Soho, but all around the island”
• “I’m seeking NYC Mexican restaurant recommendations, any thoughts?”
• “looking for a NYC restaurant recommendation for me and my lady friends…”

If your business is something people seek out frequently, like an entertainment venue or restaurant, then consider monitoring Twitter mentions containing apropos keyword phrases and send replies recommending your place to them.”

Harness the Power of Twitter For Local Marketing

This article offers great detailed recommendations on how to approach optimizing your website for local search results.

“Many of the online directories and local search engines are adding more dimensions of information onto a business’s basic listing. Providing as much detailed info as possible about your company through these profiles could help convert users of those sites into new customers for you.

This information can include things like hours/days of operation, products and manufacturers carried, special offers, years in business, photos, videos, slogans, business categories, keywords, certifications, menus, amenities, payment methods, etc.

Add the URL for your company Website to these local information Websites, since more inbound links provide you with better ranking ability in search engines. The sites on which you can associate your URL with your listing for free are better for this, since Google and other search engines may not count paid links.

The prospect of updating and monitoring information through so many avenues may seem overwhelming. For a small business with just a few locations, the main work is in the initial integrations and updates; thereafter, you just need to periodically check and intervene as necessary. And you don’t have to do your updating all at once.”

Local search engine optimization (Multichannel Merchant)

If you’re still dancing around the idea of creating a Facebook page for your restaurant, here’s an interesting article about the use of this social networking site by various businesses in Aspen, Colorado.  It’s great for keeping in touch with customers, but one owner found additional benefits:

“Jimmy Yeager, owner of Jimmy’s: An American Restaurant and Bar (which joined Facebook six weeks ago), also noted that he uses Facebook to keep up with what is going on in the restaurant and bar industry nationwide. Using his personal Facebook page, he joins other restaurant sites to scout for information.

“It has a lot to do with keeping up with trends and friends and seeing what everyone is doing,” he said. “

Aspen businesses find new way to advertise: Facebook (Aspen Times)

Fohboh made us aware of a very interesting article uncovering a practice of restaurants being persistently solicited about the removal of negative reviews from their profile page.  Imagine!  While Yelp claims this is not their policy, the article indicates that several employees have come forward confirming this practice.  And it gets even uglier!

“Because they were often asked to advertise soon after receiving negative reviews, many of these business owners believe Yelp employees use such reviews as sales leads. Several, including John, even suspect Yelp employees of writing them. Indeed, Yelp does pay some employees to write reviews of businesses that are solicited for advertising. And in at least one documented instance, a business owner who refused to advertise subsequently received a negative review from a Yelp employee.

Many business owners, like John, feel so threatened by Yelp’s power to harm their business that they declined to be interviewed unless their identities were concealed. (John is not the restaurant owner’s real name.) Several business owners likened Yelp to the Mafia, and one said she feared its retaliation. “Every time I had a sales person call me and I said, ‘Sorry, it doesn’t make sense for me to do this,’ … then all of a sudden reviews start disappearing.” To these mom-and-pop business owners, Yelp’s sales tactics are coercive, unethical, and, possibly, illegal.”

Yelp and the Business of Extortion 2.0 (East Bay Express)

This article mentions a few larger restaurant chains, but the lessons for restaurant marketing and social media still apply for our readers.

“Social networking and restaurants are a logical match, says Reggie Bradford, CEO of social media marketing consultancy Vitrue. “Food is naturally social,” he points out. “Where do you want to eat? Do you want to grab something here? This is translating to online conversations around restaurant brands. We’ve seen tremendous adoption of social media strategies among QSRs and fast-casual restaurants.”

Combine social media with freebies, and you’ve got marketing dynamite. “Giving away food in these uncertain economic times obviously resonates strongly with consumers,” Bradford says. “Huge gains are being made by brands who are reaching out to consumers with something tangible. IHOP deserves kudos for taking it important steps further by giving back to the community and forging loyalty along the way.”

Freebies + Social Media = Hot Restaurant Strategy