How to increase your online
presence and supercharge your sales.
“High-quality content tt's useful, usable, and enjoyable is one of the greatest competitive advantages you can create for yourself online.”
― Kristina Halvorson, Content Strategy for the Web
Think of it this way - in a digital world, the presence you craft for yourself online becomes your virtual shop window. A side of your business that some will see long before stepping foot through your doors and the deciding factor for many when choosing to drink or dine with you.
And why? The fact that Compare Hare found that a whopping 97% of consumers will search online for local businesses (including tourists searching for restaurants in a new city) before heading there should be reason enough.
We cover ‘brand building’ in our article on that very subject but once you’re sure what you want to say and with almost limitless options to choose from, where do you want to say it?
In this guide, we’ll cover some of the key channels for helping to increase your online presence and ultimately, boosting that bottom line.
The Website
Get your website right and you’re already halfway there.
It takes, on average, 00.5 seconds (ie. the blink of an eye) for a reader to make a judgement on your website and thereby your business. This is the online representation of your restaurant or bar and the brand needs to come through in a modern, attractive and eye-catching way - whatever that means for your narrative.
Consider load times, easy navigation and investing in your design and content. There are people out there trained to elevate your business in the digital space - make use of them.
The Social Channels
The other key part of your online storefront is your social channels - make sure you have a strategy behind them.
One key thing to remember with social media is that you needn’t be on every single channel - figure out where your audience (or desired) audience are and find them there.
Could be Instagram, Facebook or for some of your brands, maybe even Tiktok - a fantastic way to showcase exactly what you do though it does need a lot of time dedicated to it.
The SEO
We discuss this in greater detail in our recent article on increasing your online presence but in a nutshell, Search Engine Optimisation is an absolute necessity and there are various ways - from a blog to keyword research to using external links to monitoring your SERP placements - that you can use to ensure that your online content performs well on Google.
The Paid Advertising
If you’ve ever been scrolling through Instagram and seen a post that says ‘sponsored post’ at the top, this is a paid ad.
By putting a budget behind it and targeting the ads to their ideal demographics, the business can reach a wider audience. Again, this tends to work best when produced in cooperation with professional marketers who know the tricks of the trade.
The Emails
Also known as having a CRM (customer relationship management) strategy. Once you’ve got diners to sign up for your newsletters, make sure to pop value into their inbox on a regular basis, turning the occasional guest into a loyal patron. Think discounts, offers, little birthday treats or special events.
The Reviews
It’s incredible the number of businesses who don’t utilise this simple way to keep online content fresh.
When your guests left a review, whether negative or positive, make sure to set some time aside to respond. Not only is this good customer service but believe it or not, helps with SEO too.
Little tip: If the review wasn’t a great one, make sure not to repeat whatever the key negative thing was in your response as this could become a keyword of sorts. However, if it’s a glowing review, you know what to do. Repeat the key phrase in a natural way when thanking them for taking the time to leave it.
The Content
We saved the most important until the last.
If your content isn’t valuable to the viewers and readers of it, then no amount of paid advertising or SEO strategies can help.
Do not write or produce for search engines, write and produce for people, YOUR people. Give them a reason to read that email, check back in on your social or visit your site.
Just like in your bars and restaurants, the guest is the most important part.
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