If you are a restaurant owner, ask yourself how did people find your restaurant?

Maybe they live locally and decided to come in then they told their friends and word started to spread and all of a sudden you are full.  This works as long as your patrons believe they are getting value for money – ie good food, good service and nice atmosphere.

There are two things to note about “value for money”. Firstly it does not necessarily mean cheap, it means that the diner was happy to part with their hard earned cash in exchange for the experience they had. The second point is that the definition of good food, good service and a nice atmosphere depends on the expectations of the diner.  A friendly cheap and cheerful restaurant can have as many happy diners as the most expensive restaurant.

So as a restaurant owner you need to ensure you provide value for your customer.  Now back to how people find you. In the restaurant industry it is often through word of mouth and the new word of mouth are online restaurant reviews and social media.

Step by step guild to getting your restaurant found on the internet.

1. You definitely need a website which entails getting a domain name or restaurant internet address and a website host.
   The website should includes your physical address, contact details, opening hours, type of food you service and your menu along with any special features your restaurant has eg kids menu, vegetarian options, takeaway, function options, courtyard etc. You may want to include something about the chef and the cuisine or philosophy of the restaurant.
2. Your website should include a newsletter subscription so you can communicate specials and promotions.
3. Submit your website to the search engines
   
4. Register your restaurant in google places
   
5. Submit your restaurant in your local directories such as www.truelocal.com.au
6. Add your restaurant to restaurant review sites such as www.eatability.com.au
7. Ask some of your good customers to review you on these sites to get the ball rolling.
8. Build a facebook fan page and promote it on your website.  Your customers will be able to “like” you and therefore share their experience with their friends.
9. You will also need to set up internet alerts and social media alters to monitor what people are saying about you and respond accordingly.

If you are a restaurant owner and you need help with your internet marketing, you’ve come to the right place. Fill in the contact form on the side for a free 15 minute internet marketing consultation about your restaurant.

Below are a couple of videos that will help you understand why Social Media should be considered as part of your restaurant marketing plan.