Why Google Is So Important To Business Owners

One of the biggest hurdles business owners need to overcome today is being relevant on the web.  Google being the leading search engine realized this and capitalized on it.  Good news about Google’s algorithm and Google Business is that these are free to use; yes we said free.  They revolutionized the way people search for things and what pops up when searches are entered.  Instead of going based off of keywords, Google reanalyzed their algorithm and adjusted their rankings to be based off of link popularity.  They broke it down a little further into different types of links and how much traffic each one had.

When searching on Google now you will notice that when performing a search like ‘restaurants bohemia’ you will need to scroll past Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato, Yellow Pages, Groupon, Yahoo Local in order to find any restaurants that are relevant in your area if you are not on Google Places.  Almost 9 URL’s down until you see an actual website!  Proving if you are not on Google Places then you’re missing out.

Steps on how to optimize your presence:

1. Set up your Google My Business Account
2. Get started with Yelp, TripAdvisor, Foursquare and Zomato
3. Optimize your listings
4. Gather reviews
5. Engage with customers online

Roughly 65% of people on the web when performing a search will use Google.  That means if you are not able to be found on Google you are missing 7 out of every 10 opportunities; that is a lot!  The best part about the algorithm change is that not many people know about this.  Leaving most business owners in the dark when it comes to marketing their business on the web.  You should capitalize on this and get a leg up on your competition.

Don’t have time or the patience to do this on your own?  Call us to see how we can help you.


Written by: Colleen Leonardo

6 Marketing Trends to Help Attract New and Old Business in 2015

     Marketing your business in 2015 is a mix between products, technology and customer engagement.  Having a restaurant before the era of review sites and social media wasn’t as complicated; you went off of word of mouth and cost.  However, times are changing and the demand for a heightened quality of food, efficiency, and dining experience is what really counts.  Not only does it count but now people can write reviews and spread word about your establishment via the internet.

     Don’t get stuck between a rock and a hard place by not managing your online reputation and not advancing with the times.  Get ahead of the curve and use Gen Z’s increased sense of engagement via technology to your advantage.  Offer more promotions, coupons and even incentives for people who tag themselves at your business or post a positive review about you on social media.  Make sure all of your listing information is cohesive throughout the internet to avoid wrong phone numbers, hours of operation, or address.  Any wrong information provided about you can deter customers from trying you and going to a new place.  Here are 6 Marketing Trends to Help Attract New and Old Business in 2015.

1. Dining ‘Farm-to-Fork’
        A very popular trend that is emerging is the Farm-to-Fork (or Farm-to-Table) movement.  This is a community food system in which food is produced, processed, distributed, and consumed all within a local community.  Many people are turning to a more natural diet with less processed and more organic meats, fruits and vegetables.  This allows people to eat fresher food while helping out to enhance environmental, economic, social and nutritional health within the area. 
   
   
2. Moving to Gen Z
        Millennials are also known as the ‘Demand Generation’ which is based on instantaneous gratification.  While this demand will continue, restaurateurs are going to have another issue on their hands.  The next generation known as ‘Gen Z’ are the early adopters, the brand influencers, the social media drivers, the pop-culture leaders, and are the most connected, educated and sophisticated generation ever.  With this generation up-and-coming, restaurateurs are going to need to please this crowd with high-tech service, electronic menus, a heightened level of dining experience and more unique/creative menu offerings. 
   
   
3. Expanding Technology
        As technology spreads its wings we encourage restaurants to keep up with the changing times.  Instances like below are definitely a step in the right direction:
   ·         Accepting mobile payments.
   ·         Providing a tablet to join your mailing list.
   ·         Presenting menus on tablets.
   ·         Allowing customer to electronically place their orders on the table.
   
        While Gen Z still requires a high level of demand, they are all about efficiency.  Think about it, allowing people to view and place their order on a tablet provides less room for human error.  Customers can no longer say that the waitress ‘messed up their order’ or claim that they were charged for more than what they had ordered.  Offering mobile payments allows less running around for a waitress so they can attend to more tables which allows you to use less staff. 
        As with anything new, this trend will be continuously changing and evolving.  Making sure you do your homework and brush up on newer ways to attract customers will help you out in the future.
   
   
4. Designing Shareable Plates
        Customers were very intrigued with ‘family-style’ dining in the year of 2014.  This trend does show it is still high rising and will last throughout 2015 and into 2016.  Providing the option to purchase the family-style portion for only a couple dollars more will seem like the right way to go when you have a party of 2 or more.  Customers like to see more ‘bang for their buck’.
   
       Not comfortable with changing around your whole entire menu on a theory?  We suggest creating a ‘Shareable Plates’ section on your menu to see if this is something more and more customers order off of.  Testing its success is a great way to tell if it is something you should implement on your whole menu.
   
   
5. Creativity with Your Beverage List
       Gen Z and Millennials all love to try new things and if you serve alcohol you want to capitalize on this trend in 2015.  These generations have a more extensive palette when it comes to food and drinks.  Providing shareable punches and a more extensive collection of flavored whiskey, vodka and rum will help you out with creating new and exciting drinks for them to try. 
   
        Don't have alcohol?  That is fine!  Try bringing in some herbal teas, coconut water or any other mixed non-alcoholic beverages you might find interesting.  These people are on a quest for something new and being that they are brand managers it will most certainly be helpful to appease them.
   
6. Menu Items for People with Allergies
        Did you know that between 1997 and 2011 there was a 50% increase of children with food allergies?  Now you ask yourself; Why do I need to do this?  Answer is very simple, when customers are deciding to go out usually the person who picks the place they are going to will be the one with a food allergy.  This is to ensure that person will have a good time dining out as well.
   
        We know providing a safe-haven for people with food allergies is a big burden and requires strict preparation techniques.  However, once you become fluent on all processes you will attract new and old customers who stopped or wouldn’t come to your establishment due to their restrictions.  Make sure you advertise the menu to ensure people know that they should come and try you as well.

Have other trends that you foresee becoming big it 2015-2016?  Share them below!

Written By: Colleen Leonardo

5 Tips On How To Get Your Employees More Engaged

    Most people think that employee engagement should be a part of their job role.  However, that isn’t in most cases.  According to Gallup’s article ‘Majority of U.S. Employees Not Engaged Despite Gains in 2014’ studies show only 31.5% of employees are engaged at their current job.  You might think well how does this affect me and how do I get my employees more engaged? The answer is quite simple to both of those questions.

How does this affect me?
    Many people have a job, but how many people truly love walking into work?  In the restaurant industry customer service is everything and attitudes are contagious.  Always remember that your customers are important but how they are treated while at your business will determine if they come back or not.  Making a happy employee who is willing to work harder than you are for your business is a serious asset to you.  If you are having a tough time with getting your employees to realize their potential here are some tips on how to increase employee engagement and potential.  If you would like more statistical proof please read Meliorate's 'Top 10+ reasons why employee engagement is important'.

5 Tips On How To Get Your Employees More Engaged

1. Make Them Feel Valued and Respected
        Sometimes we don’t realize the power of tone or vibe we portray.  This step requires us to be humble and ask for constructive criticism from your management team.  I have found in the past that I am a very straight faced and sarcastic individual who lacks the ability to express emotions properly.  What my team didn’t understand was the amount of work that came across my desk on a daily basis and that my ‘short answers’ had no emotions attached to it.  Without realizing it, most of my employees thought that I was a very uptight, mean and unapproachable person.  It wasn’t until I started asking for feedback on how I can be a more valuable manager that things started to change for me.
       We are by no means telling you to take all suggestions but to hear your employees out and address them in small steps.  My solution was to stop answering people in emails and to speak with them verbally.  The response did not change (because that is part of who I am) but what had changed was my approach.  With my approach changing it allowed my employees the ease of knowing the tone of my thought. 
2. Sponsor Advancement
       This can be a scary thing for any business owner as they are left with the fear their chick will fly the coop one day.  However, the best jobs I have ever had were the ones where my bosses saw potential in me and helped me to become a better employee.  They became my mentors; and not only did they mentor me through the process but they also inspired me.  They inspired me because they divulged themselves into the business and took a personal interest in the company and its employee’s well-being.  Seeing that only made me want to be just like them and in turn made me a better employee.
       Think back to when you were younger: Did you have a mentor? Did they inspire you to be great no matter the job role?  Luckily for you, you own a restaurant and most people you hire now-a-days are younger people.  Help mold them and make them realize that no matter what job you take, it is a very important one.
3. Invest in Growth & Development
      Being a business owner and seeing the word ‘invest’ probably makes you squeamish.  Have no worries and get ready to laugh because we aren’t suggesting money, just your time.  Now that you have already laughed and thought to yourself… ‘What time?’  Just remember that there is always time.  Think about all the stuff your parents did for you, or what you do for your children.  Now think of your employees as your children.  Each child is going to have a certain learning style, need more/less attention, and grow/develop differently.  This doesn’t mean one is better than the other.  Rather some employees are going to need more attention than others.  Don’t get discouraged and remember not everyone wants to be helped but this is a great way to help you identify key players within a group.
4. Don’t Be Threatened
      This simply means that if you are looking at your employees as if they were your children, when it comes time for them to ‘move on’ or ‘move up’ you want to know it was because you helped them.
   • When we say ‘move on’, this is just like how you want your children to go off and become something more than you were yourself.  You want them to succeed and look back and say you were one of the reasons they made it so far in life.
   • When we say ‘move up’, this is in the sense that one day they are so well trained they can take your spot.  After all, how do you expect to grow if you aren’t putting people in places to allow you to do so?
5. Encouragement And Motivation
       These two factors are key to making an employee want to work.  Encouraging them to take on more than the role requires.  To help them expand their knowledge on how to handle situations and make judgement calls.  Let’s face it, you do not want to be working all day every day.  You have a family too and I am pretty sure you would like to see them.  Investing more time into your staff now will only allow you more free time in the long run to help make more time to become a progressive owner.  Lost on how to motivate your staff?  Chron posted an article on ‘Top Ten Ways to Keep Restaurant Employees Motivated’.  It is definitely worth reading!

Have ideas that weren't mentioned?  We would love to hear your feedback!

Written By: Colleen Leonardo