10 Reasons Why Your Restaurant Needs a Website

1. Save Time
In the fast-paced hospitality industry, every minute matters. Having a websites allows for you to have simple questions answered fast. Websites allow people to view your hours, location, menu’s, specials, and place orders without tying up the phone lines. 

2. Photography
The cliché of a picture is worth a 1,000 words speaks loudly when it comes to restaurants. People want to be able to see everything. It also gives you chance to showcase your culinary talents. A picture gives great insight to the cuisine you’re serving as well as make people want to go and eat it!  Let’s face it; which dish would you get your taste buds going?

3. Reviews
One of the first things people do before they even see a menu is check the reviews on your site. It is important to show reviews for a few reasons. Positive reviews help people decide whether or not to dine at your restaurant. If you have a write-up or video from a local food critic, websites allow you to showcase that.   When clients see great reviews, the likelihood of them deciding to book a reservation is high. Additionally, posting reviews helps strengthen the relationship of your existing clientele. It shows that you care about their feedback and it makes them feel important. If someone has a memorable experience, it is critical to be able to remember them and ensure that same type of experience occurs time and time again.  Ask yourself, which review would you like to see before going to a restaurant?

 

4. Convenience
These days, everyone is always on the go.  Ease of access is important. People use their phones now for almost everything.  Having a website allows these clients to view your menu, order online, use their GPS to get to your location or call directly with the press of a button.

5. Social Media
Social media has skyrocketed over the past decade. It is imperative to have some sort of social media presence to remain relevant. Websites allow widgets for several social media outlets in one convenient place. These widgets allow people to get to each of your Social pages to check-in, follow, or write a review.  Sharing anything on these sites will allow for thousands of people to see just what your clients have to say and gives them a way to remember your restaurant.

6. Events
You paid for an awesome event and are unsure how to spread the word. Long gone are the days of posting flyers. Websites allow you to have a digital calendar, which helps people to plan accordingly to attend your events, which in turn will help drive up attendance.  We also have the ability to make sure these events show up on your Facebook for more exposure!

7. Specials
Want to show that you have something going on other than your regular menu?  Whether your specials change daily or you have set specials throughout the week, websites show your clients what you’re bringing to the table each day.  Even send out an email campaign to keep your loyal customers engaged.

8. Presence
People want to be able to see all aspects of your restaurant before walking through the door. If someone hears about a restaurant, one of the ways they go about finding out about you is through a search engine. If you are not online, it may be difficult for people to find your restaurant.  Websites allow you to be seen and therefore fill the seats of your establishment faster.  The more reviews, socials sites, and correct information you have on the web; the easier to find you!

9. Mailing List
How many times has your staff passed out paper e-mail cards? How many responses do you actually receive? A website allows for your clients to fill out a mailing list card from anywhere.  It helps to boost your response to promotions, events and anything relevant to the restaurant that you want to share.

10. Representation
Are you all about casual dining?  Fine dining? The local bar? Websites allow people to see what you’re all about in a matter of minutes.  It allows for a positive representation of your restaurant while showing the image you want to portray.

Written By: Tanya Tabinsky

Small Business Saturday, Why Is This Day So Important?

Well it is quite simple, it is a day to support the little guys that day and night to make sure we have a nice place to go and eat. American Express created this holiday to support these gems and build their brand. Founded in 2010 by American Express the day has grown to be a powerful movement. According to American Express, more people are taking part than ever before.

Coming from the marketing professionals SBS is marketing gold mine! It is no coincidence that SBS falls right after Thanksgiving and Black Friday and right before Cyber Monday. It is placed right in-between the biggest holiday shopping days ever! Now something everyone can relate to during the holiday season, we are all looking for a good deal considering the amount of gifts we need to purchase. So why not give all these hungry shoppers a big reason to come in, sit down, and refuel.

With Twitter on the rise, it is a great place to check for “trending” terms. In 2013 Twitter accumulated 352,000 tweets about SBS, which was 65% more tweets than 2012 (Source: grasshopper.com). Small Business Saturday has more than 3.3 million Facebook fans (source: Businessweek). On October 14, 2014 there were 3,317,865. The message is growing, not only are people tweeting and posting Facebook status’s about the day, but this proves that people look forward to this day and will come in for a deal. 

Of course a large following doesn’t actually prove the success of a hash tag or a tweet. Do a basic good search for #SBS2013 and see the success shared from these small business owners for yourself. It’s trending and growing. So when it comes down to it advertising SBS on your website, through Email Campaigns, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or whatever else you use to market your business. You’re followed by those who matter to your business, and they will build your brand as well. Loyalty goes a long way on the internet. Marketing your SBS specials will only grow that loyal fan base!

Being a woman I can shamefully admit I will save my pay to spend a couple hundred dollars on some high end pocketbook but at the end of the day if a small business near me is selling something just as good I will convert. These businesses are small for a reason, they have that home felt and heartwarming atmosphere, for the most part. So if you haven't jumped on the #SBS2014 ban wagon, don't worry there is always next year!  

Ordereze prides itself in making sure that all of our customers have the best tools to help the small business owner succeed.  If you ever need any help with further marketing strategies and ideas we have a fully staffed marketing team who is waiting, and eager to help you!

Written By: Cody Schantz

Why it is important to respond to negative reviews.

Ever get a review like this one?

Life goes 1 of 2 ways, people either hate you or they love you. That goes for just about anything and especially your restaurant. It is inevitable you will receive negative reviews and to the very few of you who don’t… bravo! Your restaurant is important, treat it like you’d treat your personal ego, it may even be your whole ego and there is nothing wrong with that. So what do you do when someone attacks your ego?

Fight back, but kill them with kindness. The way you respond to the negativity thrown your way shows even more about you than the actual negative review. If you are claimed to have horrible wait service, grimy food, a dirty workplace, wrong orders, long waits and any other negative comment you can imagine… kill them with kindness. Even though you are responding to this specific review EVERYONE can see your response and even if they didn’t you should be taking your constructive criticism seriously especially if you’re seeing it more than once!

Some good examples would be about wrong orders and poorly tasting food, your responses should go something along the lines of…

“We are sorry your experience was not up to par, we hope that you come back to give us another chance to make it up to you!  We appreciate your criticism and keep everything in mind for the future”

Try and make these posts as personal as possible, customers want to know that you are actually reading their complaints and if you show the compassion they will come back for a second chance.

As much as we want to say ‘Don’t worry about the haters’ the haters are your creators! They definitely matter in the review world and you need to show them the compassion they long for. While you’re reaching all these ‘Negative Nancy’s’ you’re also reaching an even bigger audience that sees the professional and caring way you’ve responded to them.

Here at Ordereze we take your reputation very seriously, check out our new platforms and how we can help you with your negative reviews!

Written By: Cody Schantz