The age-old question for social media remains the same: How do I convert online consumers into paying customers? Numerous restaurants are still struggling with the issue of driving online consumers into their restaurant. In my opinion, restaurant owners can ultimately benefit from using social networks such as Urbanspoon.
Here are three ways restaurants can utilize Urbanspoon to increase sales and walk-in customers.
Claim and unlock your location
Above everything, we highly recommend that restaurants “claim” their business listing for free and fill in any basic information regarding the company. Unlocking this page allows your business to communicate with people who review your restaurant. If potential consumers are searching for your business on Urbanspoon, you want to make sure your most important information, such as your address and phone number(s), are correct and up to date.
Sign up for Rezbook
Urbanspoon’s online reservations system features integrated and simple table management and a customer database that runs entirely on the Apple iPad. It also provides advanced table management and marketing functionality at your fingertips. Some of the benefits:
- Real time: Promote table availability and send messages to guests
- Advanced customer-relationship tool: Identify VIPs, track food allergies and record table preferences
- Free off-peak promotion: Drive business through perks
- Unlimited access from any iPad or Web browser
- Wait list: Manage your wait list and page guests with a text message when their table is ready
Rezbook can help restaurants further monetize the social media platform and plays a vital role in bridging the online-to-offline gap with real-time social media conversion if done accurately. A “reservation” box will be placed on your listing on Urbanspoon, making it simple for consumers searching for your business to instantly reserve a table.
Building your diner database
Rezbook helps build your restaurant’s e-mail list so you can market to loyal guests, which is a great way to drive walk-in traffic or reservations during a slow season. Develop a targeted special promotion, and broadcast it to your captured database of existing customers.
Your customers are more socially savvy than you might think. They are using multiple social platforms to find restaurants where they prefer to spend their hard-earned cash. Your job is not only to provide the best food and customer service but also to make sure that they RSVP and walk into your restaurant (not into your competitor’s next door).
Do you use Urbanspoon or another social network to drive walk-in customers or reservations?
Andre Kay is the CEO and chief marketing officer for Sociallybuzz, which provides social media management, marketing, fan-page management and social media consultation. Sociallybuzz is designed to help companies, brands and businesses with social media development and marketing while delivering the greatest number of options in how they define and reach their relevant audiences. Sociallybuzz is a social media partner of Urbanspoon’s Rezbook.