Digital Marketing for Restaurants (Beginners Guide)

Restaurants can no longer afford to overlook the significance of digital marketing. It is now more important than it has ever been before. Did you know that 77% of diners check a restaurant’s website before deciding where to eat? 

34% of customers read the reviews posted on the internet before choosing where to eat. 

So, if your restaurant is not visible in the digital space, then you are losing a lot of potential customers. 70% of consumers like to make an order via a restaurant’s app or website, rather than using third-party apps (Hospitality Tech)

It seems that the food industry has gained the most benefits from the digital era.

We have worked with many restaurants and helped them to increase their digital marketing strategy and you might need help from a restaurant marketing agency. Even so you should understand the basics. 

Therefore, we created this detailed guide on digital marketing for restaurants from our experience to help restaurant owners. 

Know more: Best Platform for Restaurant Marketing

Why Does Your Restaurant Need Digital Marketing?

Increase Sales Through Digital Channels

According to a market analysis report, the estimated worth of the global food delivery service industry in the year 2022 was around $221.65 billion, and it is estimated that this industry will broaden by a CAGR of 10.3% from 2023 to 2030. ((Grand View Research).).

Therefore, if you do not focus on digital marketing strategies then you are likely to miss a lot of opportunities with good clients.

Online Restaurant Search Has Significantly Increased As Well

Nearly 81% of consumers research online before trying a new business, and restaurants are no exception. 

Menus, reviews, and photos are some things people consider before deciding on a restaurant. Without search engine optimization or local listings, your potential clients will not even know that your restaurant exists.

Online Reviews Can Make or Break Your Reputation

Reviews play a vital role, especially for local businesses (Brightlocal). Getting good reviews is one of the best restaurant marketing strategies.  

This means that 1-star or 5-star reviews could have the capacity to influence the outcome of a decision. It is easier to get customers when there are positive reviews, but it becomes challenging with negative reviews.

Using a proper digital marketing strategy for your restaurant, you can build a strong reputation by encouraging customer reviews.

You can even make a dissatisfied customer happy by respectfully answering their review. 

Social Media Drives Dining Decisions

49 percent of people use social media to find new places to eat. So, social channels such as Instagram or Facebook marketing are critical when trying to attract diners.

Great photographs of your food, interesting behind-the-scenes stories, or even client testimonials could be the thing that makes you stand out. 

But, if you are not promoting your brand on such social media platforms, you are most likely losing many new customers who would be willing to try a new place for no apparent reason.

Digital Marketing Levels the Playing Field

You don’t need to have the advertising budget of a national chain to gain customers. Digital marketing makes a level playing field for all types of restaurants.  

Small, independent restaurants are even succeeding in local markets through low-cost strategies such as Google My Business and local SEO.

By focusing on relevant keywords, optimized profiles, and targeted content, you can attract diners in your area and effectively compete with bigger companies.

It Keeps You Connected with Customers

With digital marketing, you can maintain contact with the client even after leaving your eatery. Once they become your customer you can reach out to them whenever you want.

Whether you use social media, emails, or events, staying active helps you keep your brand on customers’ minds.

Build a Strong Foundation with a Mobile-Friendly Website

Your restaurant’s site usually is the first step that customers take into engaging with your business. A well-designed website that is optimized for various devices will give the customers a sense of excitement to book a visit to your restaurant and build a sense of trust.

Does Your Website Make a Great First Impression?

A first impression is a lasting one which in this case will solely be in terms of an online search. People say that 75% of website visitors determine the credibility of a business based on its design. Outdated designs or a cluttered layout can easily dissuade a potential diner.

Now how do you get a perfect first impression?

• Having a clean modern layout
• Loading time should be aimed at having a 3-second limit
• Simplicity in navigation

Make Your Website Mobile-Responsive or Risk Losing Customers

More than 60% of people now visit restaurant websites using their phones.

Slow websites that do not conform to a mobile device will lose many potential customers who do not have the time to check the menu.

Also through mobile-first indexing, Google ensures that mobile-optimized websites get a better ranking in searches. Having a responsive web design not only allows for the adjustment of the size of the website while retaining layout and content but in turn optimizes the experience for users.

To have a mobile-friendly website ensure that

• There are easily adjustable designs that fit the website to the user’s screen.
• The text does not require zoom-in to read.
• Buttons have to be big enough for users to effortlessly tap.

How to Make Your Menu Easy to Find (and Mouthwatering!)

Your menu is why people visit your site, so make it impossible to miss! Make sure that it is not hidden beneath a barrage of clicks. 

Place it on the top navigation bar and enhance its appeal with an eye-catching photograph of your food.

Those who post PDFs should make them mobile-compatible and ensure the files load quickly.

Pro Tip: Include photos of your most popular dishes. Menus with images increase customer engagement by 52%. (Source: Inkbot Design) 

Add a Booking System to Keep Your Tables Full

Allowing customers to make reservations online can completely transform how a restaurant operates, especially on busy shift changes.

 Application such as OpenTable or Resy synchronizes reservation schedules between different installations/locations.

Being able to make online reservations makes life easier for your clients – and you. Diners, 83% of the respondents, said they prefer to reserve a table through the Internet rather than by calling a restaurant. (Source: OpenTable).

A booking system can:

• Decrease no-shows by reminding customers automatically.
• Improve how you cope with busy hours.
• Enable customers to check available time slots in real-time.

If you are not yet willing to pay for a professional booking solution, you can use the Google Reserve feature via your Google My Business page.

Use Local SEO to Bring More Customers

Local SEO for restaurants guarantees customers can easily find your restaurant when they search for something like “best burger near me”. Local SEO guarantees that your restaurant’s name pops up first in the search results when nearby customers are looking to eat.

Optimize for Local Searches

First things first, apply for and optimize your Google My Business account in order to improve your chances of being found locally. Make sure to make this information accurate such as your address, phone number, and working hours.

Google prioritizes profiles that are frequently updated, so start changing photos, creating posts, and responding to comments on your Google profile. Businesses with enhanced profiles are 70% more likely to get incoming local visits according to Google.

To optimize your GMB profile:

• Ensure your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are accurate.
• Put up pictures of the restaurant of good quality.
• Make sure to inform the target groups regarding your working hours and the details of the menu.
• Utilize Local Keywords to Locate Nearby Customers Who Are Hungry. 

Use Keywords to Find Hungry Customers Nearby

Your advertising approach should make use of targeting words. Use the terms “the best Italian pasta in [enter your city]” as part of the meta tags and content of your sites. For example, instead of saying “restaurant menu,” it’s better to say “menu for Los Angeles seafood restaurants.”

As a result, you can significantly increase the significance and ranking, as well as ensure that you appear first when locals want to look you up on the internet.

Work on meta title, description, and site content, and make your business known in the local area.

Your website’s meta titles, descriptions, and content  increase your visibility.

Pro Tip: Don’t stuff keywords. Use them naturally to improve readability and user experience.

Get Listed in Local Directories

Apart from Google, there are plenty of local business directories where you can list your restaurant. These include:

• Yelp
• TripAdvisor
• Zomato
• Bing Places

Pro Tip: Don’t just list on these top listing sites. List your restaurants in the local directories of your city. That will give you more SEO boost. 

Build Relations with Local Food Bloggers

The assistance of local influencers and food bloggers can help bring visitors to your restaurant.

Bloggers have a close and loyal following that is willing to listen to the recommendations. Organize a tasting event or allow them to access the first look at your menu.

When bloggers write them, it can serve to increase your as well as your visibility for the natural search given that internet search engines rank content by best aspects created by trusted creators. One also gets free advertising with real dividends!

Rank Higher on Google with a Complete Business Profile

A polished Google Business Profile (GBP) isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. 

Claim and Perfect Your Google Business Profile

If you have not claimed your GBP yet, you are certainly missing out on an opportunity to generate earnings. Manage your business online by claiming your business profile via Google Business. Once claimed, polish it up and make it perfect.

Upload relevant photographs, write a good business profile, and classify your eatery properly. Google has a complete profile that is well optimized and ranks them higher thus increasing visibility.

Don’t Forget to Add These Key Details to Your GMB Listing

Google prioritizes complete and accurate profiles in local search rankings. Make sure you’ve added the following details:

• Business Name (exactly as it appears on your signage).
• Address and Phone Number (consistent across all platforms).
• Menu Links and Photos (high-quality images get more engagement).
• Operating Hours (including holiday hours).

Pro Tip: Posts and updates on your Google profile can increase engagement by up to 42% (Source: Google).

How to Encourage Happy Customers to Leave Reviews

Positive testimonials improve your status and facilitate Google to give your listing a higher ranking. BrightLocal research reveals, that 88% of clients count online reviews more than personal ones with recommendations.

Politely seek your happy clients for online testimonials. Place a link to your Google Business Profile on receipts or e-mails so the clients have an easier way to post a review.

How to Handle Negative Reviews Like a Pro

Bad reviews are bound to happen, however, this is where the response comes into play, both in terms of how timely and the manner in which you handle the feedback. 

Make it a point to respond as soon as possible, and make sure your response is professional, dealing with the concern and demonstrating that you care for customers. 

All this is good for the brand, and to help others who may want to do business with you as well.

Follow these tips to handle bad reviews:

1. Respond quickly and professionally.
2. Apologize sincerely if necessary.
3. Offer to resolve the issue offline.

Use Social Media to Attract and Engage Diners

Nowadays, there is nothing that can persuade people more than social media. Everyone loves to share photos, tag locations, and, of course, post where they have their meals. This gives an opportunity to advertise your restaurant with delicious informal food advertising.

Which Social Media Platforms Should Your Restaurant Focus On?

The table below shows why your restaurant needs to be on social media. Just look at the massive number of people using these platforms daily.

Not all platforms are the same. For example, Instagram is perfect for posting mouth-watering pictures of dishes and sharing stories about the restaurant’s kitchen while Facebook is good for advertising, events, and working with local communities.

Then there’s TikTok which is popular for making funny clips and short videos that have the potential of going viral. 

For example, Chipotle nailed it with their #GuacDance campaign on TikTok—it led to their biggest guacamole sales day ever, with over 800,000 sides of guac served(Source: Chipotle news).

ProTip: You don’t need to be present on all social media. Pick those social platforms that your potential customers use more. Maintaining social pages is time-consuming and you have to allocate a budget.   

How to Create Content That Makes People Crave Your Food

Participate in trends just like McDonald’s did with the BTS Meal campaign, which combined music and food and won over the fans globally.

What is the right course of action:

Professional photos and videos. Use the natural light to highlight your food.

The stories of ‘thinning out the scope’ of what goes on in the kitchen. For example, Domino’s Pizza USA often uploads clips of the preparation of their pizzas, which makes it more personal.

Engage in holidays and other marketing promotions. Emphasize special meals or limited-time offers to spark interest.

Pro Tip: Use your brand’s signature style in all visuals. Stick to your logo colors and a consistent design so people recognize your brand instantly — even without reading a word.

Use User-Generated Content to Build Trust with Your Audience

Ask your customers to tag your restaurant then encourage them to post their experiences. Reposting user-generated content fosters credibility with diners.

Brand ambassadors drive the company through the tools, products, and services they deliver on personal Instagram accounts. For example, Shake Shack often reposts customers’ photos on their Instagram page.

Encourage your customers to share their experiences:

• Create a unique hashtag for your restaurant. The Cheesecake Factory uses #MyCheesecakeFactory to gather customer photos.
• Run photo contests where diners can win a free meal by posting pictures of their food.
• Repost customer content with their permission. It shows you value your community and builds trust.

Pro Tip: Make sure to engage with customers who tag you. A simple comment or repost can turn a one-time visitor into a loyal fan.

Run Targeted Ads to Reach Hungry Customers

If you want to populate your tables, targeted internet advertisements can assist you in contacting diners who are looking for their meal. 

The essential factor is concentrating on the most effective channels and strategies to ensure better outcomes while saving significant amounts of money.

How to Set Up Google Ads for Your Restaurant Without Wasting Money

Google Ads helps you to reach potential diners at the very instant they search for phrases such as “best pizza around me.” You initially have to come up with keywords that are most applicable to your restaurant.

You can use Google’s Keyword Planner to obtain phrases with high volumes that have fair competition levels.

Define the parameters of your advertising by creating an adequate budget, and perhaps geotarget those people that are only within a given radius of the restaurant.

As indicated by Google, enterprises earn approximately £2 of revenue for each £1 spent on their Ads.

To get the most out of your budget:

• Keyword Selection: Use phrases like “best Italian restaurant in [Your City].”
• Budgeting: Start small and adjust. The average CPC is $4.22 
• Ad Extensions: Add location and call buttons for easy contact.
• Landing Pages: Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and relevant.

Run Facebook and Instagram Ads

Facebook and Instagram have a combined total of around 4 billion active monthly users. Therefore they are wonderful marketing resources for food consumers who are scrolling through their feeds. 

Advertisements of products can be made very effective due to the fact that they can be focused within a specific age range, location, area of interest, and even particular eating habits of an individual. 

Begin by uploading photos or videos of your best dishes that grab attention and make people’s mouths water. Video prompts  advertising performs much better in comparison to static images according to Meta.

Here’s how to run successful campaigns:

• Audience Targeting: Focus on diners nearby based on location and interests.
• Ad Formats: Use carousel ads to showcase dishes or video ads for behind-the-scenes content.
• Budget Management: Facebook ads have an average CPC of $0.83 
• Ad Scheduling: Post during lunch or dinner hours for better engagement.
• Performance Monitoring: Track results and tweak your strategy to improve.

Build and Nurture a Subscriber List for Repeat Business

Constructing an email list is more than simply obtaining email addresses, it’s about how you communicate with your customers. 

Make every email valuable and provide them with a purpose to join the list.

How to Collect Emails Without Annoying Your Guests

Make sign-ups a no-brainer. Give them wonderful incentives for example; say, 15% off the next meal they order or invite to select functions. 

It can be done with the least effort action by including the signup forms on the website, QR codes on menus, or a prompt at the checkout.

What Types of Emails Should You Send to Keep Diners Engaged?

Send less and excite people more. Use bulk emails to personalize information such as seasonal specials, birthday offers, and hidden menu items. 

Use peeks and hints of what’s going to happen in the future or tell your story from the kitchen of a restaurant, this is a brilliant way to build and excite your customers.

Keep Your Customers Coming Back with a Loyalty Program

Loyalty schemes are an effective means of rewarding your most active meal customers. This benefits both the customers who feel they are appreciated by the restaurant and the owners who have regular customers.

Do not attempt to expand at this point in time. Instead, consider offering free items from the menu, discounts, or other benefits that are consistent with the image of the company.

Even minor acts can go a long way in retaining customers. Here are a few tips to set up your loyalty program:

• Customers earn points for each dollar they spend, which can then be spent on certain items on the menu.
• Give a complimentary item or a discount to customers on their birthdays.
• To keep it uncomplicated, use a basic application or a punchcard for reward tracking purposes.
• Keep it highly visible on your website and social networks.
• Reward loyal customers with things like free upgrades, extra goodies, and any other pleasant surprises.

In January 2023, Chipotle introduced “Freepotle,” a new addition to their Rewards program. They offered members up to ten free food items throughout the year, including free guacamole, Queso Blanco, beverages, chips, and double protein.

New customers who register for the Chipotle Rewards by March 6, 2023, will be automatically enrolled in the rewards program at no cost.

Starbucks has altered its Rewards system so as to retain the interest of its users. Similarly in February 2023, they set the number of stars to be collected in order to be able to redeem books with the keywords of the items. 

300 stars are now required of customers wishing to purchase a lunch pack.

Domino’s Piece of the Pie Rewards raised the standards for a loyalty program to a higher level.

Participants stood to earn more than just free pizzas as members of the program; they could also receive shares of Domino’s stock. 

In one such promotion, 25 selected members were each bestowed with 10 shares of the stock, and to further spice things up, participants were allowed to win a portion of the profits the store earned.

Use Technology to Improve Your Customer Experience

With the implementation of Right Technology, there is more room for assistance, improvement, and betterment of a client’s perception of a restaurant. 

There have been technological changes in relation to streamlining orders or adding more appealing flows.

Here’s how you can leverage these advancements to create a better experience for your guests.

How Can Chatbots Help You Manage Orders and Reservations?

Virtual assistants such as chatbots have revolutionized the way restaurants and clients operate. 

They are active all day and night and assist customers who want to make a reservation for a particular table or place an order for their desired food. Small businesses also use this technology without spending a fortune because it is affordable for them to use a chatbot.

Chatbot Builder by HubSpot is an ideal chatbot for restaurants that wish to combine ease of use with ease of integration. This system enables you to automate messages, handle bookings, and even collect feedback from patrons of the establishment, all from a single portal.

The opposite end of this highly integrated tool is the ChatGPT API which is much more adaptable and flexible. 

This tool lets you design chatbots to suit the specific needs of your restaurant, allowing for bulk invite acceptance and even suggesting different foods according to customer dietary restrictions.

A café could take advantage of HubSpot’s builder to manage reservations for customers on the same day without engaging any personnel. A large pizza house could use ChatGPT API in conjunction with conversational prompts to allow customers to modify their pizza orders at will. 

The overall customer experience is enhanced and the two approaches save time.

Consider at the beginning how you are going to implement the planned chatbots: What functions do they need to have to be effective; 

Do you want the bot to book tables or take delivery orders? Look for the one that best suits your requirements, integrate it into your system, and test it.

In addition to improving customer communication, chatbots also reduce expenses.

What’s Next in Restaurant Tech? Keep an Eye on These Trends

The restaurant industry is buzzing with new tech trends. Here are a few to watch:

Kitchen Automation and Robotics

Spyce in Boston has established a robotic kitchen to get the job done quicker without compromising on quality and this is one of the tools that is transforming food preparation. 

Because of this technology, chefs no longer have to worry about consistency and speed and can put all their focus on creativity.

AI-Powered Customer Insights

Chatbots and other AI tools assist meals and beverage marketing companies to examine their customer base and improve marketing and service. 

This type of technology is capable of forecasting future developments and ensures that appropriate promotions are designed and implemented in order to retain customers.

Augmented Reality (AR) Menus

AR is enabling a new level of interactivity in the process of eating. For instance, imagine customers being able to wear AR glasses with which they can look through 3D images of their potential orders, all before ordering the dish. 

This type of technology assists customers in making good decisions while also enhancing their experience during the meal.

AI-Powered Voice Assistants

Restaurants are using AI voice assistants to respond to phone calls and make reservations as the new trend. 

These systems can assist with frequently asked questions, provide a reservation service, and pass on difficult questions to human guests in order to reduce the number of calls and the lack of people working.

AI-Powered QR Code Menus

Startups have developed an AI-ordered menu that suggests dishes and drinks based on what customers ordered during their previous visits. The goal is simple: to speed up the ordering process and make dining more enjoyable.

Gain Customer Trust Through Online Reviews

Online reviews can make or break your restaurant’s reputation. According to BrightLocal’s 2023 survey, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses before making a decision 

Take Yelp, for example. A study from Harvard Business School found that a one-star increase on Yelp can boost a restaurant’s revenue by up to 9%. 

So, getting good reviews should be a top priority in your restaurant’s digital marketing strategy.

How to Encourage Happy Customers to Leave Reviews

Most customers won’t leave a review unless you ask them to. But asking the right way makes all the difference.

Shake Shack encourages reviews by including a short link on their receipts. After a meal, customers are asked to rate their experience online. This simple tactic keeps feedback coming in without feeling pushy.

Try doing something similar. You can:

• Add a “Review Us” card with the check.
• Include a direct review link in your follow-up emails.
• Offer a small incentive, like a discount on their next visit, to encourage honest feedback.
• Check restaurant review sites. 

Pro Tip:

Always respond to negative reviews with a calm, solution-focused tone. Studies show that 33% of negative reviews turn positive when businesses take the time to respond.

Reach More Customers with Blogs and Video Content

If you have written a blog or created a video, it automatically increases the number of people who will pop into your restaurant. The emphasis should be on creating content that is real and well-structured rather than promotional. Think of what your potential customers will want to know. Then, give the answer in your restaurant.

An example can be saying “Best 10 items you should order in [City]” or “Best Wine To Pair With Each Dish We Offer”. These are targeted at food lovers longing to get the best food when dining out while illustrating what your restaurant serves in a promotional-free manner.

Video content is even more interactive. People love how your restaurant prepares these special dishes or even a sneak peek of the restaurant’s kitchen. Making short Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok videos of your chef preparing particular meals is a fantastic way to interact with your audience. 

You can use videos of your clients immediately after the meal talking about how impressive it was. This adds to social evidence and makes the business more personal.

Shooting a festive special video series, for instance, or writing and posting a blog for “Summer Picks by Chef” is a good way to keep your audience engaged at any time of the year as the content around a season is also good to share.

What’s more, surely, blogs and videos improve your search engine optimization – and to put it simply, search engines love fresh and useful content. So, when your clients write, for example “best Italian restaurant near me” or “best place for date night”, your content may give a boost on those searches.

Track Your Progress with Analytics (and Improve Your Strategy)

As far as guesswork is concerned it is not valid in digital marketing. Make use of analytics tools to see which practices are effective and which are ineffective. 

With the help of visitors’ engagement tracking, Google Analytics records how visitors land on a particular web page. Other tools like Meta and Google My Business Insights tell how many people are calling, clicking, or requesting directions to your page.

Focus on key metrics:

• Website traffic: How many people visit your site?
• Engagement: Are they browsing or leaving quickly?
• Conversions: How many bookings or orders come from your online efforts?

Data shows you what matters—so you can focus on what brings in diners.

Budget Smarter for a Successful Digital Marketing Strategy

Smart spending doesn’t mean spending less, it simply means spending where it matters the most. In this article, we will explore how to allocate your digital marketing budget efficiently without wasting a dime.

• Prioritize Local SEO: Google Business Profile and local directories are great tools for attracting customers in proximity.
• Invest in Social Media Ads: Facebook and Instagram ads reach your diners without breaking the bank.
• Allocate for Content Creation: Photographs, videos, and blogs are also great for creating a loyal customer base.
• Use Retargeting Ads: Advertising to such people is often less expensive because it is simply advertising to people who have previously visited an action-oriented website but did not complete that action.
• Track and Adjust: This way, you get to closely monitor the performance of your advertising strategies. If something works better, switch your budget on that.

Setting and having a good budget is an important aspect and practice for carrying out good digital marketing. To effectively achieve this, a business leader should start by outlining key goals and adjusting the budget for various activities: marketing on social media, creating ads, and sending emails. 

There should be a reason to test new ideas without spending too much on them. For instance, consider allocating small amounts of money to experiment with various ads or platforms. Always monitor your expenses and make decisions based on the outcome.

Related Post: Pinterest Marketing for Restaurant

Let Abedin Tech Serve Up Your Digital Marketing Strategy for Restaurants

We know running a restaurant is exhausting, and we acknowledge the resources it consumes.

So we came up with an approach that will enable you to concentrate on your customers. We wouldn’t want you to worry about developing an online marketing campaign either and this is why we offer our very own digital marketing services for restaurants.

Using local search optimization tools, we optimize local searches of your restaurants.

So using targeted advertisements and social media posts, we cover all bases in-house so your restaurant achieves maximum performance at a low cost.

If your goal is to increase bookings and online orders for your cooked meals, then allow us to help you launch a marketing campaign that convinces people to put your meals on the menu. Let’s talk soon!