You'll be surprised how many local business still refuses to get on the map so they can complain how they are NOT getting more business. You have chosen a very unique industry because the restaurant business feels that this is NOT needed fir their business because they feel repeat customers will keep them afloat. Technology is something that 99.9% of small local business needs to grasp right away! Great post!!
4 Tips to Optimize Google My Business for Your Restaurant
One of the most essential parts of restaurant marketing is getting noticed online. While Facebook and Twitter are important social networking tools, business listing websites like Google My Business are a powerful force in helping you get noticed, attract customers, and increase the growth of your restaurant. Google My Business delivers customers a shortcut to find you by adding your information to Google services like Google Search & Google Maps.
Here are a few tips on how to create a strong Google My Business page for your restaurant.
Note: You will need a Google profile to do any of the below.
Claim Your Google My Business Profile
Using Google My Business doesn't cost anything, and if you aren't listed already, you can claim your business by following a few easy steps. First, your business has to meet the guidelines, then you must go through the verification process. This is also easy, as Google will just send a postcard with a verification code to your business address, or you have an option of having Google call your business' phone for verification. When claiming your listing, be sure all of your information is correct, so you can get listed right away.
Optimize Your Listing
After you've claimed your restaurant's business profile, it's time to optimize it. Google My Business shares information about your business across their search engine, and you want to make sure customers have the right information. You want to write an accurate business description for your restaurant, and select the appropriate category. The key is to describe what you do well, so if you have a pizza restaurant, you would want to list what type of pizza you have (New York Style, Chicago style, etc). The same advice would go for any cuisine type. You want your customers to know when you are and aren't open, so be sure you include your hours of operation.
Make Them Want to Visit With Photographs
Your goal with a Google My Business page for your restaurant is to attract new customers, which means you have to make your restaurant look inviting. It's time to focus on why they would visit, and one of the best things is to use images. It's cliché, but a picture really is worth a thousand words! Share well-taken photographs of your dishes and the restaurant's interior to make your place look irresistible. Remember to let your photographs represent your business. Using a generic stock photo of happy people eating doesn't show the characteristics and charm of your business, so focus on getting real photos.
Get Reviews
One feature of Google that users like to use is Google Reviews. With Google My Business, your reviews should show up on your profile page and show viewers what customers thought about your food, service, and décor. Your profile will show the total reviews your restaurant received and include snippets of the comments, such as “Try the veal!” or “Great wine list.” You'll be able to respond to the reviews as well on your Google page. Besides Google My Business, there are other businesses listing websites such as Zomato, Yelp, Superpages, Yellow Pages, City Search, Yahoo Local, and Bing Places.
Comments
Thanks Jose for leaving a comment! You are absolutely correct sir. Technology is such a large part of small businesses these days and people need to start realizing it before it is too late :)
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