Digital Marketing Stats Every Restaurant Owner Should Know

Digital Marketing Stats Every Restaurant Owner Should Know

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Food is a huge part of the Filipino culture, which is why it’s not surprising how the number of restaurant businesses continues to skyrocket every year. With the convenience brought by popular apps for food delivery services such as Food Panda, Grab Food, and Booky, the appetite of Filipinos for great food that’s easily accessible fuels the restaurant industry.

As the restaurant industry grows, you need to leverage the right channel to stay ahead of the competition. While social media is the common platform that foodies turn to when they search for the best restaurants in the Philippines, it’s not the only channel to get the exposure your restaurant needs. That’s where digital marketing comes in.

But, how important and effective is digital marketing for restaurants? The numbers show it. We’ve compiled the important digital marketing stats that every restaurant owner should know:

Leverage the Power of SEO for Your Restaurant

SEO is the game-changer in today’s digital world, with Google being the first place customers use to search for information. How does SEO translate value to your restaurant?

• 50% of customers are likely to click a brand that appears multiple times on search results.
• 95% of website traffic comes from organic search.
• Businesses in the first position on search results have 34.36% clickthrough rate.
• 57% of marketers say SEO generates more leads than other digital marketing efforts.

Adding SEO to your digital marketing initiatives allows you to build your online presence, target customers within your area, and drive more foot traffic to your restaurant.

Improve the Look of Your Website

Where do customers go when they need to look at what your restaurant can offer? Your website is the first place they’ll likely visit. If you don’t have one or what you have right now doesn’t reflect the type of experience you want to showcase for your brand, consider website design for restaurants in your digital marketing plan.

What’s the effect of a great-looking website to your restaurant business?

• 57% of customers order food from the restaurant’s website.
• 50% of customers visit a business’ website after encountering a positive review.
• 38% of visitors will leave a website if the overall look (content and layout) isn’t aesthetically pleasing.
• Mobile responsiveness is a must, as 72% of customers prefer websites that are mobile-friendly.

Make some time to assess your website and determine if you need a new design to get more customers through your door.

Give More Importance to Your Online Reputation

A simple search about your restaurant is all it takes for customers to know whether your service is of 5-star quality.

• When it comes to dining decisions, 94% of customers trust online reviews as much as they do personal recommendations.
• 90% of customers read 10 reviews or less before forming an opinion about a business.
• Customers read reviews more than any other industry.

If you’ve been neglecting your online reputation, now’s the time to take action and include reputation management to your restaurant’s digital marketing initiatives.

Solidify Your Social Media Strategy

The Philippines has been dubbed as the “Social Media Capital of the World” because of the influx of Filipinos on different social media sites, particularly Facebook. If you’re able to leverage social media effectively, it’s not a far-fetched goal to have a full house every day in your restaurant.

Here are some stats that reinforce the need for a well-executed social media strategy:

• Food and beverage photos are among the most popular types of content on Instagram. Look for #food and you’ll find 200 million posts, while 23 million posts are up for #drinks.
• 75% of people bought a product they saw on social media. Of that percentage, 60.7% need to see a post 2-4 times from the brand before making a purchase.
• The most common platform for restaurant advertising in 2017 is social media. According to a survey, 75% of restaurateurs use this as their marketing platform.
• 71% of customers say they are likely to recommend a restaurant that responds quickly on social media.

By mastering social media for restaurants, you have more opportunities to interact with current customers and reach new ones.

Ready for Your Restaurant’s Digital Transformation?

Customers want what’s convenient, accessible, and quick – and these three things are what make the digital world a lucrative space for businesses such as restaurants. Investing in digital marketing strategies for restaurants will not only help you put your brand out there but also drive what matters to your business – revenue and happy customers.

Author’s Bio:

Bernard San Juan III is the general manager of TrueLogic Online Solutions, a premier digital marketing company in the Philippines. He has more than a decade of experience in the digital marketing sphere, and is the hands behind the success of the marketing campaigns of more than 400 websites. He is a featured speaker for SEO Shots, Digital Performance Marketing Conference, and other national digital marketing events. Bernard is also a regular lecturer for the Certified Digital Marketing Professional program of the Digital Marketing Institute.

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