During these testing times, it is very important to ensure that your digital footprint is accurate, relevant and up-to-date. This is a great opportunity to bring everything up-to-date with some basic housekeeping.
Brands and businesses will be remembered in the future for what they do now and how they communicate with their guests and followers during this current situation.
Here are some things to consider regarding your own Website; Online Reservations; Facebook; Instagram; SEO; Reserve with Google; and TripAdvisor:
Your Website
Key things to ensure your website is displaying clearly:: current operational status; current menu & pricing; correct business hours; accurate business location; etc.
Does your website need to be updated in style, design and functionality? Is it too complex from a guest point of view?
Is your website secure (https)?
Has your website the necessary on-site SEO? Below is a good example of what needs to be considered?
https://neilpatel.com/blog/simple-guide-to-seo
Online Reservations
Check you are showing the correct availability.
Keep your availability updated, and be ready to promote advance reservations as soon as this situation changes.
Consider what are the best experiences to promote online in the future. Guests will be sure to be looking for more memorable dining experiences, since they may have already become comfortable to home delivery/takeaway from many great restaurants during lockdown.
Plan for the future, as soon as you have a better indication of when your situation is likely to change positively.
Navigating the change from home delivery to encouraging online reservations may be tricky, ensure there are no unnecessary barriers like poor reservation processes, deposits, etc.
Your current operational status should be your pinned post. So, if you are closed for Dine In, but open for Home Delivery and Takeaway make this clear and pin it!
Consider maintaining social presence with relevant material e.g. recipes, videos, polls & stories. Now is a great time to raise brand awareness, entertain people, and create brand desire.
Ensure your details are up-to-date and relevant.
Ensure your profile is accurate. Don’t scrimp on your profile, you have a story to tell.
Is your map location accurate?
Consider a future paid campaign and how best to achieve this, for when this situation has cleared.
Use this time to brush up on your social media marketing skills and knowledge.
If using same material on Instagram, don’t use automatic cross-posting solutions. Format is very different.
Don’t overuse hashtags, irrelevant on Facebook and has a negative impact on your posts and campaigns.
Ensure you have your latest menu with pricing listed. People really do want to look at your menu and pricing before they come.
Ensure your profile is relevant. You should include your current operating status in here. “Currently we are closed for Dine In, but are offering Home Delivery and Takeaway”.
Consider maintaining social presence with relevant material eg recipes, videos, polls & stories. Now is a great time to raise brand awareness, entertain people, and create brand desire.
Videos and stories are a good way to entertain people.
Location and tagging are key.
Guests do want to be able to view your menu on Instagram.
Like Facebook, consider future paid campaign and how best to achieve this, for when this situation has cleared.
If you have temporarily changed your business to Home Delivery, consider converting your Instagram page to being suitable for Instagram shopping and product tagging.
Search Engine Optimisation
You can’t do this in-house! This is a highly skilled specialist area that you need to outsource to experts with a proven track record. Attempting to do this in house will not generate results.
Consider the expert level SEO strategists and service providers that are ready to assist the business community with free initial consultations, a low-cost audit of your business performance in 2019 and strategy formation overview for recovery.
Currently, there are great opportunities to be on top of your marketplace from an SEO perspective, and in pole position for when business is ready to return to the norm. Use this downtime to position your brand ahead of your competitors who are cutting budgets and losing their market advantage.
Professional SEO consultancies are able to give great results. SEO projects take time. If you have the budget now, then now may well be the best use of your budget and time.
Reserve with Google
Taking reservations from your Google Business listing is a revelation. Many businesses are channeling up to 10% of their total guests from Google Search and Maps. Many reservation providers are able to offer this integration. Most charge commissions for this, which will become exceptionally expensive as Google will only grow even stronger. ResDiary is commission free.
Take ownership of your Google business listing if you have not already done so.
Ensure your business location is verified.
If you are a hotel and a restaurant consider separate business listings, so you can take reservations for both.
Ensure business listing is accurate.
Ensure the reservations link, menu link, and home delivery link are accurate.
Make sure if you have changed your operational hours, that they are accurate, and remember to update them later when business returns to normal.
TripAdvisor
Manage your listing.
Tidy up your profile and information.
Review responses can be used wisely to promote your business, even if the review is negative. Use your right to reply to a review to promote your business.
Consider TripAdvisor Premium for your restaurant.
Key Benefits: Capture their attention with a Storyboard; Dynamic visual presentation blending together photos and reviews at the top of your TripAdvisor page; Create a customized Storyboard in just minutes; Share your Top 3 Reasons to Eat Here; Make sure they see your Favorite Review; Appears in the #2 review space on your page; Spotlight your 10 best images which diners see first with Featured Photos.
Consider a Sponsored Placement on TripAdvisor. You pay for it based on clicks and it positions you above the #1 slot.
If you are selling online Gift Vouchers (especially in these times of zero to little revenue) then TripAdvisor allows you to add a link in your profile.
During lockdown, confinement and travel restrictions, people are dreaming of getting their lives back to normal. Whilst many people will hop on the first plane abroad, many people may choose never to travel again. Creating brand awareness now can create great future possibilities. As long as people have dreams and desires, you have great opportunities to seduce future guests, bring back your loyal guests and encourage your followers to put you high up their ”wish list” of experiences.
Stay safe and healthy!