Marketing Your Restaurant 2.0 Style

How do small restaurant owners compete with national chains with outrageous marketing budgets and advertising money? Now with the Internet and smartphones restaurants can easily compete with the larger chains - its just that many restaurants are not tapping into these resources. There are several ways of marketing yourself through technology that are actually inexpensive and don't take a large budget or in many cases anything at all.

Restaurant owners must be up to date with the technologies that are out there, which can set them a part from the restaurants that are not as forward thinking. The first restaurants to jump on these technologies are the leaders and your client base will associate your restaurant with innovation.

Several technologies restaurateurs should take advantage of:

1) Your own iPhone / iPad / smartphone application - this is probably the best form of discrete advertising out there because people are always looking at their mobile phones - having your own icon on that phone is key. Also, this is an up and coming technology, which has recently become affordable to restaurants. These normally cost more than 20,000 dollars, but if you go to mymenumobile.com they can do it for as low as 300 dollars setup. Your customers can view the menu, order, and pay from your app. They integrate with your POS system as well.

2) Mobile website - this is similar to a normal website, but it needs to be compatible with the mobile phone.

3) Listings - It's good to be listed on sites like Yelp.com and Zagat.com, but they are not the same as having your own iPhone app and personal website as you can get lost in the mix. These applications are similar to being listed in a phone book.

4) Ordering from your website - You should not only have a website, but ordering, and a connection to your reservation system must be done through the website. The customer wants to order on-line or on their phone and they don't want to have to call or fax in their orders. This can be expensive, but there are options, which make this easier for restaurants.

5) Twitter.com account - Twitter is similar to Facebook.com but a more open end system, which means someone doesn't have to follow you in order to see your tweets unless you lock them. Therefore having a Twitter account increases your web presence and which in today's terms - increases sales. It is free to set up and maintain.

6) Facebook account - This is very easy to create and is completely free. Engage your friends, tell them what is going on with status updates which can be linked to your Twitter updates. Companies like BrandGlue.com can help you do this, but setting up a Facebook account is free and free to maintain.

7) Blog - A blog is similar to Twitter except you are not limited to 140 characters. You can write as much as you want - think of increasing your web presence. Start your own blog and Blogger.com or Wordpress.com and link it to your own webpage.

8) FourSquare - Register yourself on FourSquare.com and you will be part of location based social networking. People will "check in" to your venue and hopefully encourage their friends to come.

9) Open Table - OpenTable.com makes it easy for restaurants to order on-line. You can connect your personal app with this and your website.

10) Free wireless Internet - Once a customer knows that you offer free Wi-Fi (Internet) they will flock to your restaurant and order food. Don't charge for the Wi-Fi. Wi-FI only costs 30 dollars per month and watch the sales come in. Note - do not connect your POS systems to the wireless network do to security reasons. Contact NetworkIntercept.com to secure your restaurant and your customers.

Your goal is to attract as many customers as possible and the way to do this is through technology. For the most part these technologies are inexpensive and allow smaller restaurants to compete with larger chains, but you have to understand what is out there. Having a great web presence is a start, but the future is with the mobile phones. By 2011 smartphones will surpass personal computer sales. The iPhone has seen 131% year-over-year growth and with the development of the iPad these apps are not going away. Do you want to join the revolution or be stuck in the past?

About The Author

Bachelors degree from Stanford University. Lived in London working in venture capital and now is a startup consultant in the Silicon Valley for various firms industries include: technology, consumer goods, and hospitality.

Copyright Sarah Frost 2010