What is Restaurant Marketing Software?
Restaurant marketing software is an application or set of applications that are built to help dining establishments bring in new business while encouraging repeat business from loyal customers they already have. The important thing to remember is that — aside from providing great food and service, which you already have covered — there’s no one perfect method for growing your customer base.
Effective restaurant marketing software should empower your business to pursue multiple ways of bringing in customers across your website and apps, and it should also help you do more with the customer data you bring in every day.
What can Restaurant Marketing Software do for your business?
The restaurant industry is intensely competitive, whether you’re operating in a small town or a sprawling entertainment district. Getting new guests to try your food for the first time, or to sit down at your table once again is a challenge. Serving delicious food will take you a long way, but restaurant marketing software will help you make sure people keep filling up your tables to enjoy it.
Benefits of Restaurant Marketing Software
Reaching out to new customers
Even if you've already earned a solid stable of loyal customers, marketing to a steady stream of new guests will help ensure your restaurant stays in business for years to come.
Encourages repeat customers
If you cook it, they will come. If you cook it AND keep them engaged from week to week with reminders of all the delicious apps, entrees, and drinks they can try out next time, they'll come a lot more often.
Increases revenue
More new guests, more loyal repeat guests, more tables turned each shift, and optimized menus and operations all translate to more revenue for your business - your just desserts for all the work you've already put into making your eatery shine.
Key features of Restaurant Marketing Software
We’ve addressed why restaurant marketing software can be a massive boon for all kinds of dining establishments, now it’s time to cover the how. As you look for the perfect marketing tools for your business, prioritize a solution that helps you reach out to new and existing customers in multiple ways. No two customers’ tastes are the same, so you shouldn’t expect the same approach to work for everybody.
Loyalty Support:
79% of people who belong to loyalty programs say the programs make them more likely to keep doing business with the brand, and 66% say they change their spending to maximize the loyalty rewards they receive. Your marketing solution is a invaluable tool for raising.
Broadcast:
Your restaurant hosts special events, crafts unique dishes, and offers limited-time deals. You shouldn't have to rely on customers checking social media or calling in to know what you're up to. Restaurant marketing software with built-in broadcast capabilities will help you inform customers of all the exciting (and delicious) goings-on at your establishment, ideally through both email and mobile push notifications.
POS Integration:
The point of sale is the base of operations for staff as they take care of your customers throughout each visit. The ideal marketing software will integrate with and augment popular restaurant POS systems to share data back and forth, giving your staff more information to make each guest's visit special while collecting key details to make sure they come back again (and again).
Customer Data:
The feedback you solicit is important, but so is the information that customers provide simply by interacting with your business. Tracking your customers' typical orders will help you identify favorites to highlight as well as shifting tastes.
App Integration:
These days, many people figure out where they want to eat by picking up their phones and scrolling through the best-reviewed locations near them. But this doesn't have to be a one-way street - favoring restaurant marketing software with deep app integration means customers will also be able to stay up to date with your restaurant and even pay their bills all in one spot.
Management Options:
Keeping a restaurant running is a big enough job by itself. If you'd rather bring in a helping hand for the marketing side of your business, look for restaurant marketing software that comes with built-in support for expert help at affordable prices. That way you can focus on providing great food and service while your tested partners get the word out.