Reach New Customers With Business Listings Every Restaurant Needs

Jun 16, 2021

It’s practically a necessity to have a strong online presence if you want to reach new customers. For restaurants, that means having a modern and easy-to use-website, plus pages on popular social media channels. It also means appearing prominently on the sites and apps your customers use when deciding where to dine. 

In fact, 89% of dining research is done by mobile before visiting a restaurant. Creating profiles on popular sites among diners increases your online reach and brings exposure to your restaurant. It’s a simple concept. The more places you show up online, the more opportunities for diners to learn about – and order from – your restaurant.

If you haven’t given much thought about using your online business listings to reach new customers, look at our list of the five most important sites for restaurants. Then, learn how you can instantly monetize all of these profiles with ChowNow’s Order Better Network.

Five Essential Sites and Apps to Reach New Customers

1. Google

Searches for local restaurants often begin on the world’s most popular search engine, Google. In fact, the search term “restaurants near me” is searched 6.2 million times per month. Even if you’ve never claimed your Google My Business listing, one may already exist for your restaurant. This business listing appears prominently on the search results page, as well as in Google Maps. It includes important information, such as your business name, phone number, website, and location hours.

It’s important to claim this profile to ensure that the information about your business is accurate, and to lead new diners to your website. Claiming your profile will also keep you aware of the online reviews your customers are leaving you. In 2020, 66 percent of consumers said they read more or a similar amount of reviews for local businesses compared to previous years.

Because your customers are using your business listing to make dining decisions, your profile should also include a link to your online ordering. ChowNow restaurant partners can embed their online ordering right into their Google business page, so diners can conveniently place an order without having to leave the site.

Download: 4 Proven Tactics to Turn Google Searches into Takeout Orders

2. Yelp

The next in our list of business listings likely comes as little surprise. To reach new customers, it’s important to have a presence on Yelp. Millions of people use Yelp to discover local businesses. In fact, more than 90 million people visit Yelp each month. What’s more, 97 percent of users make a purchase at a business they found on Yelp within a week. 

Similar to Google, your restaurant may already have a profile on Yelp even if you did not create one. It’s important to claim this profile to ensure all of your information is correct – and to direct new customers to your online ordering. It’s not enough to just reach new customers if you’re not providing them with the right information. 

Many of your diners are likely looking at your profile and reading reviews to get information about your restaurant. In fact, 87 percent of people read reviews for local businesses. And consumers are more likely to read reviews for restaurants than any other industry. 

3. Tripadvisor

A useful tool for locals or tourists alike, listing your business on Tripadvisor is a great way to reach new customers. More than 60 million users research their travel plans on Tripadvisor every month. With a Tripadvisor business listing, you can stand out among people researching delicious food in your city. 

Tripadvisor boasts a prominent restaurant section on their website and restaurant pages can feature a prominent “Order Online” button. Tripadvisor is also a popular review site where people will look when deciding to dine at your restaurant. 

4. Snapchat

Snapchat is an extremely valuable platform for reaching younger audiences. It has over 100 million users in the US, and 82 percent of them are aged 35 and younger. Snapchat has made it easy for restaurants to reach new customers with their Snap Map. Snap Map is a way for Snapchat users to connect and share their location with their friends. Now local businesses can appear in Snap Map making it a great discovery tool for people in your neighborhood. 

Create your business listings on Snapchat for free, and include relevant information about your restaurant. Users on Snapchat can use your listing to get directions, call your restaurant, and order takeout or delivery.

Getting Started: The Essential Snapchat Starter Kit for Restaurants

5. Nextdoor

Your most loyal customers are likely the ones who live nearby. Earlier in this blog post, we talked about the popularity of the search keyword, “restaurants near me.” This shows that proximity is an important factor when deciding where to dine.

Nextdoor, the site for connecting with members of your local community, is a place to connect with neighbors and get tips that only local experts may be able to provide. In fact, 67 percent of Nextdoor members are actively sharing recommendations on the platform and may already be spreading word-of-mouth about your restaurant. Unlike other popular review sites, Nextdoor recommendations are from verified members of the community, so you don’t have to worry about fake reviews and your customers can be more confident that the recommendations they’re reading are coming from a trustworthy source. 

Claim your business listings on Nextdoor to reach new customers in your local neighborhood, especially those interested in supporting local restaurants. In fact, 88 percent of Nextdoor members shop at a local business once a week.

Learn More: How to Reach Local Customers and Grow Your Restaurant Business on Nextdoor

Turn Searches, Reviews, and Recommendations into Sales with the Order Better Network

Of course, all of these digital marketing efforts are critical because they put your restaurant in front of new customers and increase the likelihood that they’ll patronize your restaurant. Now, it’s easier than ever to create a direct connection between your online listings and your till. 

ChowNow’s Order Better Network gives you the ability to take online orders directly from your profiles on the most popular sites. Our partners include Google, Tripadvisor, OpenTable, SnapchatYelp, SinglePlatform, Nextdoor, Rewards Network (which covers popular loyalty programs like United Mileage Plus, Rakuten, Visa Rewards, and American Airlines Advantage) with more additions on the way. Whether consumers are searching for terms like “restaurants near me” on Google Maps, or scrolling through their friends’ activity on Snapchat, they’ll be able to instantly discover your restaurants and order takeout from you.

It pays off to give guests this easy way to order across the internet: We’ve found that restaurants who join the Order Better Network grow their ChowNow sales by 30 percent on average. 

Reach out to your Restaurant Success Manager if you’re a ChowNow restaurant partner and want to join the Order Better Network.

If your restaurant doesn’t work with us yet, schedule a quick call so we can get to know each other.

We’re excited to welcome Cuboh to the ChowNow family.  Learn More