MARKETING: 4 Tips to Make Your Restaurant’s Website a Money-Making Machine
As an owner or manager, you know how business can fluctuate from day to day or even during specific hours of the day. So, how can you maintain or increase your sales during that down time? One of the best ways to do this is through your website. A solid website is vital to building a strong online brand and boosting restaurant foot traffic. Here are tips for designing a restaurant website that drives sales.
DID YOU KNOWS…
The Birth of Cereal
A new study is claiming is trying to put doubt into man’s use of cereal (the grain, not the breakfast food). For the past 60-years, it’s been thought that man domesticated cereal for bread-making purposes. But the new study and a 13,000 year old brewing tools links the cereal to beer production. Sounds about right.
Behind the Glass
The NHL Network has teamed up with the New Jersey Devils for Behind the Glass: New Jersey Devils Training Camp all-access series. This documentary-esque show will show the trials and tribulations of the Devils coaching staff and front office putting together their 2018 team and more. This should pique the interest of hockey fans, especially Devils fans.
Marriage Comes with A Price Tag
From the venue ($9,000) right down to the jewelry ($350) and the officiant ($300), the price tag of a wedding can really start to add up, with a total cost of $44,060 for all of the items listed on our infographic. Average spending does vary by location, with happy couples in the New York splashing out the most of the 25 largest metro areas ($45,000) and St. Louis the least ($21,000). The good news for restaurants is that catering can bring in an average of $6,600 – should you be the catering-type.
ALL YOU CAN EAT
Why it matters to you: When a promotion goes wrong, it’s up to you to fix it.
When German triathlete, Jaroslav Bobrowski entered Running Sushi in Germany, he was already the restaurant’s regular. Which makes their outrage at the 100 plates (yes, 100) of sushi he consumed a little silly. The restaurant runs a weekly all-you-can-eat offer for $18.49. Bobrowski’s indulgence led the owner to ban him. But is this the customers fault? The restaurant made an offer and the Ironman triathlete took advantage. The problem with most promotions in restaurants is that operators never consider the worst case scenario.
It’s a lesson that never seems to sink in and causes these types of unnecessary guest confrontations. That is why no promotion should ever be created that doesn’t include a cost benefit analysis. This is a simple math problem. What is the overall potential cost of ALL elements in this promotion idea? Once you have calculated the worst case, then you decide if you it will return on the investment (ROI). Without that crucial bit of thinking you might get burnt, even if it’s a simple sushi promotion.
[Source: Eater]
WILL THE BANKING BUBBLE BURST…AGAIN?
Why it matters to you: If you remember the crash of 2008, we might be closer again than you think.
The world economy isn’t something most restaurant operators pause to consider as they keep their restaurants running. Unfortunately, the impact it has is very real and some experts think the next bubble is about to burst. This is reflected in the status of some of the world’s biggest banks. Now, why do banks in China matter to you in Oklahoma or Ohio? Because many of the products you buy are coming from China and other foreign countries. This means the companies that rely on those banks will be disrupted by another crash. This could raise prices or make goods scarcer. Neither of those outcomes bode well for our industry.
While this conversation may alarm you, it’s not intended to. There are lessons to be learned from the last crash. As you may recall, labor costs lowered and staffing improved during the last downturn in 2008. There are some things you can do to be as prepared as possible for a potential crash. First clear any lines of credit you may hold. The bank can sometimes call your note without notice. Also, put away some extra cash of your own. It’s always good to have a ready reserve, especially if financing becomes difficult to obtain.
[Source: Bloomberg]
