People have a lot of options when they want to go out to eat. Florida has over 40 thousand eating and drinking establishments—over 6 thousand in the Tampa Bay area. This makes it difficult for people to choose a favorite one because most serve great food and have an inviting and fun atmosphere.
Benefits of Repeat Customers
The key to increasing foot traffic in your restaurant starts with optimizing it. A return customer spends 67% more than a new one. Plus, a new customer costs 5 to 10 times more than a repeat customer. Optimizing foot traffic starts with customer engagement.
10 Ways to Improve Foot Traffic
To increase restaurant traffic through the door, you need to make your presence more inviting. You need to create opportunities to build deeper connections and nurture your relationship with them. The following 10 tips will help you engage more with customers that develop emotional connections.
1. Audience
It all begins with knowing who your customers are and what they like most about your restaurant. Sales data is great, but it’s something that you already know. You can use satisfaction surveys and read online reviews about your restaurant. Get your employees involved and ask your servers, baristas, and bartenders for their input. Both will tell you a lot about who they serve and what customers love the most, as well as what the restaurant is missing.
2. Customer Loyalty Program
Implementing a loyalty program is easier than ever and provides value that differentiates you from the competition. People love to be rewarded for their loyalty. They feel like they deserve special treatment when they come through the door.
3. Text Messaging
For those off-nights, you can send a digital coupon or special promotion to get more people in the door. Open rates for text messages are over 90%, and people will read a text within minutes of receiving it.
4. Keyword Marketing
Keywords are the easiest way to build your customer list. They simply text a keyword to a special code, then opt-in to your loyalty program or learn more about the special of the day.
5. Email
Email helps nurture loyal customers. With email, you can use more pictures and content, even embed a video. Plus, it’s easy for customers to share with their family and friends.
6. WiFi
Data is still expensive, and people want to save it as much as possible. Providing free, in-store WiFi can increase customer loyalty by almost 28%. In-store WiFi is also a great way to get customer contact information.
7. Online Presence
Is your address and phone number correct on Google? How about your website? Is the menu easy to read? All of these things matter. So does your social media presence. More people trust recommendations through social media than they will a Yelp review.
8. Creative Signage
Adding creative signage builds that fun and inviting atmosphere you want. You can promote your Keyword and shortcode or your loyalty program in a fun way that grabs their attention.
9. Staff Training
The success of any loyalty program depends upon how well the employees can explain it. You need to train them on how to quickly pitch the benefits and answer any questions that may come up. They should also know how the text messaging and email work, as well as how to get more customers signed up for them.
10. Frequent Surveys
A survey has the potential for you to get more information on your customers’ preferences. Focusing on this alone will ensure their return. These contribute to the information on who your audience is and what it is that they want.
Engage More with Repeat Customers
If you want to increase foot traffic, start by engaging more with your current customers. This opens the door for more possibilities, so they can see that there’s more to your menu and offerings than they had already experienced. It also shows that you care about their business and want to give them the best experience possible.