3 Ways to Build A Strong Online Presence for Your Restaurant

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We live in a mobile age and so should your restaurant. People get the information they need to conduct their daily lives from the internet — typically from a mobile device. In fact, a recent study showed that 64 percent of consumers prefer to buy from businesses they can contact online, and 72 percent of mobile searches for restaurants are initiated on a mobile device.

For your business to be visible, particularly in the restaurant industry, it’s crucial to build a thriving online presence that works for the mobile user. Here are a few ways your business can achieve a strong web presence.
A Website That Works for Mobile

A website is a must for the restaurant industry. Websites provide quick access to key information that people need in order to use your services. A professional website also increases your credibility and encourages the trust of potential customers. Verisign found that over 90 percent of consumers said they would prefer to get information from a business’s website rather than a social media page.

However, the desktop version of your website might be difficult to view and use on a mobile device. For example the user might struggle to pinch or zoom a page to read the content. This is annoying, and potential customers may abandon your site in search of a less frustrating experience. It is vital to make your site mobile-friendly.

Another important aspect of a web presence for your restaurant is choosing your domain name. According to Verisign, you should consider your target audience and what domain name might resonate with them. For instance, is slang appropriate for your type of business? It’s also important to watch out for trademark issues before you commit to a domain.

Video for Social Media

Social media is still a powerful tool. In case you hadn’t noticed, video and live streaming are dominating the mobile social media ecosystem. Cisco predicts that by 2022, 79 percent of mobile data traffic will be video. People love live visuals and connecting on devices. Chipotle and many other big brands have used YouTube as a marketing channel, and there are marketing companies that offer vide0-creation services specifically for restaurants.

According to Wordstream.com, video drives a 157 percent increase in organic traffic from search engine results pages, and video on a landing page can increase conversions by 80 percent or more.

There’s really no limit to when it comes to the types of content you share. Make sure to share that content on popular sites such as Instagram or Twitter. Use hashtags to maximize exposure and chatter to further build your online presence and restaurant brand.

For instance, you could try filming and posting cooking demonstrations or a wine presentation by the sommelier. You could also film a behind-the-scenes video tour of the back-of-house, or film staff introductions to increase familiarity, lend intimacy and boost authenticity. Feature your regulars, local farmers and suppliers.

A Branded Email Newsletter

A monthly email newsletter builds brand awareness. Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to reach your customers; in fact, it outperforms social media as a marketing tool.

According to Optinmonster, email marketing ROI is 28.5 percent better than ROI for direct mail, and one dollar spent on email provides $38 in return. Again, any content sent to potential patrons will most likely be read on a mobile device. Add links to videos and to your website. From your email, customers can go straight to your website and plug in the address to a GPS to navigate to your location.

Use a branded email address. Three-quarters of consumers surveyed said they would trust a company-branded email address more than a free email address — [email protected] appears much more businesslike than [email protected]

Today, everyone is going mobile. Build your online presence with a mobile-oriented website, interesting videos on social media and an email campaign that links to your site. Marketing software with analytics will measure the success of your email marketing campaigns. That way, you can ditch what isn’t working and focus on what does.

7 Reasons Why Customers Distrust a Business

7 Reasons Why Customers Distrust a Business

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According to a Gallup poll conducted earlier this year, two-thirds of American customers are highly confident in small businesses. The only other entity Americans have more trust in is our nation’s military. On the other end, only 6 percent of these same individuals have a “great deal” of confidence in big businesses.

While a small business owner might think this information bodes well for them and their burgeoning enterprises, there are caveats to consider. Numerous small factors can cause a customer to distrust your business.

1.Outdated, Poor-Performing Website

Research reveals two crucial insights about the importance of an up-to-date, high-functioning website:

  • 39% of users will stop engaging with a site if the image won’t load or it takes too long for them to load.
  • Given 15 minutes to review content, two-thirds of people would rather read something nicely designed than something plain.

Your target audience will notice if your site looks and operates as though it was built a decade ago. A site lacking any design aesthetic that is not optimized for performance is driving away more customers than you realize. Make sure to Invest in building a high-functioning website that is also visually appealing to build trust with your customers.

2. No Contact Information Provided

Did you know 51 percent of people think “thorough contact information” is the most important element of an organization’s website? A simple contact page with a phone number, email address, and contact form is so easy to create. It also goes a long way in helping to build trust with your customers.

3. No Pricing Information Available

Customers learning about your business want to know what your products and/or services cost. If a few clicks doesn’t reveal this information, people will think something fishy is going on. This will also cause them to feel like your business can’t be trusted.

4. Vague and/or Error-filled Copy

Whether it’s copy on your website or in your printed marketing materials, anything and everything you say needs to be clear, concise, and correct. A customer will assume you can’t manage their business needs if your company can’t handle writing error-free, informative copy. Vague content riddled with spelling and grammatical errors communicates that a brand can’t be trusted or relied on.

5. No One Knows Who You Are

Have you established yourself as an industry thought leader? Do third-party organizations vouch for your organization? Are customers leaving reviews on Yelp, Facebook, and/or LinkedIn? Even though you are a small business, your customers expect you to demonstrate your expertise. This can be through relevant and fresh content, and support that expertise using positive customer testimonials.

Third party badges, such as those provided by the Better Business Bureau or TRUSTe, must be prominently displayed on your websites. Don’t assume people will trust you solely because you have a functioning website. You have to establish connections in your vertical that demonstrate how colleagues and clients trust you.

6. No Social Media Presence

Don’t fall victim to the misconception that social media is only for teenagers who want to post selfies. People don’t use social platforms just to connect with friends and family. Today, customers go to social channels to learn about companies. Data from an online survey by BrightLocal last year found that 84 percent of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. 74 percent of consumers say positive reviews make them trust a local business more.

While it is up to your marketing team to decide which social channels are most relevant to your business and its audience, it is imperative that you have an active presence on these platforms. Regularly updating your pages and engaging with those that reach out to you is an absolute must if you want to build trust.

7. Poor Email Practices

Are you contacting people who did not opt-in for your emails? Do your emails make it challenging to unsubscribe from them? Did you skip segmenting your email audiences? If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions. Change your email practices if you want people to trust your business.

If your business goal is to build long-lasting relationships with customers that trust your organization, you have to invest in fixing any errors that might be deterring these individuals. Discuss funding options with Kapitus now to discover how to develop a trustworthy organization.

13 Small Business Grants You Need to Know for 2018

13 Small Business Grants You Need to Know for 2018

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Running a small business is a lot like powering a car, and the only way to keep it moving down the road is to fuel it. Capital and funding are the fuel that drives small businesses, and your financial strategies can be the difference between opening a second location in the new year or laying off staff.

While there is no such thing as “free money,” grants are an excellent way for small businesses to keep the engine moving forward in the new year! And unlike small business loans, they don’t need to be paid back if you use the funds correctly.

In this article, we’ll round up our favorite places to find small business grants in 2018, so you can get a head start.

Federal Government Grants

Uncle Sam cares about small businesses and the many agencies of the Federal Government offer grants for specific industries and geographical regions.

Here are a few of the standout grants for 2018:

  1. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

SBIR has been around for years and helps small businesses engaged in scientific research that have commercial potential. Not every company will qualify for this grant, but if you do, your research and commercial viability will receive a significant boost. Visit the SBIR website for more information.

  1. Small Business Administration

The SBA was created to help small business owners secure lending solutions to make their dreams a reality. They also offer a few grants for small businesses in particular industries, producing various types of products. One of the most well-known grants being the InnovateHer challenge. This awards $70,000 to small companies that provide products and services specifically for women and their families.

  1. BusinessUSA

While not a specific grant provider, this government will provide small business owners with different funding options available for them. Business owners only need to input information about their business, their special group status, and how they would spend the funding. After the questionnaire, the portal will provide a list compiling all of the federal grants they are eligible for. Give it a try and see what grants your business could receive!

  1. Challenges

The Federal Government issues many different challenges for individuals and businesses involved in a variety of public services. Visit the Challenge.gov website, which has a complete list of challenges available. Also expect new challenges to be posted for 2018.

  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture

You may think that USDA grants only apply to farmers, however, they also support small businesses located in rural communities via the Rural Business Investment Program. 20% of the population in the U.S. lives in these rural communities, and there’s a good chance your small business is eligible for this program if it operates in one of these communities.

  1. NASA

If your business is an up-and-coming technology research and development company, you may be eligible to work with NASA – talk about shooting for the stars! They offer their own SBIR and STTR programs for businesses focused on alternative energy and energy efficiency. If your company specializes in power, give them a shot!

Private Sector Grants

The government isn’t the only grant provider in the U.S., in fact, there are hundreds of grants available for small businesses. These are provided by some of the most prominent brands in the world.

We don’t have time to list every single one, but here are our favorites for 2018:

  1. Visa’s Everywhere Initiative

This is a series of three challenges meant to test start-up’s ingenuity, creativity, and innovative commerce ideas. Last year, Visa selected 600 start-ups to compete in the challenges, which awarded the winners up to $50,000 each. Check out their website for more information.

  1. FedEx Small Business Grant Contest

Each year FedEx puts on a contest for small businesses across the country. The grand prize winner takes home $25,000 in cash, along with print and business services worth $7,500. Visit their site to see the 2017 winners and stay tuned for the entries for 2018, which should be coming in the next couple of months.

  1. Amber Grant

Exclusively for female business owners, the Amber Grant awards $500 each month to qualifying women entrepreneurs. And the monthly grand prize winners receive a $2,500 grant. Visit their site for more details on the grant and how to apply.

  1. National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) Micro-Business Grants

For businesses with fewer than ten employees, you can apply for grants worth up to $4,000 from NASE. You have to be a member of the association. Once you are you can easily apply for one of their grants. The best part is that this grant can be used for a variety of business needs including hiring part-time employees, marketing, office equipment, and more!

  1. Lending Tree Small Business Grant

Launched in 2016, Lending Tree’s small business grant contest awards a $50,000 grant at the end of the year. They are just wrapping up the contest for 2017 and should be launching the competition for 2018 shortly. Visit their website for more information.

  1. Miller Lite Tap the Future

We wrote about this last year, and is still one of the best grant contests available. Business owners pitch their idea to Shark Tank’s very own Daymond Johnmil in five different major U.S. cities. Winners will receive a $20,000 prize and then move on to the national competition. There they will have a shot at the $100,000 grand prize. This is one of the best awards out there for small businesses. Keep an eye on the Tap the Future website for details on the 2018 competition.

  1. Idea Cafe Grants

Idea Cafe is dedicated to providing forward-thinking entrepreneurs with the tools (and capital) they need to succeed. They offer an annual $1,000 grant however their website is full of other grants and guides for small business owners.

There are thousands of small-business grants available, and we could not list every single one of them. Do your research and visit the grant-finding portals online to find a small business grant that perfectly fits your company’s goals. You’d be surprised how easy it is to discover “free money” these days![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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