Reduced capacity and increased expenses due to implementing new health measures are some of the challenges facing the restaurant industry. Small and medium-sized businesses will be able to overcome these challenges thanks to these actions for digitizing a restaurant . Pay close attention to these recommendations from Hispanos Emprendedores.
Check your online presence
To start digitizing any business you need to plan, determine what you want to do it and what platforms you should be on.
Right now digital tools are essential for a sector that has been hit hard by the pandemic. They allow you to keep in touch with customers; inform them about the news of the sector and the restaurant itself; remind them of the hygiene measures they are taking; advise them on the products; ask them for testimonials about your services, among many other actions.
In addition, among the advantages of digitization is the possibility of collecting customer data and analyzing it to make decisions that boost your business; for example, offering personalized menus.
To start planning you have to know where you are. Some questions that will help you solve it are:
- Does your business have a website?
- It's updated?
- What services do you offer through the web?
- Do you have a system to collect customer data?
- Are you registered in Google My Business?
- Do you have profiles on social networks and which ones are you on?
- Do I use email or other channels to communicate with my clients?
To this list you can add many other questions that will help you determine the actions for the digitization of a restaurant that you should implement.
If you do not have a website it is time to create one, since it will serve as a presentation sheet to customers. In addition, through this you can offer many services that will help you deal with the situation.
Also consider having an application through which it is possible to know the menu, make orders, pay without contact, etc.
Actions for the digitization of a restaurant
Reviewing your online presence will give you an idea of what to do next. This process will help you both manage and promote your restaurant.
The digital tools that you will implement will be according to your needs and resources. But here we mention some actions that we consider basic for any business in the industry.
1. Sign up for Google My Business
Google My Business is a free service that allows you to better manage your restaurant's online presence. It helps increase visibility by making it easier for customers to find your business.
You only need a Gmail email to log in and get your company file. There you can put the basic information related to the restaurant, such as hours, location, contact information, etc.
It also integrates other services like Google Maps . So , by having your listing, you'll also appear on the search engine's map.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, My Business made a series of resources available to its users to help them manage the situation.
2. Apply job management tools
Customers are important, but so are your employees. That is why you can rely on cloud tools that help you improve the management of your business.
Now that restaurants have started serving customers on the premises, there are certain measures to take care of; for example, the number of workers who serve them. There are tools that will allow you to better organize shifts to avoid excess staff.
You can also take advantage of them so that employees in certain areas can work from home. For example, those from the administrative area, since it is not essential that they are on the premises to do their work.
3. Offer delivery and take away
Integrate to your website the possibility of placing orders to be delivered to the customer's home. Also to order and remove food in the restaurant. With the capacity limitations, the business will be receiving fewer people, so these options will allow you to generate more income.
Both were key to the restaurants during confinement and will continue to be so even after overcoming the emergency.
4. Digitization of the menus
Among the sanitary measures is limiting person-to-person contact, in this sense physical menus are a problem. You must have an alternative so that the clients know the letter of the day. It can be through the website, an application or even through QR codes.
Digitizing menus will help optimize resources since you won't have to print anything when you make a change.
5 Have a presence in social networks
It is a way to keep in touch with customers, even win new ones. You can use them to promote the restaurant, get feedback from diners and offer additional services. For example, sharing Hispanic recipes for them to prepare at home.
6. Apply contactless payment systems
Another way to limit contact between people is through digital payments. Avoid using money, instead promote mobile payment.
7. Integrate services into an app
From the digitized menu, the management of orders and reservations, even the payment, you can integrate everything in an app. If you don't already have it, consider creating one for the near future, as it is a way to make work easier for staff and provide a better customer experience.
These actions for the digitization of a restaurant will help you in the management of your business. Which ones have you started applying?
