Online ordering is the go-to choice for busy people, and it's here to stay. It can be the deciding factor in customers coming to your restaurant or visiting one of your competitors instead, so it's important to meet potential customers where they are. Social media is effective in community building, but one of the first (and best) places to reel guests in is through a search engine.

At 91% of worldwide market share, the main search engine—by far—is Google, so it’s likely that the first place a customer finds your restaurant. A good first impression will make them want to visit your restaurant.

One way to promote your business is through a public profile on Google My Business, one of the tools Google offers for owners to promote their brand. Google My Business lets you share your business information that guests can see when they search for food.

If you don’t have a Google My Business profile, or want to improve yours, follow these tips to get the most from your online ordering.

Why choose Google My Business?

Cost

Setting up a Google My Business account is free but using it can net you a constant stream of online business.

Reach

Google has a whopping 8.5 billion searches a day, making it the most used search engine in the world. By setting up a free Google My Business account, you can take advantage of their large user base.

Google's ecosystem

With Google My Business, everything is in one place, giving you access to multiple tools and functions via Google. You can take online orders, respond to reviews and more without leaving the site.

Once a guest looks up your business, they can go directly to Google Maps to navigate to your restaurant. If they’re not ready to order, they can save your information onto their account, allowing them to return later.

Credibility

Think of your online profile as the exterior of your restaurant. Customers will always be more drawn to restaurants that look clean, organized and inviting than to those that aren’t. That same logic applies online.

Brands that don't have a consistent digital presence can come across as small, sloppy and—in some cases—suspicious. If consumers can't easily find your information, they may not look for it. They could also make wrong assumptions about your business.  

A customer may know your brand. However, seeing a favorite restaurant with a clean profile makes the brand look modern and professional.

Community building

Customer reviews are a great way to gain trust with your customers—if they’re handled correctly. Collecting reviews helps you connect with customers. It also lets you fix any problems they had with their experience.

While good reviews are always an easy way to drive traffic to your restaurant, it's good to respond with care to negative feedback. Good customer service can make an unhappy customer want to return. It can also impress an unsatisfied customer because of great customer service.

Having a Google My Business account allows your company to compete better with your competitors. Most of your customers use Google and expect you to have an account. What you do with that account makes it even more successful.

How to make the most of Google

Optimize your results

While Google My Business does not cost money, you can leverage some services, like Google Ads, to expand your brand further. These tips can help bring your restaurant name higher up in results so people can see your brand more easily.

Here's how this works: a busy parent is running errands and doesn't have the time to wait for the food. They Google "restaurants near me", the most common search queries for restaurants, and some restaurants pop up. A Google My Business account helps you get your business noticed. An optimized website with popular keywords can increase your chances of Google choosing you.

To learn more about keywords and site optimization and ads, Google has both strategies in this article.

Convert customers into regulars

If you've filled in all your information in Google My Business, you should be seeing some online traffic towards your restaurant. You've gotten new customers that might convert to repeat customers, but that's not where your customer's journey with your brand ends. A customer’s first transaction with your business is the first goal. The second, and larger goal, is converting a customer into a brand advocate who will come back for more.

Most online ordering platforms will ask customers for their emails or phone numbers. This information can become a loyalty opportunity—and consumer marketing is where the magic happens. Emails help you provide loyalty offers like buy one get one deals, points and discounts. These promotions can transform a new customer into a repeat customer.

After all, most of a restaurant's revenue comes from repeat business, and consumer marketing can help increase that further. So much of this revenue can come from your online ordering, which can all start from creating a Google My Business account.

For more information on creating engaging emails, you can read more in our article about their essential ingredients.

Take your online ordering to new heights

Setting up Google My Business is a small step, but many consumers now prefer online services. By combining your online ordering with a Google account, you can serve all your guests better. Then, when they dine in, take out or have food delivered, you can launch some loyalty efforts to keep your brand top of mind. That's the starting point to your online presence.

If you don't have an account, or it's in need of a makeover, don't do it alone. Start with our article on how to edit your Google My Business account and make the most of your digital presence.

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