Imagine you just had the most amazing dining experience of your life. You’re out at a restaurant with your significant other or friends and everything was just perfect. The service was excellent, the servers were attentive and eager to provide you with whatever you needed. The food was delicious and worth every penny. You had such a wonderful time that all you want to do is tell the world about your experience.
As soon as you walk out of the restaurant doors you pull out your phone and scour the internet for the perfect place to post about your meal. You come to find that there are so many different websites that the idea of trying to pick the perfect one becomes overwhelming. So, instead of selecting one of the many different websites you decide to head on over to social media.
Your Facebook news feed illuminates your phone screen. You place your cursor in the search bar and type in the name of the restaurant. Luckily, they have a newly updated Facebook page. You select the “Reviews” tab and begin to type out your review.
Once you have crafted your masterpiece you hit the little blue “Post” button and poof! Your thoughts are posted for the world to see. You feel good about yourself because your review will most likely be seen by many people and ultimately they might decide to visit the establishment because of your raving review.
Review sites are detrimental to restaurants and businesses. Feedback from customers is always encouraged. That is how restaurants and businesses are able to grow and evolve. Gone is the age that websites such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, and OpenTable were the only places to publish reviews.
Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram allow users to post about their experiences, tagging the restaurant in their post, which is the most popular form on Instagram, or they are able to post their feedback directly to their Facebook page. These posts are eventually seen by thousands of people everyday, because if the restaurant or business finds their feedback beneficial they are able to showcase it in either their Facebook or Instagram stories.
This isn’t to say that social media is the only platform used to publish reviews. Review sites, like those mentioned above, are still incredibly popular. They are a few of the bigger websites in terms of their users and prestige.
Not only should you be aware of how your restaurant or business compares to those in your community, you should be actively engaged with the reviewers. Responding or replying to both positive and negative reviews. In doing so you are seen as one who is appreciative or eager to remedy a situation.
Review websites, including social media, are powerful tools that your restaurant or business must utilize in terms of marketing in order to be recognized and trusted by past and potential customers.
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