92% of diners read restaurant reviews. Most of the time, when a family wants to go out for dinner, they are not asking around or calling restaurants to compare them; they want a quick and reliable answer so that they can head out to get some delicious food to eat.
Having a positive online reputation in the restaurant industry is the most effective route for obtaining new customers. Most people use the internet, and they count on what it says about businesses before they make the drive, especially when the opinionated reviews online are from real people.
Your business’s online reputation is made up of all reviews, negative and positive, and could encourage more people to come into your restaurant. Online reputation management is how you influence that reputation.
Reputation Management
Reputation management includes the use of SEO (search engine optimization) and reviews management to repair your online reputation. A good online reputation is important for bringing in customers and can mean the difference between having a constantly busy restaurant and one that is empty.
90% of guests research a restaurant online before actually going there. This is a practice done more in this business type compared to others. Restaurants find the most customers through online reviews websites like Yelp and OpenTable, and any boost they can receive in their rank on search engine queries is greatly beneficial.
A study by Harvard Business School (HBS) found that a one-star increase in a restaurant review can lead to a 5 to 9% increase in revenue, which can result in anywhere from $50,000-90,000 in additional revenue for a $1M/year business.
Social Media and Restaurant Reputation Management
56% of franchise restauranteurs think that reviews are more important influencers of traffic. Thus, valuing them more than traditional advertising. The old way of marketing for restaurants is out the window, and social media has taken the spotlight.
On Facebook, Twitter, and especially Instagram, people post pictures and reviews of nearly every restaurant they visit. It is fun for the people posting, and it provides some fairly useful information for others who want to know a good place to eat.
77% of consumers look up more on peer reviews compared to critic reviews. People trust the opinions of everyday people. Most do not pay attention to critics anymore because they do not trust mainstream media.
Restaurant Reviews Management
33% of diners will not eat in restaurants whose online rating is lower than 4-stars on review sites. Examples of which include Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google.
Average people leave reviews on not only social media but review websites as well. Yelp is a huge source for restaurant reviews, but also Google since a google search is the fastest way to find a restaurant.
Online reviews can contain important information concerning the quality of the food, wait times, service, and cleanliness. 75% of consumers will not visit a restaurant whose cleanliness reviews are negative. Behind that, consumers are unlikely to eat somewhere that other people say does not taste good.
How to Respond to Yelp Reviews
On Yelp, you can claim your business page. Once you claim the page and verify your identity, you will be able to control your listing.
The biggest concerns for restaurant owners on Yelp are negative reviews. Most review websites do not let business owners pick and choose which reviews are visible since it would defeat the purpose of the website, but with matters of online defamation, copyright infringement, and other legal situations, removal of a review is possible.
A good way to react to negative Yelp reviews is simple – respond to them. Public responses to user reviews give off a better impression to reviewers and show that your business cares about its customers. The benefit of responding as a restaurant owner is that you can offer meal discounts and coupons to upset customers, so keep that in mind if there is a negative review causing a problem with your online reputation.
To respond to a Yelp review, access them through your business account.
How to Remove Bad Reviews from Google
If you wish to remove content from a review on Google, there is a process. Removing content from Google is not easy, but it is possible if it is for a legitimate reason. No website will remove negative reviews just because they are bad for business. Still, they may remove them if they cross the line with community guidelines, privacy policies, or court orders from a judge.
Use the Legal Help page on Google to find out more about how to remove content from Google searches. Depending on the circumstances, you may need to consult a lawyer to find out the best way to remove a bad review.
If you find out that a review is fake and you have a way to prove it in court, you may be able to get a judge to call it online defamation. Online defamation is when someone tries to use false statements, claiming them as fact, to belittle your business’s reputation. If it noticeably affects a part of your business, you can sue that person or have their content taken down.
Conclusion
Online reputation management services help to improve an online reputation quickly. They work with individuals or businesses and will help with suppressing negative online reviews. Online services usually utilize SEO tools to help increase the exposure of positive reviews as well.
Customers are 43 percent likely to leave a review after a positive experience at a restaurant. On the other hand, after a negative experience, customers are 46.7 percent likely to leave a review. Making sure that your customers are happy inside the restaurant is the best way to ensure the presence of positive customer reviews online.
You never know what a customer will say online after they leave, but you can provide good service in the hopes that it’ll show for your online reputation.
We are in this together!
I need to let you all know that we are in on this together. If you need to vent, talk, cry, or just have someone to talk with then I am here listening. Since I am working part-time at the local Kroger, I will to the best of my ability work it out around my schedule.
But you can reach me here:
Email: hotelblogger@aremorch.com
Also, join us at our Facebook Group – Hotel Social Media Community
We will get through this unprecedented event together! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
For any specific information on COVID-19, I recommend going to CDC, WHO, AHLA, AAHOA, and HSMAI. Also, follow information from your local authorities.
NOTE
We are starting to reopen some hotels again (Yay!!!). Make sure you follow their guidelines and say THANK YOU to those that now show a unique spirit to serve, and help us all get through this!! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
About Are Morch
Hi, I am Are Morch. Your Digital Transformation Coach helps hotels create unique and unexpected experiences by freeing up resources to focus on new ideas through value innovation and a growth mindset.
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