To build a successful restaurant, business owners need to maximize customer engagement. 90% of new restaurants fail during the first year, for long-term success you must establish a customer-base.
Why not take inspiration from Starbucks? – They used Augmented Reality technology to develop a ‘Magic Coffee Cup’ to promote their range of holiday beverages. When diners scanned the sleeve of the coffee cup they could view a range of holiday scenes on their phone.
This article provides you with insights that you can use to increase you customer base and build a successful restaurant business using new technologies:
Engage with your customers through their smart phones – Start by providing past customers with information packed emails and texts outlining your latest special promotions, newest menu items, and even human interest stories connected to your business. If the information you supply is valuable to them, then your customers are going to be happy to be reminded of your business and will soon visit again.
QR Codes– You’re probably familiar with QR codes, they appear everywhere, from magazines, to shop windows, and till receipts. Generating your own QR codes that customers can scan with their phones will create increased customer engagement. The codes could be used in many ways.
It could be as simple as letting those direct potential customers to your restaurant. This can be highly effective marketing ensuring that they don’t get lost, or distracted by any other establishments they pass on the way. You could also use the codes to link people to your website or social media pages. Everything that you can do to keep customers connected to your business will help to build solid, long-term growth that will drive more people through the doors of your business in the future.
Augmented Reality – Many restaurant owners may not be familiar with augmented reality, but it is definitely a concept worth pursuing as it is expected to generate more than $600 million in revenue during 2015-2016. It is used by more than 30% of mobile users already.
The concept takes the QR code idea a stage further and integrates digital information and a live video feed. The result of this integration is displayed in real-time using an app on the diner’s phone. Mobile apps for restaurant diners can use AR to build in value for your customers in a variety of ways. You could allow diners to choose their seats using the app, or you could use this technology to revolutionize your traditional printed menu, and let diners see ingredients for each dish as a 3D image. The possibilities are almost limitless.
While adopting new technologies or implementing strategies you must always remember that the purpose of technology is to add value to your customers’ experience. Everything you do has to be geared towards improving the dining experience. Don’t be tempted to add technology just because you can. It must be used to build customer engagement, not to complicate a process that already works well.
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