The growth of quick-service restaurants has been staggering over the last few years. While it’s easy to praise technology and the rise of online ordering for this, many other factors have contributed to this trend.
The convenience factor is one of them. It’s driving people to eat at quick-service restaurants instead of going out for dinner with friends or family members.
However, owners must understand how to attract more consumers, especially since competitors are doing so effectively. Here are six ways that quick-serves can attract new customers.
1. Offer Foods at Different Price Points
The competition for customers is fierce in the quick-service restaurant industry. To stand out from the crowd and attract new faces, quick-service restaurants must offer foods at different price points.
For example, offering a “cheap” version of a menu item can work. By providing lower-priced food, quick-service operators can attract more customers looking for less-expensive meals. There’s also an opportunity to make more revenue off money-conscious consumers.
On the other hand, if brands provide customers with a higher-quality product at an affordable price point, they may want to spend more money on their meals overall. In this case, offering items like steak dinners could attract them because they’re looking for an upscale experience and are willing to pay top dollar.
2. Sample Your Menu Items
Giving people a chance to sample menu items is a great way to get more people in the door. Samples encourage customers to try new things and spend more money on their meals. With numerous quick-service and fast-food restaurants popping up daily, standing out is a challenging feat.
However, quick-service restaurants can immediately stop passersby and grab their attention with free food samples. Most consumers are attracted to anything free. In addition, sampling allows fast-food owners to gauge the popularity and taste of food items before they become permanent fixtures on the menu.
3. Renovate the Restaurant
Renovating a quick-service restaurant can attract more customers, but it’s essential to do it right. First, restaurant owners need to consider the purpose of the remodel. For instance, if it’s only for the aesthetic, it may not be worth the cost. However, it’s worth considering if a new look makes the business more appealing or useful to the customers.
Renovations can work well because they attract the attention of passersby. Once people notice a renovation underway, they will be curious to try it because it looks brand new, making a good impression on first-time visitors.
4. Build a Social Media Presence
Social media platforms are the prime spot to engage consumers online. Quick-serves can use it to enhance brand awareness and deliver higher-quality customer service — all of which allow for attracting more people. It also lets restaurants build a community around their brand, making people feel closer to their business and maintaining repeat visitors.
Here are a few tips for using social media to attract more customers:
- Post regular updates about the business and its offerings.
- Showcase current promotions and discounts.
- Share photos and videos of the top favorite menu items.
- Engage with customers in the comments section.
- Post entertaining photos and videos of employees.
5. Optimize the Website for Local Searches
These days, most people use the internet to search for places to eat in their area. That’s why quick-service restaurants must optimize their sites for local search—it allows them to appear in search results.
Here’s how to optimize a website for local searches:
- Add a physical location and a map to the site. This helps people find the restaurant’s location, even if they don’t know its name.
- Use Google Places to add the physical location to Google search and Google Maps.
- Establish or claim business listings on different search engines and directories like Yelp to build citations of the business online.
- Make sure the website is easy to navigate and users know where to go when they want to return to the homepage.
Restaurant owners have numerous ways to optimize their sites for local search. However, these are just a few of them to get started.
6. Provide Online Ordering
Online ordering is easy and convenient for customers, and that’s what most of them want. Very few consumers like to make phone calls to place an order. They would rather take time to look at the menu options and place their order as quickly as possible. However, online ordering is also a win-win for various other reasons.
First, it reduces wait times for customers and improves their overall experience. Those who order online can save time by avoiding the line at the counter or drive-through window. They also don’t need to carry cash or pay with a credit card, which can be more convenient and less stressful than dealing with those tasks while hungry.
Second, online ordering allows restaurants to manage their labor costs better because it requires fewer staff members. Plus, it offers more flexibility in the staffing schedule, meaning less money spent on labor costs overall.
Attract More Customers With These Effective Techniques
Quick-serves have various ways to attract more customers to their establishment. The most important thing they can do is ensure their product is high quality and offers a unique experience. By doing this, the rest will easily fall into place.
Emily Newton is the Editor-in-Chief of Revolutionized Magazine. She has over five years experience writing for the food and beverage industry.
