With a mission to close the global skills gap and help people pursue work they love, General Assembly strives to create opportunities that impact a vast range of communities. Aside from addressing pertinent issues in the press — including the Computer Science for All program, and what the next White House administration should consider when […]
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Let’s get straight to the point: 2016 has been huge for General Assembly. We’ve expanded our global community into new cities and launched beautiful, new campuses in locations where we’re already thriving. Our catalog of full-time Immersive programs grew exponentially, with four new courses that are transforming graduates’ careers in competitive tech fields around the […]
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The cell phone revolution affects your restaurant.
You can’t ignore it. In fact, you can’t even brush it to the side anymore.
The digital revolution has arrived, and cell phones are here to stay. Are you cell phone ready?
In this article, we take a look into online ordering habits of your restaurant customers.
They are using cell phones, and they’re using them in increasing numbers. Here’s why adding online ordering is so important for your restaurant.
First, let’s look at some online ordering stats so we know where the state of the industry stands today. According to a RetailMeNot study, mobile is vital to the restaurant industry, and here’s why:
Now let’s look at an important demographic – the Millennial generation and their online ordering habits.
Millennials are worth an estimated $600 billion in spending power.
And, seventy-three percent of Millennials report making a purchase from their smartphone. This means this generation of people demands online ordering options.
Millennials have high expectations when it comes to your restaurant’s online presence. If they don’t find what they want immediately, you can bet they’ll take their business elsewhere. (tweet this)
This means if Millennials want to place an online order, and they can’t do it from their cell phones, then they will find a restaurant who caters to their needs.
Think about the experience your restaurant offers Millennials online. If it isn’t seamless tying from your restaurant to your website, and Millennials find it difficult, again, they’ll go elsewhere.
Bottom line – your online menu matters, and it should be easy to order from it when users are on any device, including their cell phones.
It’s vital to make online ordering easy for Millennials as well as the rest of your customers. After all, the baby boomers (group older than the Millennials) also use computers and cell phones for online restaurant searches and ordering.
To help you meet your customers’ needs, let’s look at some ways to use online ordering and how it can help grow your restaurant business.
Many online ordering systems offer a way for you to predict a customer’s order. This makes it easy for the customer because your system is “guessing” what the customer will want based on past orders.
This meets the Millennial need of fast, efficient and uncomplicated.
In addition to their website and mobile app, many restaurants are offering ordering through their social media platforms.
For example, you can add this function to your Facebook page as a way to grab hungry diners browsing the platform.
No one wants to wait on hold for you to take their order. They want to visit your restaurant website, pick their items and hit order.
Online ordering will most often take less time than waiting for someone to take your order and process your information.
You’ll find that your takeout process is significantly simplified through online ordering. It’s easier on your customers and on your staff.
When you add an online ordering option, you should start to see your takeout orders increase because you’ve made it easy and efficient.
Online ordering is increasingly popular, and your customers will be happy to find it. You’ll also gain new customers especially once word gets out that they can eat their favorite food in their pajamas at home.
You’ll expand your business with online ordering by entering more and more target markets in your hometown.
You’ll also find that online ordering creates a habit of repeat orders.
This is a terrific benefit for your restaurant.
Your online ordering customers have a superior lifetime value because they are more likely to reorder from your restaurant than a traditional customer. (tweet this)
Why? Because you’ve made it so easy for them to order their favorite dish on a recurring basis.
Cell phones can help drive your restaurant business.
Not only can you offer online ordering on your website, but you can extend it to a dedicated mobile app and even to your social media platform.
Apps allow your customers to create accounts, storing their contact information and even their favorite orders. You can make ordering easy for your customers by allowing one-click repeat orders.
We also want to touch on mobile pay options for your restaurant. This includes ordering, checkout and payment.
You’ll find a huge potential with mobile pay, especially among Millennials and those they influence.
Online ordering allows you to instantly and easily offer a rewards/loyalty program to your restaurant customers.
Loyalty programs drive business and keep your customers coming back week after week.
By combining mobile pay and mobile ordering options with your restaurant’s loyalty program, you’ll watch sales rise and customer happiness increase.
Is your restaurant website mobile-friendly and responsive to device size?
Your customers live on their cell phones. They text, read email, use apps and search the web.
If your website isn’t mobile-ready, it’s time you revised it, added an online menu and ordering system. Your website must be mobile-optimized. It’s also time to take a look at a dedicated mobile app and online ordering.
You might know that restaurants are the number one thing cell phone users are searching for on their mobile devices. They are most often looking for several things: your location, phone number, hours, menu and online ordering options.
Miss any of these things on your mobile-friendly website, and you lose business.
Consider revamping and revising your current website and look into adding a mobile app.
Online orders are the wave of the future, and your restaurant needs to be cell phone ready today.
Do you have an online menu? Your restaurant needs a responsive, mobile-friendly website with an interactive online menu. It’s the ideal way to highlight your food as well as encourage online ordering.
At Restaurant Engine, we build responsive, mobile-friendly restaurant websites. Contact us today for your free website consultation. We are here to help you update your website and stand out in the crowd so you can stay ahead of your competition.
Images: Rikki Chan and freestocks.org
There are countless reasons why your business should start a blog in 2017. Publishing content creates more leads, positive ROI, and more links directing to your website. Blogging is a crucial part of inbound marketing because it allows you to quickly disseminate helpful information to your followers and new site visitors. This, in turn, helps […]
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Great food? Highlight it on your menu.
You’re dreaming of opening your own food truck, and you have an idea. You probably know what you’d like to serve, or at least you have a concept.
Did you know that crafting your food truck menu is the most important thing you can do?
Your menu defines who you are. It sets the stage for diners and lets them know what to expect from your business. (tweet this)
In this article, we look at the well-crafted menu and provide advice for mobile food trucks starting out.
First, let’s look at the basics of determining your menu.
It can be hard deciding what to serve at your food truck. You may have too many ideas or not quite enough.
Perhaps you’re wondering what kind of food to serve. For starters, your food must be appealing – after all, it has to attract diners.
If you have specialty dishes, that’s terrific. If not, do some research into your target audience and what they might like to find at your food truck.
Try to fill a niche and not enter an already crowded market. For example, if they’re five trucks in town serving artisan pizza, it’s probably not a good idea for you to do the same.
First, decide on your central menu items. If you want to serve items from Central Asia, then you’d build your menu concept around food from the region. If you want to serve food with a French flair, you’d build your menu on that model.
Do be realistic about how many different menu items you can serve at any one time. Unlike a traditional brick and mortar restaurant, you are working with a smaller kitchen and a smaller staff.
Take your limited space and time into consideration. If you’re only serving from 11 am – 2 pm, then making 15 different items isn’t realistic.
Quality is what you’re after. You want to be known for something. Whether it’s gourmet street cuisine or brats, be sure to stay true to your brand image. This will help you determine your menu.
A good rule of thumb is that most food trucks can handle five to 12 different menu items at any given time. The fewer the better to keep your quality top notch.
Second, you want to make sure your menu is easy to prepare. You aren’t technically fast food, but remember, your diners don’t have anywhere to sit quietly, drink a glass of wine and wait 20 minutes for their meal.
You must be able to prepare your items quickly. Your goal is to keep the line moving as fast as possible so you don’t lose customers.
Consider streamlining your menu by using some of the same ingredients in your dishes. For example, if you’re offering bowls, keep it to basmati and quinoa. Or, if you’re serving wraps, keep your meat and cheese options to just a few.
The goal is to eliminate waste and enable a quick turnaround time.
Your food truck brand extends from your truck to your menu and your food.
When designing your actual physical menu, we’ve got some tips for making it easy to read, stand out and convince diners to order.
Believe it or not, there are some psychological tricks you can use to get your food truck patrons to buy from your truck and not the two on either side of you.
When it comes to your printed menu (if you have one) or your menu display board, be sure the print is large enough for everyone to read. If it’s too small, you’ll frustrate potential customers, and they’ll visit the truck next door.
Some food truck owners make the mistake of using amateur photography on their menu. You want to use professional photography whenever possible. With the high-quality, heavy-duty cameras on many smartphones today, it’s never been easier to snap a good shot.
Your menu should align with your brand. If it doesn’t, you are making a costly mistake. Your logo, your menu, your font choices and color scheme all work together to define your food truck.
Without a recognizable brand, your food truck business will suffer.
Another mistake food truck owners make on their menu is burying their best-selling or signature dishes. Give these items prime real estate on your menu so they get top billing.
This also makes buying food and managing your food costs more efficient.
Finally, another mistake we often see is the boring menu. Who wants to order pork fried rice when they could have grilled char sui pork with roasted broccoli, carrots, red peppers and garlicky herbs bathed in a Cajun surprise sauce?
Entice your customers and make them really want your menu items.
With food trucks on the rise, you can use your well-crafted menu to stand out from the competition. (tweet this)
Do keep your menu manageable – shorter is better. And, be sure to update it based on produce availability and the seasons.
Take care with your visuals and make sure your menu board and printed menu are appealing and eye-catching.
Finally, proofread your menu. You absolutely don’t want any typos reflecting poorly on your menu.
Do you have an online menu? Food trucks need a responsive, mobile-friendly website with an interactive online menu. It’s the ideal way to highlight your food as well as share your weekly locations.
At Restaurant Engine, we build responsive, mobile-friendly restaurant websites. Contact us today for your free website consultation. We are here to help you update your website and stand out in the crowd so you can stay ahead of your competition.
Images: Brandon Morgan and Ted Van Pelt via VisualHunt / CC BY
Committing to a major life change can be scary, especially when it comes to your career — but inspiration from those who have made their way to the top can go a long way in overcoming obstacles and leveling up. Through his bestselling self-help book The 4-Hour Workweek, massively popular podcast The Tim Ferriss Show, […]
The post Tim Ferriss and How to Develop Mental Toughness: Lessons From 7 Titans appeared first on GA Blog.
The world of financial technology, also known as FinTech, is pushing the boundaries of how people exchange money — impacting everyone from mammoth banking institutions to individual consumers. On December 7, four finance luminaries joined us at General Assembly’s NYC headquarters for The Future of Finance, an intimate panel discussion exploring innovations in the financial […]
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There have never been more opportunities for user experience designers: In 2015, U.S. companies posted nearly 30,000 openings for user experience roles — up 15% from 2011 — at an average salary of $99,177. The market demands top-quality talent, and training toward industry needs has never been more vital. At General Assembly, we accomplish this […]
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Loyal customers spread the news of your great restaurant.
A recent survey that says customer service is more important to people than the quality of the food at your restaurant has us pondering the question, “Does great customer service really get you customer loyalty?”
It appears that for many people the service they receive is indeed the determining factor in whether or not they’ll be back. Consider the Chicago Tribune critic who said, “Good service and mediocre food beats poor service and great food every time.”
In this article, we look at the relationship between great customer service and customer loyalty. We’ve already established that service is often more important than the food, and now let’s look at why.
The driving force in today’s economy is the Millennial customer. This refers to those born between 1980-2000.
Not only are they trendsetters, but their spending power is enormous. They are largely responsible for many of the trends we see today when it concerns customer service and customer loyalty because their needs trickle out to the rest of the world.
Millennials influence the buying decisions of those older and younger than them. This means that your restaurant must meet the demands of the Millennial generation and that means a friendlier, customer-service oriented experience at your restaurant.
You can count your Millennial diners as loyal customers if you treat them the way they expect to be treated.
They are quite likely to become brand ambassadors for your restaurant if they value your customer service.
Think back to the 1990s sitcom, Cheers. It was the place, “Where everyone knew your name.” This is the experience today’s customer wants.
Millennial customers, and those who share their outlook, want an authentic, personalized experience at your restaurant. (tweet this)
They want to dine in a place that feels like home, but they also want a sense of adventure that they can’t actually get at home. You can meet their needs by providing an interesting and delicious menu that is served by courteous, friendly staff members.
Today’s customer wants something memorable, exciting and new when dining out. Provide them with an experience they won’t forget, and again, you’ll have their loyalty.
Your customer service extends to your values as a brand.
If you want to earn customer loyalty, your customer service must match your restaurant’s values.
For example, if your customers value organic, locally-sourced or sustainably produced food, provide it to them. They’ll see this as an extension of your customer service as it pertains to your community as a whole.
This is just one more nod back to the Millennial generation that makes an effort to frequent businesses that support things they care about.
Social proof is important to today’s diners.
When we talk about customer service and your restaurant, you’re probably thinking about the service your customers receive from your wait staff. This is no longer the only area for you to provide exceptional customer service.
Social media is the norm for many people these days, and they often make their purchasing decisions online.
What’s this mean for your restaurant? It means it pays to establish a strong social media network, one where you respond to and engage your customers.
If you receive negative comments, respond promptly and with kindness and empathy. If you receive positive comments, thank your customers.
Today’s consumer decides much of their customer loyalty online. They decide where to dine based on the opinions of others.
So, while your in-restaurant customer service experience is vital, so is your social media customer service. Both can serve to either boost or deplete your customers’ loyalty.
You can bet that Millennials make their purchasing decisions in collaboration with others. They decide where to eat while listening to online chatter.
You build loyalty for your restaurant by providing consistent, excellent service in your restaurant and online.
Each one of your customer’s interactions with your restaurant is another building block on their road to customer loyalty. (tweet this) If you stumble in any of their experiences with your restaurant, their loyalty is at risk.
The good news is that your customers visit your restaurant thinking they’ll receive good service. All you have to do is provide it to them. Stay true to their expectations, and you’ll build customers for life who are also your brand ambassadors.
Here are a few steps to providing great customer service that really gets you customer loyalty:
Invest in your restaurant customer service, and you’re investing in customer loyalty. It’s always easier to keep a customer than acquire a new one, so concentrating on customer service boosts your customer loyalty.
Peter Drucker, a management guru, once said, “The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer.”
This one statement encompasses everything we’ve discussed in this article. If the purpose of your restaurant is to create and keep a customer, then the answer to the question, “Does great customer service really get you customer loyalty?” is a resounding, “Yes!”
We encourage you to rethink your position on customer service. Rewrite your employee handbook. Offer ongoing customer service training. Respond to negative feedback online.
Do everything in your power to offer the absolute best customer service in town. It’s the restaurant that goes above and beyond that will beat the competition every, single time.
After all, what’s the use of a restaurant with good food and no customers to enjoy it?
How have you improved your restaurant customer service? Do you have any tips and tricks for success? We’d love to hear about them. Please share your experiences below.
Images: Roman Arkhipov and Rob Bye
Learning to code is the ultimate career-booster, whether you’re looking to elevate your current skill set or make it your full-time work. Having web development skills can land you a job in nearly any industry, including tech startups, financial services, media, and beyond. Coding knowledge is power — whether you’re an independent business owner, creative […]
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Earlier this fall, about two dozen of General Assembly’s New York employees stepped away from their desks to visit two schools in the Bronx. Most of the group got their hands dirty by gardening, painting a mural, and setting up a new greenhouse at P.S. 30 Wilton School, while the rest helped students at P.S. […]
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Market your restaurant to increase your customer base.
Marketing your restaurant is all about understanding and meeting the needs of your customer, increasing customer acquisition and retention and creating buzz for your fabulous food and atmosphere.
To do this, you need a marketing strategy or plan.
Many new restaurants are so focused on their menu, décor, hiring and just opening the doors, they forget about the marketing aspect.
Yet, marketing should be at the top of the to-do list. You can market your restaurant easily and on a budget, and we’re going to show you some great strategies for doing so.
The purpose of any great marketing plan is to move your target audience to take an action. For your restaurant, that would be dining in your restaurant, recommending you to a friend and coming back again.
In this article, we look at eight great marketing ideas for new restaurants.
You’ve probably heard that it’s infinitely easier to retain a customer than it is to get a new one. Plus, it costs your restaurant up to five times as much to acquire a new customer than it does to keep your current base.
What’s this mean for your new restaurant? It means that once you fight for and win that new customer, you’ve got to do something to keep them around.
Aside from offering great food and superb customer service, create a loyalty program for your customers.
Make it easy for your customer to earn rewards. For example, buy 10 meals, get one free or earn 1000 points and get a free meal.
You’ll find there are many ways to create a loyalty program. The thing you want to remember is to keep it simple and make the rewards attainable.
Loyalty programs encourage customers to stick around and come back to you again and again to earn their “free” reward.
If you’re reading this article, and you don’t have a mobile-friendly, responsive website that features your phone number, location and digital menu, stop what you’re doing and make plans to build a website.
A website is absolutely vital to your business. If you don’t have one, your potential customers can’t find you online, and you can bet that’s where they are looking for a place to eat.
In fact, the number one mobile search is for restaurants. It’s something everyone has in common – the need to eat. So, you want to make sure your customers can find your restaurant online.
By having a professional website, you show customers that you are serious about your business. You can showcase your menu and customer reviews while offering information about your restaurant.
You can also offer a blog on your website so you can share tips, recipes and videos with your website visitors.
Don’t neglect this absolutely vital task.
Like your website, social media is fundamental to your online presence. It’s also one of the best ways to build a relationship with your customers.
While you have many social media options, we encourage you to start with a few. Pick the ones where you’ll find your target audience. (tweet this) Here are some top suggestions:
Don’t get lost in all the options. In the beginning, stay focused so you can really build your presence.
When it comes to social media, it’s about customer relationships. Share things your followers care about. Intrigue them and make them laugh for the best response.
You look at your texts almost immediately when they come in, right?
If you answered yes, then you are like most people. So, it makes sense to include text or SMS (short message service) marketing in your plan.
Grab your customers on social media or when they dine at your restaurant. Give them a reason to subscribe to this list with an offer like a free dessert or appetizer.
You can highlight this on a table tent, social media or your website. For example, you’d say: text “free dessert” to 789789.
Now that your customer has signed up, you can continue to offer them weekly or monthly specials.
This helps drive your customers back to your restaurant and increase customer loyalty.
Keep the fun in your marketing to entice customers.
Facebook advertising is a great marketing idea for new restaurants on a budget.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to advertise on this social media platform. From simply boosting posts to sharing special offers and using lead generation forms, advertising on Facebook is great for restaurants.
Plus, it helps increase your reach and engagement as a business page on Facebook.
A budget of $5-10 per day can be quite successful.
Email is another inexpensive, yet effective way to keep your restaurant in front of your customers. (tweet this)
Once you have your website, you can include a sign-up form on it so people can register for your list. You can also gather names in your restaurant.
Email marketing allows you to provide valuable information to your customers as well as special event info, coupons and promotions.
Offer your target audience the chance to attend a cooking or baking class at your restaurant.
You can take reservations through a landing page on your website and in your restaurant. Consider charging a nominal fee to decrease no-shows.
You could also offer this as a contest on social media. For example, you could invite people to enter a drawing to win a cooking class for them and five of their friends.
It’s a great, inexpensive way to bring more people in to your restaurant and generate online buzz.
Today’s generation is all about ease and accessibility.
Make it easy for your customers to order from your restaurant.
You want your customers to be able to make a reservation online (if you take them) and place their orders online for pickup.
With more than 60% of new restaurants closing their doors in their first year of business, and 80% failing within five years, you can see the importance of marketing.
You’ll face an uphill climb and struggle to maintain consistent revenue if you don’t concentrate on your marketing strategy.
Remember, it’s not enough to just have a marketing plan. You actually have to work the plan.
Know your target customer and the best ways to find and meet them. Then, target your strategies there.
Your website is a pivotal piece to your marketing, so make sure it’s up and running before you open your doors to the public. This will give you a competitive advantage and a place to send your potential customers for more information.
Do you have a great looking, responsive website ? Is it user-friendly and enticing to your website visitors? If not, or you’d like a website tune-up and refresh, contact us for your free website consultation. We’ll make sure your website works for your site visitors and is the centerpiece of your marketing.
Images: Alex Munsell and Roman Craft
When you set foot in any of General Assembly’s campuses around the globe, one of the first things you’ll notice is the prominence of chalk art. Each campus has vivid murals of local innovators, from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg in New York, to early computer programmer Ada Lovelace in London, to civil rights […]
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