Restaurants and Cafes Tips

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:23:31 +0000

Serving Up New Customers

Good restaurateurs know, the success of a restaurant hinges on its ability to offer good food and quality service. One of the biggest challenges is first getting customers through the door to discover that the dining experience you offer is worth coming back for. Attracting new customers and retaining existing ones depends on how well you market yourself and promote your business.

Create an Online Presence

when creating your online presence, make sure it includes :

An online presence that is both professional looking and full of information about your restaurant.
Opening and closing times
Take-away and delivery services
A map so that people know exactly where you are located. This is even more important if you are located in a high tourism area.
Create a flyer that showcases what your restaurant has to offer, and link it with QR to your Punto site to access promotions, special deals, as well as other information related to live music and entertainment – all adding further incentive for local residents to choose your restaurant next time they are dining out.
Encourage your patrons to including positive reviews in your Punto store to demonstrate your uniqueness and credibility.
Clearly highlight what makes your restaurant unique. Is it your friendly staff? Or that you serve seafood that is caught daily. Maybe it’s that you are a family business that’s been operating for over 30 years.
Use mouth-watering images on your Punto site and flyer that will make people hungry and eager to visit your restaurant!

Other initiatives you can take to boost patron numbers to your restaurant:

Networking is the key! Get involved in your local community. You will be amazed how powerful word of mouth marketing is.
Sponsor a local sporting team and use the publicity to build your restaurant brand. Provide branded uniforms or merchandise to the team and use the team to promote your restaurant. Also attend as many of their team functions as possible to further build your brand.
If you are a cafe introduce a loyalty program. You will be amazed at how many people will return to get their ‘10^th coffee free’.
Use referral based marketing. Ask your regular patrons to promote your business to their friends and family.
Promote your restaurants history. People love a good story. Is your restaurant a family owned business or is the cuisine from a remote part of the world? You will be amazed at how a cultural experience will encourage more people to eat at your restaurant.
If your restaurant has a strong cultural connection use it to your advantage. Whether that’s decorating your restaurant in theme or providing live entertainment –
- Italian restaurant – Italian flags and white and red checkered table clothes
- Arabic Food – Home style, live entertainment, belly dancers
- Steakhouse – Old rustic license plates, tin cans and other goodies that will set an outback scene
- Indian Restaurant – saris from the ceiling, Bollywood dancers
If your restaurant is involved with local charities try to secure free publicity within local newspapers. You will be pleasantly surprised at how many people support businesses who make a difference in the local community.
Take advantage of public holidays and events – Valentines Days, Christmas, Ramadan, Long Weekends are a great time to advertise your restaurant because people are looking for places to dine.
And above all ensure your customer service is unbeatable. Although simple, so many restaurants fail to realise its importance. Remember you wouldn’t pay for a bad night and neither will your customers.

Whether your business is just getting started or you are looking to re-engage with the community there are plenty of initiatives you can take to build the number of customers walking through your doors. In Australia we recommend highly targeted, cost effective letterbox advertising campaigns.

Original Article from Local Direct Network: http://www.ldn.net.au/restaurantmarketing

Hair Salon Tips – Cut Hair, Grow Sales

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:42:41 +0000

Hair is defining! And that’s why so many of us put so much effort into fashioning it. Finding the right hair stylist is just as or even more important than finding the perfect hair style.

But with so many hair dressers to choose from what will make your salon stand out from the one down the road?

It’s not a Service! It’s an Experience.

Our lives are hectic and to take out the time for a simple haircut can be a task. It is therefore important to make your salon an enjoyable experience for your clients.

Enthusiastically greet your clients and offer them a beverage – coffee, tea or a cold glass of water.
Present each client with a series of magazines. They may not know what style they are after and a series of magazines can provide much needed inspiration. It will also save time as they will have a better idea of what they want.
If you are running late due to previous appointments ensure you advise your clients that you are experiencing a delay. In most instances people don’t mind waiting as long as they have been told.

It’s the little things that matter.

We can all make an instant coffee at home but why not offer your customers an espresso coffee while they are waiting. You can make a deal with the coffee shop next door or buy a small coffee machine for your salon. Even adding a small cookie with every tea or coffee you serve or a fresh lemon to your water can make a difference to your client’s experience.
If you wash your client’s hair before you cut it, why not offer a head massage to make the experience even more enjoyable. An additional 5 minute head massage can be the reason a client remains loyal to your business.

Remember it’s the little things that count!

Offer your ear more than your talent.

You will be surprised at how much information a client will share with you because you have no connection to their life. You have two ears and one mouth. Use them proportionately and you will be amazed at how much a client will tell you. Pay attention because the next time they visit your salon, you can pick up where you left off. Before you know it they will consider you a friend and not just the person who cuts their hair. Don’t forget people like dealing with people they like.

Be a style icon.

You are the best sales tool for your business. All of us have bad hair days but it’s harder to forgive a hairdresser if they are having one. So make sure you and your staff always look your absolute best. If you look great your clients will be more trusting of your skills. You wouldn’t use an overweight personal trainer so don’t expect your clients to use a hair dresser with bad hair.

What you see is what you get. Appearances matter.

Your salon is a reflection of the talent within your team. If you salon is funky, vibrant and fresh you will be sure to attract clientele.
Always keep your salon tidy and clean.
Play appropriate music to suit your target market. If you cater to an older audience keep the music subtle and relaxing. If you are tailored to a more youthful crowd play tunes that will appeal to them.

Build your business profile within your local community.

Word of mouth marketing is extremely powerful especially for a service based business. Introduce a referral based program where your customers receive a discount off their next cut if they refer a family or friend.
Start a Punto page and request your clients to share or like the photos on Facebook or Twitter of the hair styles you have cut for them. Use Punto to show off new celebrity styles and trends. This will help to show passion about style and emphasize to your clients that you know what’s happening in the fashion world.
Customize your Punto Profile to match your business and give a professional look online to attract new customers.
Ask your customers to write reviews about their experience at your Salon, the more the better.
Run promotions and deal through your Punto page.
Unless your salon attracts celebrities you will find that most your clients will come from your local community. Make sure you engage in local marketing activities.

Make your salon a winner.

Do you offer trading hours that most salons don’t? ‘Open Wednesday until 9pm’
Do you have special rates for Senior citizens? Or maybe on your quiet days you run specials? ‘Half price Mondays!’
Do you have a beautician who works within your salon? ‘Hair and Nail packages available’
Do you offer gift vouchers. ‘Looking for a birthday present for a loved one? Why not give them a gift voucher to Envy Hair & Beauty’

Whatever it is that makes your salon a winner, make sure you communicate it to your clients, Use your Punto profile to reach your local community online and via mobile! If you are located in Australia, Letterbox advertising is a great way to reach your local community. It’s remarkably cheap and you will be surprised at the response you will receive.

Original Article from Local Direct Network: http://www.ldn.net.au/hairsalon

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