Working the Web
Bread & Butter, March 2001

The Information Superhighway is opening new avenues for marketing restaurants. Here are some ways to use the Internet to attract business.

• Create your own Web site. In your own piece of cyberspace, you can publicize your menu and special events, provide coupons, sell gift certificates, list your hours of operation, and give directions to your restaurant. You'll want to choose a Web address that's easy for customers to remember and associate with your business — such as your restaurant's name or its initials. Be sure to register your Web address with search engines such as yahoo.com and lycos.com.
• Publicize your Web address. Put your address on all your materials, including menus, business cards, gift certificates, coupons and advertisements.
• Offer online reservations. Whether offered through your own site or through a site specializing in reservations — such as www.opentable.com — online reservation services are becoming an important way to attract business. For example, New York City's Tavern on the Green currently receives more than 900 reservations a month via its Web site.
• Link up with your state restaurant association. Many state restaurant associations operate an online dining guide and will include a complimentary listing for any member restaurant. Look for opportunities to get your information included on these sites. For example, the Restaurant Association of Maryland periodically sends its members a form to update their dining-guide listing. "I tell them, 'I can promote your restaurant, but you have to give me the information,' " says Paula Kreuzburg, vice president of membership and services.
• Target tourists. By joining your local convention and visitors bureau, you often can receive a free listing on its Web site — a prime place to attract tourists. For a list of bureaus, log on to www.iacvb.org.
• List your operation in online directories. You also can locate regional dining guides by searching the Internet. If you're not interested in purchasing space online, look for sites that offer free listings.
• Work with area businesses. Ask neighboring theaters and hotels to mention your business on their Web sites.
• Get your customers' e-mail addresses. Include a place on your Web site, as well as on any feedback forms, for customers to give their e-mail addresses. Then you can e-mail them about special events, discounts and menu changes.