Attracting customers to your new restaurant in itself is a challenge. Retaining them in the long run is a different ball game altogether. Loyal customers spend more than occasional customers. A restaurant can thrive and flourish only if there are loyal customers to sustain the business. Loyal customers promote word-of-mouth marketing which boosts brand awareness and reputation.

Retaining customers is not as easy as one would think. It requires consistent efforts. A restaurant marketing agency will help employ strategies that will retain your restaurant customers. This article will take you through valuable tips and strategies to retain customers. 

6 strategies to attract and retain restaurant customers

If you are wondering what strategies will work for your restaurant, here is a rundown of the top strategies that will help you pull customers into your restaurant. 

1.     Leverage data to your advantage

Your marketing efforts will be fruitful only if you use customer data to your advantage. Gather data about customers’ order history and dietary preferences and use this information to target your marketing efforts. A marketing automation platform will let you gather critical data and tailor marketing strategies depending on your customers’ choices and preferences.

You can hire a restaurant marketing agency to leverage automation, collect data from online orders, dining reservations and craft personalized marketing messages. This is critical to retaining your restaurant customers. 

2.     Personalize your marketing efforts 

If your customer feels like they are one in a million, you have already lost the battle. Personalization is key to retaining customers. If you send a personalized message based on their past browsing behavior or order history, your customers will feel more valued. Wishing customers on their birthdays or anniversaries, giving them an offer on special occasions or giving them first-time discounts will humanize your marketing and create a lasting impression on customers. You can hire reputable marketing companies for small businesses to personalize your marketing messages and improve customer retention rates.

3.     Stay on top of customers’ mind 

With the internet flooded with hundreds and thousands of businesses, staying on top of customers' minds is a real challenge. You want customers to recall your restaurant when they are planning to eat out. Sending timely emails to customers and giving them small discounts on their favorite dish will help restaurant businesses stay on top of customers’ minds. If you hire a digital marketing agency for small business, it will help stay on top of customers’ mind with tried and tested tactics. 

4.     Conduct surveys 

Keep customers engaged by conducting surveys. Find out what improvements they expect from your restaurant, what they like and dislike about your restaurant etc. By keeping customers engaged with feedback surveys, you attract and retain customers in the long run. 

5.     Recover customers 

Once you receive negative feedback, you have to act on that feedback. You have to constantly monitor negative reviews and make necessary improvements to your restaurants. There could be complaints about your restaurant’s ambience, taste of food, hygiene, cleanliness among others. You have to make improvements and respond to reviews in a timely manner so customers know they are valued. 

6.     Incentivize loyalty

You have to incentivize customers who are loyal to your restaurant. A digital loyalty program can help you incentivize customers. You can hire a digital marketing agency for small business to incentivize customers in different ways. 

Conclusion

Retaining customers might be tricky especially for restaurant businesses. You have to employ multiple strategies to retain customers and attract repeat business. Without focusing on marketing, you won’t be able to sustain your business. If you need help implementing retention strategies, you should hire a restaurant marketing agency.