As a restaurant owner or manager, the goal is high volume, high retention, and high spending. You want to attract as many customers as possible and provide them with an excellent experience so they will keep coming back. When customers are in your restaurant, you want them to spend as much as possible. Servers train to upsell, while the marketing and loyalty programs encourage spending with rewards and coupons. Learn how to increase average customer spending in your restaurant.
Digital Signage
People are incredibly visual; we love to see pictures. We eat with our eyes first, then the stomach. You can use the preference for visuals over words to increase sales using digital signage. Digital signage allows restaurants to use high-quality images on their menus. You can even incorporate smart features and integrate videos and other advertisements.
Would you rather read about a fantastic sandwich or see a high definition picture of one? A digital menu board trades wordy descriptions for mouthwatering imagines to naturally upsell customers. Digital Signage increases sales by 31.8 percent. You can use any standard TV and turn it into a menu board and use different smart features like social media feeds. It’s super easy, all you have to do is plug in the small device to the TV’s USB port, and then you can manage your content from your computer.
Loyalty Programs
The best restaurant loyalty program naturally incentivizes customers to increase their check size by offering rewards and coupons once milestones are hit. Not all loyalty programs are created equal. Your loyalty program should be customizable, so it harmonizes with your brand from your logo to your color scheme. Loyalty programs can also be great for customer communication. You can send your customers text, email, or push notifications with different coupons, offers, or specials. Zonal creates customized and affordable loyalty apps that send targeted rewards to customers based on their spending habits. Our loyalty programs also integrate with our online ordering platform for a seamless experience.
Should a customer who spends 10 dollars a month receive the same as a customer who spends 50 dollars a week? No, the customer who comes in less frequently should be encouraged to increase visits while the customer who visits frequently should be prompted to increase their spending.
Online Ordering Platform
Customers spend more when using an easy online ordering platform compared to having to call in an order. When customers have to place an order over the phone they often feel rushed, do not always have the menu in front of them, are unaware of specials, and may even have to be put on hold if you’re short staffed. An online ordering platform makes the process simple. Customers can place orders, enter coupons, connect their loyalty account, and check out all through the platform.
An effective online ordering platform allows restaurants to customize their merchant page, so it matches their branding, uses pictures, and is easily updated. Customers who go to an online ordering page that is easy to navigate, feels like an extension of the restaurant, and has excellent HD pictures will have higher spending. Zonal’s online ordering platform is not only easy to update and customize but is also affordable. When you choose a custom online ordering platform, you do not have to sacrifice up to 30 percent of each transaction as you would with a service like UberEats or Grubhub.
Innovative Specials
Limited-edition specials are a natural way to increase spending, by enticing customers with higher-priced menu items that are only available for a short amount of time. The limited-edition aspect gives customers the fear of mission out. The special may be 10 dollars more than what they were ordering, but it will soon be gone and what if it’s incredible and they never got to try it? They are more likely to splurge as feel it’s a “one-time thing.”
Social Media Presence
Social media is vital for restaurants as many customers check Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter when deciding where and what to eat. Your social media pages should be full of high resolution, delicious pictures of menu items and happy customers. Social media is a great way to connect with customers, listening to what they have to say and adjusting your business accordingly. You can push specials, coupons, and other offers on your social media pages to drive business and sales.
Comprehensive Reporting
A comprehensive reporting system can tell what menu items sell the best and which sell the worst. Knowing the stats of your offerings helps you not run out of customer favorites and gives you the opportunity to replace any poor performing menu offerings.
Free Samples
People love free, and if you give them just a taste of something delicious, it will leave them wanting for more. Sample appetizers and desserts to boost customer spending. Many people opt-out of an appetizer or a dessert to try to save money, but if they have a taste of your dessert and it’s fantastic, they’ll have to have it. You can also sample alcohol, or offer flights of beer or wine instead of just glasses for a higher price. Customers like variety and being able to try new things without the commitment of purchasing a full size.
Alcohol Pairing
A sneaky way to increase sales is to suggest wine, beer, or cocktails with different menu items. Customers can be overwhelmed with alcoholic offerings or decide to skip a beverage, but if you recommend a specific drink with their entree on the menu or through the server, it increases sales. The customer feels that they are missing out on the full experience by foregoing the alcohol that was specially selected to pair best with the meal.
Wouldn’t you love to increase each of your customer’s spending? Obviously! There is an entire industry designed to improve customer retention and spending. You can use these little tricks to upsell your customers and get them to spend more with each visit. It’s more efficient to focus on the customers you already have, increasing their visits and encouraging them to have check sizes than it is to find new customers. Customer loyalty is key to a successful business.