If you don’t have a mobile strategy component of your overall marketing program you are seriously missing the boat! In the past, it was your Yellow Pages ad that was the cornerstone of your marketing efforts—today, probably 70% of your customers have not opened a yellow book in the last six months.
But more than 40% of them have used their Smartphone specifically to find a restaurant in the last week! Smartphones are being sold at a rate of 300,000 per day and by the end of 2011 over 70% of all cell phones use will be with a Smartphone. As you look around your dining room, 3 of every 4 guests will have one.
Starting now, your growth and continued success depends on your mobile and online presence—not on the size or placement of your Yellow Pages listing.
It’s your ability to be easily found on online channels that determines the success of your marketing activities. Not showing up in search results, or being listed on page 3 or 4 of the results, is comparable to yesteryear only having a single line with a phone number in the Yellow Pages—or only being in the White Pages.
Using my Smart phone I can be in any city and quickly find a specific type of restaurant. From the choices listed I can read reviews from actual customers, check the hours, see a menu, call ahead for reservations, and then get exact driving or walking direction from my current location.
So a strong mobile presence puts you in the forefront when local diners are looking for a restaurant to visit and it improves the chances that visitors or travelers will find you. You don’t want to leave this to chance; the restaurants that show up the most frequently and that are presented the best have made a commitment to being active online and doing what it takes to be found!
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