The pandemic has accelerated the shift to digital for everyone in the restaurant community. Stay-at-home orders, social distancing requirements and vulnerable customers avoiding the risks of the virus have caused businesses to jump into the e-commerce pool with both feet.
Brick and mortar business owners have encountered a once- in-a-lifetime drop in foot traffic, compounded by the need to learn an entirely new digital business model. Restaurant operators who have mastered the culinary, service and financial components of their business are now faced with setting up a website, managing the restaurant’s digital reputation, growing and monetizing their social media presence, and learning how to market their business in a crowded online marketplace with thousands of new online competitors.
But there is a silver lining. While every new business model has a learning curve, it is easier than ever to get your online business up and running and generating revenue. Restaurant website design has become much simpler and more cost-effective, digital marketing tools are targeted and efficient, and social media has opened up a whole new way to find and sell to your customers. Because this digital explosion is here to stay, we know that whatever effort you put into developing your online business is sure to provide benefits well beyond the end of this crisis.
This document is an introduction for small businesses and independent operators that need help generating traffic and navigating the complex world of online orders and digital marketing — what follows is a comprehensive guide to getting your business online efficiently and maximizing your online presence. Click here to download the guide.