Using digital restaurant tools to collect customer knowledge is an effective task all restaurants can accomplish. It gives you the opportunity to satisfy customers better, and in turn, can help increase your restaurant’s revenues. Ultimately, it benefits both your restaurant and your customers.
To help you easily manage your customer data, begin using some readily-available tools:
Social Media
Social media is a quick and easy way to begin collecting customer data. Studies show that people, specifically millenials, are on social media an average of 5.5 hours a day.
This information confirms that the best and first place to gather data is where customers spend most of their time. To properly collect their data, use a tool or platform that aggregates and integrates your user data across all platforms.
SproutSocial is a great place to start. This free digital restaurant tool provides real-time analysis of your social media channels. It organizes social media mentions of your restaurant’s brand into a single stream. This includes hashtags, top keywords, and sites. It makes it easy for you to quickly see the effectiveness of your online campaigns, deals, and engagements.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is the most popular analytics software and useful digital restaurant tool.
It tracks the traffic to your website along with the performance of various web pages. Google Analytics lets you see where customers come from, demographic information, and how often/how much time they are spending on your site.
Because your site contains specific links, you can see which links are being clicked the most. Google Analytics allows you to determine the purchase process of your customers and how many are completing the process. This is important information because it helps you to see which items are successful versus unsuccessful on your menu. Having this information will help you adjust your strategies to ensure the buying experience is quicker and easier.
If you don’t have any experience with Google Analytics, consider taking an online course. TechSoup Course: Gotta Get Google Analytics is a four-course, on-demand learning track will give you a solid start with Google Analytics.
Online Surveys
Don’t be afraid to go the “old school” route of collecting information and create a survey.
Online surveys are great digital restaurant tools to help you gather data in a more controlled manner. Plus, the anonymity of surveys allows people to feel more candid with their responses. While it might seem like an obvious responsibility, many restaurants don’t pay attention to customer data. Creating a survey (with an incentive or discount upon completion) can direct you where to go. It can help with your next new menu creation, to determine if prices are too high, and more. To understand your customers better, you have to get greater insight into what they want.
Natalie MacNeil, author of She Takes on the World, writes: “When I need to collect data, send out a questionnaire, or do a quick survey I still love using Google Forms, even though there are more advanced systems out there now.”
In Summary
By collecting customer information, you can start tweaking your messaging to appeal to more customers. These digital restaurant tools are a simple way to start building your database and guide you to make better decisions.
