Checklist of 10 steps to remember on the eve of restaurant reopenings

Restaurants are reopening this Wednesday, May 19 for some, in 3 weeks for others. After long months of closure, restaurant owners' to-do lists for the reopening are getting longer, with the announcement of sanitary measures and new challenges in the restaurant business. Make sure you haven't forgotten anything to make this reopening a success.

Over the past few weeks, restaurateurs have been busy redesigning their terraces in accordance with the rules of distancing, deep-cleaning their premises, providing hydro-alcoholic gel and digital menus in the form of QR codes, drawing up a new menu, restocking their products, and recruiting and re-motivating their teams. There are many operational aspects to prepare for, which are unavoidable when relaunching a business, but a business that can't restart without customers present on D-Day. So to attract customers and promote your restaurant, an online communication to-do list needs to be followed. What actions should you take to make yourself visible to Internet users during the selection process? How can you inform them of your reopening? To help you tackle the re-opening with confidence, take a look at our 10 digital communication steps to remember!

1. Update your information on all platforms before restaurants reopen

An unusual situation. After months of closure, it's hard for customers to know whether your restaurant will reopen, under what conditions, at what times and how to book. To find out before taking the risk of traveling, consumers turn to the Internet. So get the right information online, and you'll be more likely to find them at your place!

Restaurant Ponzu, modify your information via MalouApp

Restaurant Ponzu, platforms connected to the modification of its information

All your information on the platforms where you appear online must correspond to your current information. Your official opening date, whether or not you'll be installing a terrace, your hours of service, kitchen opening and closing times, your new menu: these are all details that will help customers make the right decision. If you offer a delivery service, make a distinction between remote sales hours and in-store hours. In this way, you'll inform your customers and guide them through the decision-making process. All they have to do is visit your store. Online consistency is also rewarded by the Google algorithm, which will bring your restaurant up in the search results.

2. Specify all restaurant attributes on Google My Business

Today, a Google My Business (GMB) page is your restaurant's virtual shop window, like its business card. This space dedicated to your establishment allows you to share with Internet users everything you have to offer. But from May 19 to June 9, when terrace restaurants reopen, having an outdoor space becomes the ultimate criterion in the restaurant selection process.

Restaurant & bar Le Perchoir Marais, GMB attribute selection via MalouApp

Google My Business lets you add specific attributes to your establishment in the Info area of your account. Specifying the existence of your terrace attribute, which will then be visible on your GMB page, will inform Internet users that you correspond to their criteria. If you have a terrace on a rooftop, in a hidden garden or nestled in a courtyard, highlight this variant, as it offers considerable added value for your establishment.

3. Change your keywords to adapt your referencing to the new searches due to the reopening of the restaurants.

One of the most important steps is to adapt your keywords to the period. As you'll recall, keywords are the terms used by Internet users in their searches. You therefore need to define the words that reflect your establishment and correspond to user demand. As a general rule, we recommend 8 to 10 keywords.

MalouApp keyword selection, keywords with terrace and garden

But your keywords, like your information, need to be adapted to the circumstances and times of year. An Internet user is less likely to search for "heated terrace paris" in the middle of summer than in December. Under current circumstances, the most popular search terms are terraces, rooftops and gardens. There are various software programs available to find out how often a word or phrase is searched for on Google (SEranking or GoogleAds). Once you've chosen your keywords, you'll need to use them wisely in your GMB posts, descriptions of your establishment, responses to customer reviews... while maintaining consistency in content.

4. Make a Google My Business post about your takeover

From Google My Business, it's possible to write posts, which include a photo, text and an action button (link to "order"/"book" etc.). While the number of views for these posts may seem low, they provide a strategic space for inserting keywords. Visible for only 7 days, posts should be made regularly for best results and to show the algorithm your activity.

Restaurant Laïa, creating GMB posts with MalouApp

Publish content on your GMB page to announce your reopening and include your corresponding keywords. This will enable you to gain positions in search results on terms specific to the current period. To further improve your local SEO, be sure to rename your photos before including them in your post, using your predefined terms.

5. Respond to customer reviews for a new point of contact

Regardless of the time of year, responding to both positive and negative reviews is essential to building customer loyalty and sending out positive signals to other Internet users. Keywords are also strategically important. Consistent use of your keywords in each response will result in better local referencing for your restaurant.

Restaurant Mersea, responding to customer reviews with keywords via MalouApp

But responding to reviews offers an immediate advantage: a new point of contact between the customer and your establishment. With each response, an e-mail notification is sent to the user, opening up a new discussion space. An excellent opportunity for you to communicate on the reopening of your restaurants, your terrace and new opening hours, upcoming news and new menu items. After long months of closure, you're sure to have plenty to share with your customers, so make the most of it!

6. Share your recovery on social media

We don't need to tell you anymore: social media has become an unavoidable means of communication for promoting your restaurant, and Instagram in particular is a veritable kingdom for foodies. The platform lets you communicate instantly, federate your community and expand it to reach a wider clientele. So, at a time when the reopening of terrace restaurants is one of the most eagerly awaited dates of the year, why not share yours?

Feature: schedule or publish posts directly social media via MalouApp

Use Instagram to share your news, both in the hours leading up to the reopening and in the days that follow. Because the excitement of the reopening won't stop on May 19. Update the information in your profile bio, post quality photos and videos of your furnished terrace and the dishes on your menu. You need to arouse desire, so don't neglect the time spent looking after these publications. From the 19th, make stories of your terrace being animated by your customers, or events that you've set up, of your team on duty... Pin your important information- opening days, opening hours and booking details - to the front page of your stories, so that they can be consulted at any time. In these early days of business, you may have little free time, so try to schedule your posts via various tools that allow you to do so.

7. Use hashtags specific to restaurant reopenings

There's also a keyword logic on Instagram: hashtags. A very powerful tool, they enable you to reach a niche audience looking for specific content. Which audience do you want to reach when the restaurants reopen?

Generate a smart list of hashtags specific to your establishment via MalouApp

Your target audience should be consumers who plan to return to the restaurant on May 19. The expected criteria will by definition be the presence of a terrace, an outdoor space. So, during this period, select terrace hashtags for your content. Different types should be used alternately, so that the algorithm values your content and considers that you're playing the game. Use your keywords, up to a maximum of 30, in your bio, posts, stories... The most important thing is rotation!

8. Update your website

Since the government's announcement of the reopening of terraces, we've noticed that many restaurant websites are still providing information from last year. And yet, if Internet users don't find the correct information they need - opening times, menu, reservation link - they run the risk of missing out.

So don't let them go. Once they've arrived at your site, you need to maintain and convince the customer by showing them that you're waiting for them, enticing them with your new menu and inviting them to come in by informing them of your opening times.These last two points can be implemented during the reopening.

9. Organize a contest to engage your subscribers

Competitions, an interactive format that increases subscriber engagement. Winning a meal for two, for example, arouses the interest of a majority of Internet users. And as it's harder to get a table on a terrace these days, interest in the competition increases with the idea of winning not just a meal, but also a place in a restaurant.

A format that works, provided it's well-targeted. To encourage participation, the rules of the game and the reward must be in line with your target's interests. For example, you could offer a good meal on a terrace, at a busy time of day when you might not have a table. We organized a competition for O'Tacos that considerably increased the number of subscribers to the page. Read all about it here.

10. Liven up your terrace for a festive atmosphere

To attract customers, nothing beats standing out from the terraces next door. After months at home, the French are looking for atmosphere, a festive atmosphere, above all. So make sure you liven up your terrace. How can you do that? A live concert, live cooking, music, a cocktail bar, a tasting bar, a flower bar...

A verified checklist for a great season

A long wait later and we're finally here. A long-awaited period for restaurateurs and the French in general. It's time for a recovery, with customers ready to come to you. All you have to do is attract them, which you've done if you've been following this to-do list! But managing the operational aspects alongside your restaurant's digital marketing can be time-consuming, and you're likely to be short of time in these days of national euphoria. That's why we've come up with a solution to help you manage your online visibility independently: the MalouApp! For a demo, please contact louiza@malou.io