Webinar report: taking advantage of digital without denaturing yourself

Numerous digital solutions dedicated to the foodservice industry are emerging. But restaurateurs are still not used to them, and are struggling to find their way around and adopt the right tools for their establishment. And yet, 37% of consumers would be ready to use mobile payment at the table by 2021. Digital technology has made its mark in today's foodservice industry. From online visibility, to conversion thanks to a good e-reputation, to order-taking, to meal delivery, right through to customer loyalty, digital is increasingly punctuating the way restaurants operate, and in some cases replacing it. As in the case of dark kitchens, kitchens born of technology.

But how far should you go to digitalize your restaurant? How can you make the most of digital technology, using it to streamline operations, save time and customers, while remaining true to your values and profession? How can digitalization help restaurant owners to continue to exist in these times, but also to prepare for the future and anticipate the recovery? With Yves Sassi from Club de la FranchiseGhislain Rouësse from BilleeAntoine Rabin of Doodand Nour Zerelli of DeliverectAbig thank you to the many participants, and we hope that this exchange will help you to better embrace digital. For those of you who were unable to attend, we'd like to take a look back at the main points of the discussion. Watch the replay of the debate.Throughout the webinar, we asked ourselves how to include digital with the sole aim of helping the restaurateur, relieving him, optimizing friction points, to enable him to focus on his core business. The various points raised:

1. Acquiring and retaining online customers with digital marketing
2. Serving customers with new bricks
3. Save operational time with the right tools
4. The limits of digital: how to adapt without denaturing yourself

1. Acquire and retain online customers with digital marketing

At a time like this, when restaurants are being forced to close, establishing and maintaining contact with customers is all about digital. And not communicating with them risks losing them, as consumers adapt to the situation and adopt new habits. Digital is also essential for acquiring new customers, as 90% of the French population look for their restaurant online.

• 2 ways to reach customers for a restaurant :
  • For those searching by need, such as "brunch paris 16", you need to work on your relevant keywords to appear at the top of the results.
  • For those who type directly because they know the brand, such as "Big Mamma", you need to become a destination.

At Malou, we believe that being visible on your keywords is essential and within everyone's reach. We call it local referencing.

• Local SEO: what and how?
  • Work on your keywords with the aim of appearing directly on the map at the top of the Google page, and not trying to compete with the sites of the aggregators and media visible next.
  • Make sure you update all your information on the platforms concerned: address, telephone number, opening hours... to the nearest space.
  • Identify your keywords and apply them, putting yourself in the customer's shoes to anticipate their search. Free software is available to determine the popularity of a search. For example, "Indian restaurant" is 10 times more popular than "Indian restaurant".
  • Use these words intelligently, especially in your Google my Business description and customer reviews.
  • Respond to customer reviews to build loyalty and maximize your Google average.

• Then become a destination!
  • Establish a relevant strategy on social media to increase your company's reputation. It's all about the image you want to convey. You need to know your identity, network trends and competitors' practices.
  • Quality content is key. The typology of posts and the tone adopted require careful thought beforehand to build a coherent reputation. You need to define an editorial schedule and produce content on a regular basis.
  • Use influencers to relay content. Other levers can be used, such as competitions, sponsorship... but before using them, you need to know your target well.

There are many subtleties and steps to follow for someone who is not in the restaurant business. So we decided to take the digital marketing burden off the restaurateur's shoulders with the MalouAppThe all-in-one interface turns the complex process into child's play, saving the user time, visibility and customers. Find your strategic keywords, update your information everywhere with a single click, manage your customer reviews, moderate your social accounts, track your performance and progress, let yourself be guided in the creation of network content and plan your publications... the MalouApp accompanies the restaurateur every step of the way.

2. Serving customers with new bricks

If a restaurant is well referenced, it will attract more people. Now it's a question of adding new bricks to the establishment to bring it new services, through digital means. Dood provides a restaurant owner's own online ordering platform, offering click & collect and delivery services, in addition to in-store service. A platform that helps restaurateurs maximize their sales, as this omnichannel approach caters to all customer consumption moments and constraints. How does Dood enhance human contact?

The company offers delivery and click&collect services with no intermediary between the restaurant and its consumer, thanks to its personal platform that enables direct interaction between them. What's more, by collecting data, the professional gets to know his customer and his preferences better. In addition to offering new services, the platform multiplies points of contact. Having customers' contact details enables the restaurant to get in touch with them to inform them of new products, menus, special offers, etc., which in turn increases customer loyalty.The tool proposed by Dood does not dehumanize the profession, but rather creates a new point of contact between customer and restaurateur. The human relationship is amplified, not distorted.

3. Save operational time with the right tools

A restaurateur's job is to offer his customers good food and service, but during a service, the restaurateur has to manage many actions simultaneously, which can become difficult to control if the restaurant fills up or if a technical problem occurs. Some of these actions are not part of the restaurateur's core business. Like cashiering, a necessary step but one that doesn't necessarily add value to the experience. And what if, in addition to room service, the restaurateur runs a delivery service to maximize sales? He risks reducing the time devoted to his main function: serving a good plate of food. Digital tools are emerging to ease the burden of logistics on the professional.

• A tool to simplify ordering and payment

Ask for the bill and wait for it, pay by card and receive the terminal, pay by cash and get your change back, ask for an invoice with VAT... Payment in a restaurant takes up a lot of time, both for the restaurateur and the customer. Time that will be all the more precious when the restaurant reopens, as restaurateurs will be faced with a large influx of customers, bottlenecks, sanitary conditions to be respected, service to be provided, staff to be brought up to scratch. .. The Billee platform takes the hassle out of ordering and/or payment. A QR code on the tables and linked to the tills enables customers to make their choice and leave the restaurant independently. This not only saves time for the restaurateur and enhances customer satisfaction, it also saves money, as tables turn faster.

It's important for every restaurateur to discern which touch points add value to the customer experience in their establishment. Billee operates differently in different restaurants. Depending on the type of restaurant, order-taking may or may not be a key factor for the establishment.

• A tool to provide a delivery service in addition to room service

The health crisis and teleworking have anchored delivery in consumer habits. Maintaining this service after reopening provides restaurateurs with an additional source of income. But managing this service is not easy and can take up a considerable amount of time, leading some to recruit a new employee. What's more, the restaurant must equip itself with a tablet for each delivery platform it serves.

The platform Deliverect platform combines these tablets into a single one. And the platform, connected to the restaurant's cash register, registers orders automatically, while the kitchen receives them simultaneously. The delivery service is thus seamless.Deliverect supports operational excellence: meeting commitments, preparation time, delivery at a precise time. In other words, the platform doesn't replace the restaurant owner's business, but rather boosts it.

4. The limits of digital: how can we adapt without denaturing ourselves?

With the market expected to shrink by 38% by 2020, the restaurant industry is still suffering. Digital technology helps establishments to seek out customers, offer new services and streamline operations, so that restaurateurs can concentrate on their core business. To make the best use of digital, it's vital for every restaurateur to know who they are, what they want to convey and to whom, what customers expect when they come to them, and what touchpoints are involved in the customer journey. From there, they can define which digital tools will help them without taking their place. It's not a question of multiplying the tools, but of choosing them carefully according to your identity and what you want to achieve. Strike a balance. Digital technology doesn't replace the job, but complements it. Dark kitchens and delivery, for example, are professions in their own right, belonging to a different company. New-generation habits and the prospect of reopening are leading restaurateurs to embrace digital. For their part, digital tools are becoming increasingly integrated. La MalouApp, Dood, Billee and Deliverect all play a part in a restaurant's image, communication and organization strategy, and are compatible with each other.If you have any questions about how to digitalize your restaurant, don' thesitate to contact us at contact@malou.io, or if you'd like more information about our solution, we'd be happy to send you a demo on request to louiza@malou.io!