As a restaurateur, you know how important it is to get people in the door. But what can you do when business is slow?

One great way to bring in new customers is through the power of reviews. Restaurants with high ratings on review sites like Trip Advisor, Yelp, and Google are more likely to attract new diners.

In this post, we'll share tips on how to generate reviews and use them to bring in more business.

Why Online Reviews Matter

You might be wondering why online reviews even matter. Aren't they just the opinion of a few people?

Actually, online reviews are more important than ever. A study by BrightLocal found that:

83% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations

72% of consumers say that positive online reviews make them more likely to use a business

59% of consumers say that they wouldn't bother contacting a business if it didn't have any good reviews

Given those numbers, it's clear that online reviews are a powerful tool for businesses. If you're not taking advantage of them, you're missing out on potential customers.

Creating social proof is powerful, showing potential customers that your restaurant is worth checking out, can be incredibly persuasive- research shows that online reviews can have a 10-15% impact on purchasing decisions.

That's why it's important to make sure your restaurant has a strong online presence, with plenty of positive reviews to show off.

How to Encourage Customers to Leave Reviews

Now that you understand the importance of customer reviews, it's time to learn how to encourage your customers to leave them. The best way to do this is by making it as easy as possible for them.

Ideally, you should have a section on your website or menu specifically for reviews, and make it clear that you would really appreciate their feedback. You can also offer incentives like a discount off their next meal for anyone who leaves a review.

If you have a physical location, make sure you have signs encouraging customers to leave reviews on Google, Trip Advisor, or Facebook. You can even give them a little card with your business information and website URL so they can easily write a review when they get home. Providing them with stamped review cards can encourage them to post on social media.

Finally, you can also reach out to local bloggers and Influencers and ask them to write a review of your restaurant. This can be a great way to get exposure for your restaurant and attract new customers.

Whatever method you choose, make sure you stay in touch with your customers and let them know how much their feedback means to you. Thank them for their time and let them know that you're working hard to make your restaurant the best it can be.

And if you do get a bad review, don't panic! Just stay calm and professional, and work on addressing the customer's concerns.

What to Do if You Get a Negative Review

No one's perfect, and that includes restaurants. Even the best places sometimes get negative reviews from unhappy customers. So what do you do if you get a bad review?

The most important thing is to stay calm and don't panic. It can be tempting to lash out at the customer or try to defend your restaurant, but this will only make things worse. The best thing to do is to apologise for the mistake and promise to fix it.

Then, take steps to correct the problem. If the issue was with your food, make sure you cook it properly next time. If the customer had a bad experience, make sure you apologise and offer them a discount or free meal next time they visit.

Most importantly, don't ignore the review. Negative reviews can be a valuable opportunity to learn from your mistakes and improve your restaurant.

How to Turn a Negative Review Into a Positive

Negative reviews can be hard to take, but they don't have to be a total disaster. In fact, there are a few things you can do to turn them into a positive for your business.

First, always respond to reviews—both good and bad. Thank the reviewer for their feedback, and let them know that you're taking their comments seriously. This shows that you care about your customers and their experience at your restaurant.

Second, try to find the silver lining in every negative review. Maybe the reviewer had a bad experience with one dish on the menu, but they loved everything else. Take their feedback and use it to improve your restaurant.

Third, don't be defensive. No one likes a know-it-all, and defensive behaviour will only make the reviewer more likely to write a negative review about your restaurant. Accept that you may have made some mistakes, learn from them, and move on.

By following these tips, you can turn negative reviews into positives for your business—and attract new customers in the process!

Conclusion

All you need to do is get started with generating reviews for your restaurant. Once you have a few good ones in place, you'll start to see a positive trend in how new customers find your business. Not only that, but satisfied customers are more likely to refer their friends and family to your restaurant, giving you even more word-of-mouth marketing power.