Geomarketing Strategy: Drive Your Restaurant’s Revenue

Talk to an Expert Get the Developer Key

As a restaurant leader, you’ve seen and felt how crucial your online presence is during the pandemic.

Even though consumers are thrilled to dine out again, demand for digital ordering, delivery, and carryout isn’t declining. Instead, a Bluedot report finds, 78% of consumers "plan to continue their current dining habits even after the pandemic subsides."

To capture their business, restaurateurs must adapt to changing consumer behavior and explore ways to accommodate and market to their needs. However, gaining visibility via social media and search engines isn’t easy. One solution to this problem is geomarketing.

Location-based marketing helps you attract new restaurant guests, build customer loyalty, and boost efficiency. In return, you can improve margins while increasing your return on investment (ROI).

This post will provide a comprehensive rundown of geomarketing, including an explanation of why location intelligence is essential, how to create a revenue-driving strategy, and tips for skyrocketing sales using the latest tactics proximity-based marketing tools and platforms like MapQuest for Business.

What is Geomarketing?

Geomarketing uses location data to deliver messages to the right consumer at the right time. Since location is a predictor of intent, restaurants can target potential customers with relevant promotions resulting in increased foot traffic, revenue, and upselling opportunities.

Why Should Restaurants Invest in a Geomarketing Strategy?

Geomarketing is crucial to restaurants as you compete for attention online from other restaurants. When your potential customers are searching online, you need to be in front of them with a seamless, easy-to-use experience that leverages their location data to personalize your content. If you don’t, they’ll move on to the next option.

Restaurant margins can be thin, and it can be daunting to invest in new marketing strategies. Yet, the need to personalize communications and raise engagement is skyrocketing, and restaurants need to adapt to survive.

When done correctly, restaurants investing in a robust geomarketing strategy will satisfy business goals, gain new and loyal customers, and earn a solid return on investment (ROI).

Proximity marketing is poised to take off, as the global geomarketing market size is estimated to grow from $10.7 billion in 2020 to $32.5 billion by 2025. The data suggest that restaurateurs who embrace location-based intelligence can amplify their brand and differentiate their business from competitors.

Furthermore, the demand for personalized marketing and experiences drives sales to restaurants leveraging technology. According to Dresner Advisory, 70% of organizations consider data visualization and mapping intelligence critical to achieving business goals.

Along with gaining a deeper understanding of your restaurant guests’ interests and needs, developing a geomarketing strategy for your restaurant can:

  • Increase brand awareness
  • Boost visibility in “near me” searches
  • Grow your restaurant customer base
  • Support excellent customer experiences
  • Help you meet new guest expectations
  • Enhance your revenue growth
  • Allow guests to access your menu and services
  • Strengthen profit margins
  • Improve guest response and engagement rates
Talk to an Expert

How Can You Create Brand Awareness with
Geomarketing for Restaurants?

Regional or national chains can struggle to compete with locally known restaurants. Location-based marketing puts your brand directly in front of hungry consumers while giving you data to inform all other marketing tactics.

This trend can be found in search too: "Restaurant-related searches have grown by double digits in the past two years, while those same restaurant-related searches that include a zipcode have declined over 30%." Consumers expect their web browser or mobile app to determine their location and return accurate, local results.

Proximity-based marketing helps you increase brand visibility by consistently delivering relevant, timely messages. It also provides in-depth insights into local customer behavior, allowing you to tailor marketing on multiple platforms and increase brand awareness across the board.

Leverage geomarketing to grow brand awareness using:

Paid Advertising

Use customer data to successfully implement paid advertising based on location and local market trends.

Search Results

Increase visibility in "near me" searches by securing a top position on the search engine results page (SERP).

Social Media

Create proximity-based and personalized social media campaigns on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok.

Mobile Apps

Share location data to rank higher on third-party ordering and delivery platforms, such as Postmates, UberEats, and GrubHub.

Google Ads

Amplify Google advertising efforts by targeting local consumers that fit your ideal demographics.

Restaurant Web Pages

Send consumers directly to zip code or location-specific web pages for a personalized online guest experience.

Maps

Grab the attention of mobile users searching for restaurants near them by adding locations to listings like MapQuest.

Since "89% of dining research is done by mobile before visiting a restaurant," combining mobile marketing tactics with a geomarketing strategy can improve your overall message effectiveness and increase brand visibility.

How Can You Create Customer Delight with
Geomarketing for Restaurants?

Geomarketing helps you design online or app-based food shopping experiences that today’s consumers crave. You can delight restaurant guests with timely and value-added offers personalized to their specific needs and locations.

In 2020, the restaurant-to-consumer market amassed 760 million users—a 20% year-over-year increase. Plus, the number of people ordering food online is estimated to top 821 million in 2021. Along with these increases, restaurant guest expectations continue to rise.

Meet Consumer Demand

To stay relevant, restaurants must meet consumer demand. And local data is the best way to accomplish your goals.

The Food Service Debrief from PSFK finds:

  • 79% of people "would be interested or extremely interested in receiving personalized menu recommendations based on their past orders or current context, such as time of day."
  • 71% of customers "are interested or extremely interested in ordering from a restaurant that can deliver to a location outside of home or work."
  • 78% of consumers say it’s "important or extremely important" that eateries provide several ordering options.

The popularity of third-party apps shows that people expect to order on-demand in the way they want. Moreover, consumers want food delivery status updates.

Use Technology like MapQuest for Business to Provide Seamless Experiences

Although guests crave personalized experiences, convenience remains critical. Additionally, customers want to stay informed and in control. Geomarketing for restaurants can delight consumers by:

  • Providing data to make informed decisions about adding new physical store locations
  • Offering optimized routes so guests can reach your restaurant quickly
  • Allowing consumers to search for menu items and dining options by location
  • Enhancing brand loyalty by tracking customer location data and delivering personalized experiences
  • Offering complete transparency into your delivery services and showing customers when deliveries are on their way

Use a platform like MapQuest for Business to leverage location data and build experiences that drive customers to your website for ordering and in-person foot traffic.

Other Benefits of Location Data for Restaurants

As restaurant deliveries increase, businesses must keep up with the demand while ensuring satisfaction through the final mile. Fortunately, location-based intelligence gives your business the extra eyes it needs, as you can use geomarketing to optimize routes for delivery drivers.

Furthermore, location data helps you ensure every meal is hot and fresh upon arrival. You can use delivery route data and customer locations to coordinate food prep and cook times.

Considering PSFK says 84% of customers "are somewhat or very willing to share their personal data, such as order history, in exchange for a better experience," restaurants can use location data to further marketing objectives.

Measuring the ROI of Geomarketing

Geomarketing provides a wealth of data about your message effectiveness, restaurant visit duration and repeat visits, and how often people are near your business. When you combine this information with social media and Google Analytics, you can get a fantastic view of your ROI.

Restaurants that invest in geomarketing see a return by:

  • Increasing targeting capabilities for brand awareness and making better use of marketing and advertisement campaigns
  • Enhancing brand loyalty through personalized experiences and meeting guest expectations with every interaction
  • Improving restaurant efficiencies both in the back of the house and through the final mile of delivery using traffic data and customer location information
Talk to an Expert

Real Geomarketing Examples for Restaurants

When looking for a nearby restaurant, web users see a map pop up with pins showing restaurants’ locations. Once users click through to your restaurant website, they expect it to provide a similar experience.

Restaurants with multiple locations risk creating friction by sending guests to sites that aren’t location-specific. However, you can avoid a disconnect using proximity-based services and a map on your website.

Companies such as Buffalo Wild Wings and Dunkin’ use geomarketing to heighten the user experience while personalizing each website visit.

Buffalo Wild Wings

If you perform an online search for "restaurants near me" or "wings near me," there’s a good chance Buffalo Wild Wings will come up. Although closer establishments may exist, Buffalo Wild Wings’ search engine optimized (SEO) website and geomarketing technologies boost its position in search results.

Once you click through to the website, location services or a quick search will provide a list of local restaurants arranged by distance. Need to find a restaurant while traveling? Simply enable location services on your cell phone, and the Buffalo Wild Wings’ proximity tool can direct you to the nearest location.

Dunkin’

Dunkin’, formerly Dunkin Donuts, aims to expand its offerings outside of donuts and coffee. To support these objectives, Dunkin’ uses geomarketing combined with filtering capabilities.

Users can search for specific locations based on features, such as:

  • Drive-thru
  • Curbside pick-up
  • On-the-go mobile ordering
  • Free wi-fi
  • Baskin Robbins
  • Accepts DD cards
  • Limited menu
  • K-cups pods
  • Open 24/7
  • Kosher

Using filters, consumers can avoid the frustrating experience of pulling up to a Dunkin’ late at night only to discover it isn’t open 24/7. Or people wanting to purchase K-cups pods can search for the nearest store that has what they want.

3 Tips to Implement Geomarketing for Restaurants

"Restaurant and food-related searches like "restaurants," "restaurants near me," and "food near me" commonly appear in the top 20 searches for many retailers."

Proximity is one of the main ranking factors for search queries with local intent. To secure a top spot on the search engine results page, take advantage of location-based technologies. When combined with local SEO efforts and location-based paid digital advertising, geomarketing can deliver high response rates and increased lift.

Here are some guiding principles to help you successfully implement geomarketing:

Create Seamless Experiences Across Digital Media

The widespread use of smartphones puts location and map technology into everyone’s hands. People expect similar experiences across all websites. Although it may not seem fair that consumers anticipate your website will have the same capabilities as Airbnb, Amazon, or GrubHub, it’s now an expectation.

A fast, responsive website designed to deliver equally excellent experiences on a mobile phone or desktop provides the speed and convenience users demand. And offering an interactive map experience using MapQuest for Business can assure customers that they’re in the right spot and making the best dining decision.

Leverage Location-Based Data Throughout Your Business

Personalization, value, and convenience remain top priorities for restaurant guests. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) says, "Brands that create personalized experiences by integrating advanced digital technologies and proprietary data are seeing revenues increase by 6% to 10%—two to three times faster than those that do not."

Geomarketing provides insights into local intent, consumer behavior, and even the weather, allowing marketers to design creative, custom campaigns. Furthermore, you can see a higher return on investment by using location-based tools to reduce kitchen waste. Adjust starting cook times according to your customer or delivery driver’s location.

Use Location Data to Understand Your Market and Anticipate Their Needs to Drive Business

Location data benefits the customer and helps them connect with the experiences they are looking for. However, it also helps you as a restaurant leader to connect with them and anticipate their needs. You can use location data to get the context you need to activate local consumers. Location-based data can help you better understand consumer movement, intent, and real-world visitation.

Geormarketing allows you to get in front of the customer at the right time and place with the right message.

"Brands that create personalized experiences by integrating advanced digital technologies and proprietary data are seeing revenues increase by 6% to 10%—two to three times faster than those that do not."
- The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

Geomarketing Strategy: Drive Your Restaurant’s Revenue

Targeting local customers can mean big business. To capture those sales, your restaurant needs a competitive edge. With MapQuest for Business, marketers can grow brand awareness while delighting existing customers with personalized offers and local promotions.

Customer service that goes above and beyond will set you apart from the competition. MapQuest for Business makes it easy to do this with customizable APIs and SDKs. Your customers will know immediately whether they can pick up their food, dine in, or have it delivered.

Our tools can even provide them with accurate turn-by-turn directions right to your door. The same helpful routing is available to your delivery drivers, making their trips easy, accurate and efficient. With speedy delivery of high-quality food, you will have loyal customers returning to a business they trust. As a result, your business is sure to grow.

So the question is, do you have the location tools to keep your customers happy and your business running at peak efficiency? Do customers find your restaurant easily and keep coming back? MapQuest for Business tools can ensure that you do.

Get Started

Whether you’re just getting started, a Fortune 500 company, or somewhere in between - we have tools for businesses of all sizes.
Talk to an Expert