In 2019, TripAdvisor has almost become a verb in it’s own right. Like Google, Kleenex or Scotch Tape, TripAdvisor has entered the household lexicon and doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon. Going on holiday? Or looking for somewhere new and exciting to eat locally? ‘TripAdvisor it’ is the general response you might receive upon asking friends for recommendations.
The site was created in the year 2000 and has quickly taken off to become one of the world’s most reliable sources for finding tried and trusted reviews written by real-life consumers. The food quality, service, cleanliness and experience can all be put up for debate – and can have a huge impact on customer conversion.
TripAdvisor says that the Popularity Index algorithm is based on three factors: the quantity, quality, and recency of reviews. Keeping that in mind, here are our top tips on how to best utilise TripAdvisor and make the best of restaurant marketing’s oldest and most timeless strategy – word of mouth.
– There’s no such thing as too much information
Take care to provide as much information about your restaurant as possible – have you listed your menu? Are there vegan options? Step-free access? Suitability for groups? Often potential customers will be looking for a restaurant with these kinds of specifications in mind, so it’s important to be as informative as possible about the facilities you have and the kind of service you provide.
– Upload bright, high-quality, attractive images
The food on your menu may sound great, but it’s important for customers to know what to expect when they arrive to eat. Providing high-quality pictures of the interior, food and facilities is a great way to make a good first impression and help to reinforce your restaurant branding.
– Add a booking link to your listing
Help save your customers some time and make sure you have a ‘Book Now’ link on your restaurant listing. The best way to do this is to register your business with TripAdvisor’s partner company Viator and go from there – so simple, yet so effective.
– Encourage reviews
Your TripAdvisor ranking will be partially calculated based on how recent your reviews are – so encouraging customers to leave reviews wherever possible is a great way to climb up the ranks! Requesting a TripAdvisor sticker to put in the window of your restaurant or adding a TripAdvisor widget to your website are both effective ways of reminding the customer that they are able to leave a review.
– Respond to negative reviews – and view them constructively
It’s always best to acknowledge and respond to negative reviews – not only does it show the customer who wrote it that you value their time and are apologetic about any unfortunate experience they had, but it also shows prospective guests that you value your customers’ feedback.
Reading and responding to customer complaints is also a great way to gain a well-rounded perspective of the business that you’re running and improve on any problems – It’s sometimes easier to pick up on any potential issues with a fresh pair of eyes. Knowledge is power!
Get in contact with the Captivate team to supercharge your marketing this week. Call us on 020 3954 6253 or fill in a contact form here.
