For a restaurant to succeed — let alone, thrive — it's essential to have a strong digital presence. Most consumers searching for a restaurant end up completing a purchase within 24 hours, and over 30% do so within the hour.* Restaurants need to ensure their online customer experience is optimized for search, and part of having a robust presence is managing and responding to reviews.
According to new research from L2 — a member-based business intelligence firm that benchmarks the digital performance of brands — very few restaurants take an active approach in responding to reviews, particularly on Google Maps, which also happens to be the preferred channel for consumers to leave feedback. On top of this, just eight of the 126 brands surveyed as part of the study consistently respond to reviews.
While restaurant brands may be focusing their marketing tactics elsewhere, having a reviews strategy is essential in today's world of search. In fact, Google places a priority on ratings and reviews in determining a business's local ranking and Maps location visibility — meaning that your reviews may ultimately determine if your restaurant shows up as consumers search with Google. In addition to this, responding to reviews is a clear signal to potential consumers that you care. 78% of customers say that seeing a business' management respond to reviews shows them that the business respects the customer experience.
Ignoring reviews is no longer an option for restaurants who wish to fill their tables day in and day out. With Yext for Food, you have the ability to view what customers are saying about your restaurant across numerous review sites and respond accordingly.
***Yext Google Survey, October 2017
