Today, ratings are crucial when it comes to reserving a restaurant table. Nobody buys a pig in a poke these days. The guest relies on the opinions of other guests to make their decision. Proactive evaluation marketing is, therefore, one of the most effective, most important and at the same time simplest marketing measures that you can use for the success of your company.
Why are reviews so important in gastronomy?
With price and location, ratings are the most important decision criteria for bookings and reservations. Today, the guest has the choice between many restaurants and initially no possibility of assessing the quality of the offer from the outside. At the same time, the decision to have a nice dining experience requires trust. The product costs a lot and it cannot be exchanged if you are not satisfied.
Your restaurant has been rated for years anyway, whether you want it or not – on Facebook, on Google and on rating platforms. This is where your guests get information and there they decide between you and your competitors. Review platforms are here, they are used extensively and they are not going to go away. It is important that you recognize the benefits of this review and not only deal with them but also actively use them for your marketing goals.
What are the benefits of reviews?
Reviews bring trust. Consumers no longer believe in advertising, they believe other consumers. Studies from online retail show that reviews are 12 times more trusted than company product descriptions.
Reviews bring the best advertising impact of all. “Word of Mouth” are recommendations from other people. They were considered the best form of advertising ever before the online age. Today this advertising medium has increased through online platforms and social media. It’s still free and you can and should benefit from it.
Reviews bring more sales. Reviews bring more conversions on the website, more reservations and ultimately better prices. The more positive reviews a restaurant has, the better it’s ranking on platforms. The better the ranking, the recommendation rate and the ratings, the higher the quality of the perception by the guests and the more justified the price.
Reviews are free market research for product development. Reviews show what guests like and what could be expanded or strengthened. However, evaluations can also reveal weaknesses that can then be remedied or improved before these weaknesses lead to real damage to the company’s image.
Reviews bring competitive advantages: Since most companies still do not care about their reviews, every restaurant that actively and constructively deals with its reviews stands out from the competition.