You may invest lots of money into your catering business and employees, but it doesn’t mean you stand out from the crowd or capture the attention you need. Being a well-known business and having enough clients to hold up with the rate of the market becomes harder every day. That is because the market is competitive; customers constantly change their needs and look for unique businesses.
We see how businesses are changing today. This makes it essential for catering companies to know market trends and be ready to change processes according to customers’ needs on time. This guide will show you some ideas for promoting your catering business today.
1. Develop a Website
Whether you run your business on social media or not, having a website is a must-have in our new realities. Websites allow organisations to keep up with the speed of the market and increase brand awareness. Websites work like your business card, allowing users to know your offerings before contacting you and making their decisions.
Although websites have long been an option, now catering companies should always have an online presence through web development. Fill the website with useful content, recipes, blog posts, and service pages so you can become the voice of your community. You can hire a web development company with the needed skills or choose the no-code approach if development is costly.
However, make your website responsive, mobile-friendly and easy to navigate. Create relevant and engaging designs that will illustrate your brand colour palette. Alongside content and design, consider adding self-service features such as ordering and payments, which will help you and your clients save time.
2. Integrate eCommerce
By implementing the right solution, you can automate your sales processes, like online order inputting by the client. This will also allow you to customise orders effortlessly, update food items, and create new positions immediately available. According to recent studies, simple things like automated order confirmation, quick quotes and invoice downloads can bring a huge difference to clients and provide higher traffic.
For example, some catering businesses already use FoodStorm’s platform since they believe it is an excellent choice for automated order notifications, instant reporting, and several useful backend functions. Integrating eCommerce into your website can give your customers a better experience, which is a separate marketing strategy.
3. Show Testimonials & Reviews
Word of mouth is one of the best valid ways to get warm clients. That is because people tend to trust their friends, colleagues or family regarding new services. Showing testimonials and your successful cases can help you build trust and gain loyalty.
To create a solid plan, it is best to check what reviews and testimonials your competitors have. Maybe they provide video reviews, use trusted websites to collect testimonials, or ask customers to leave photos from their events. Once you identify your competitor’s strategy, ensure you are one step ahead by giving referral bonuses for recommendations.
4. Use SEO
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is one of the most popular marketing strategies that involve using keywords to make your websites visible in search engines like Google. SEO for caterers allows you to gain credibility and trust. If you are located on the first page of the search, you will be able to attract relevant and ready-to-order consumers.
A study of billions of search results finds over a quarter of Google searchers click on the first organic result. Google is a trusted source, and users tend to open websites only on the first page of results, considering these pages as the best options for them.
5. Make Your Business Look Professional
Attracting clients becomes easier when your business says, “we are professionals”. People tend to believe businesses that can invest in quality design and photos. That is why you need to hire a photographer to create engaging content and allow potential customers to visualise what they’ll be getting. Make sure that every item you offer looks delicious while also offering unique positions so users can take photos with them and post them on social media.
6. Style Your Food
Invest enough resources and money in making your dishes look excellent for photos and videos. Don’t forget that they should look ecstasy the same at the catering event. Food that looks scrumptious sells itself, allowing you to reach a more profitable audience and work as a compelling value proposition for customers looking to impress using your catering.
7. Brand Your Delivery Van
If you use vans or scooters for delivery, make them work as a marketing tool for you. There is high traffic at specific times and use it as an opportunity to attract clients. Give your couriers branding clothing and brand your van with brand colours and logos. We also highly recommend placing either a phone number or a QR code to make it easier for clients to reach your website.
8. Get Out
One of the great ideas that some catering services use is going out. Your services can be useful not only during events. There are some local markets or gatherings for various reasons at the park. Brand your van and go out to these events. You will offer people some of your items and increase brand awareness. Give them discounts for the first order.
It is also highly recommended to reach local businesses directly. You can also stay involved in local business events and volunteer organisations. Once you find loyal clients that hire you on a specific basis, give them discounts, offer bonuses or special offerings.
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