Need small scale advertising advice... please help (incorporations, small business, sales)

[dmarie123]

My finace started a consulting business for restaurants.

He wants to focus mostly on the San Antonio area, but is willing to work else where.

So far, the website, his chief way of getting the word out there, is not really working.

There is traffic, but no business leads.

How can I get more traffic without paying for things like pop-up adds and that kind of annoying stuff. Legitimate ways.
We're currently paying for clicks on search engines, with no luck getting listed actually in the search engine.

Any other suggestions how a business like this could advertise for relatively small costs?

Check out the website if that will help you with suggestions...
Moderator- this is not an advertisment, but just a request for help.
The name is "The restaurant mentor dot com"

Thanks!

[dc1225]

I don't see how any type of advertising would help his situation. He's going to have to call/walk up to each restaurant and ask speak to restaurant owner and sell himself and his services. Generally speaking most small restaurants would see his services as waste of money and most larger restaurants/chains usually have their own business units so there is no need for his services. Either way, great idea but a tough sell in the end. Good luck!

[aaauger]

1. Make the best use of paid web traffic: newsletter, blog, offer for free 1/2 hour consultation, etc.
2. Do a direct mailer. Local will probably have better conversion.
3. Do a lecture at a local community college.
4. Maybe register with a freelance site like guru.com under Business Consulting.
5. Watch for related job ads on Craigslist.

He might also want to use something like surveymonkey.com to survey website visitors and find out what they want. It may be different than what he's offering. He also needs to test what rate businesses (especially small businesses) are willing to pay.

As a web analyst, I'll say that his website could improve. Ex.
- It has some technical problems.
- It doesn't grab the visitor with immediate benefit.
- It could be more graphically appealing.
- It should have a Call to Action with less commitment: ex. newsletter signup, free consultation, brochure, etc.
- It doesn't list his credentials.
- It could use some personal restaurant stories to humanize him.

The "menu" approach to services is a great idea. Good luck!

[maf763]

He might be better off targeting potential restaurants than ones that are already operating and using community and business bulletin boards, like Craigslist. So instead of marketing to Restaurant Owners, try Thinking of Opening a Restaurant? instead.

[cpg35223]

As an ad professional, I would say that the web site isn't currently really making a substantial promise to the viewer. It doesn't seem to evoke a sense of confidence and it really doesn't show how your husband will provide answers in a very tough, very competitive business.

Here's the thing. If I'm a restaurant owner, I probably want to be able to do the following:

1) Make more money.
2) Be able to stand toe-to-toe with the chain restaurants and win.
3) Be aware of the regulatory demands that make my job even harder.

To create confidence, I might add a testimonial or two from happy clients.

The other thing I would consider is possibly putting together a half-day seminar for local restaurateurs. Charge a nominal fee, and give them some really usable information that will directly affect their bottom lines. Then follow up with those people to perhaps strengthen the relationship further.

Also, in addition to the website, you should have a inexpensive postcard campaign to your profile that directs people to your website. I think the postcard campaign should not exactly scare the crap out of them, but should at least point out how tough the restaurant biz is, and how they need somebody in their corner to help them succeed. You should also scan the new incorporations on a weekly basis to see who's starting a restaurant in your area. Chances are, those people will be the most nervous about their operations and will be most amenable to your advice.

The other thing is that websites typically just sit there until somebody actually knows they exist. If that's the case, I would look at the tags to the site to make sure that it's popping up in search engines. Things like "restaurant profitability" and things of that ilk. If somebody types that in--voila--up comes your husband's site.

However, consultancy really requires a more grassroots marketing approach, which means networking, speaking at conferences, writing articles in the trades, etc. Also, I think you should really consider some small space ads in a restaurant trade pub or two that really closely aligns with your target. Not the big ones like Restaurant News, but the ones that specialize in reaching the small, independent operator.

[jco]

I briefly looked over the website. If I were a restaurant owner/manager, I would not contact you for consultation because a) I see no record of success b) simply watching restaurant go out of business instead of engaging and fixing it is not a seller to me c) the website doesn't look professional. It looks like someone who spent thirteen years working for restaurants thinks they can do it better, so they bought a domain and wrote some stuff up. Don't mean to sound harsh, but this is probably what other people are thinking, too.

[Driller1]

The fastest way in my business is to hang business cards on bulletin boards. The best is the good old phone book.

[UpperPeninsulaRon]

Originally Posted by dmarie123

My finace started a consulting business for restaurants.

He wants to focus mostly on the San Antonio area, but is willing to work else where.

So far, the website, his chief way of getting the word out there, is not really working.

There is traffic, but no business leads.

How can I get more traffic without paying for things like pop-up adds and that kind of annoying stuff. Legitimate ways.
We're currently paying for clicks on search engines, with no luck getting listed actually in the search engine.

Any other suggestions how a business like this could advertise for relatively small costs?

Check out the website if that will help you with suggestions...
Moderator- this is not an advertisment, but just a request for help.
The name is "The restaurant mentor dot com"

Thanks!

I think that I would not get so hung up on the website as the key to the businesses success. I would go back to the basic business model and the business plan. Who is the competition? How successful are competing restaurant consultants? Are there even people in that exact business? What level of billable hours brings the business to break even?

With the incredible number of hours that a restaurant owner spends in managing the operation, is a website really a good way to advertise? Who has the time to say "I bet I need a consultant to help me. I think I will go on line to find help."

I would get into what others have said - face to face knock on doors approach. Join local culinary groups. Go to colleges with hospitality programs and meet the movers and shakers in the food biz. Join BNI. I view a website in a professional business as something that lends credibility and professionalism to what you do, a status builder, not as a tool to draw in clients.

[sunsprit]

IMO, what you're presenting as a benefit to an existing restaurant owner is best sold on a "relationship" based sales approach. Which means you must aggressively seek to meet the prospective clients face-to-face and sell them on YOU and your talents.

I'm no website expert, but I doubt that your potential market ... someone trying to improve their restaurant trade/profits ... is going to be searching the internet looking for answers to their business/management problems. You could have the best website in the world and it's not going to bring folks in the door because it's simply not a resource that most independent small restaurant businesses are going to search for a consultant to "help" their business.

Outside of direct cold calling upon your prospects, I think you'd be well served to do direct targeted mailings, or find your way into a locally recognized business incubator type assistance group. Do keep in mind that relationship selling is built over time, and is not going to be a one-call close on a client; you must establish in the client's mind that he has a need and that you are the person with the answers to those problems. What are your credentials that would establish such a trust and bond?

[dmarie123]

Wow, you guys have great ideas! Thanks for the advice!