| Welcome to the third and final article of this | | | | uncomfortable phone conversation as they try to |
| series. I had a tough time deciding which of the | | | | decide whether to give your food a try. They are |
| many free advertising options to cover. In the | | | | comfortable and relaxed and when they see your |
| end I went to the search engines and ran a series | | | | online ordering menu, these comfortable and |
| of searches for pizza and restaurants. From | | | | relaxed people may just place their first order |
| these, I selected two items which typically | | | | with you then and there. |
| showed up in the top ten search results. | | | | One of my clients built up their online ordering |
| The Open Public Directory Project | | | | from $100 per month to over $1,000 per month |
| The Open Public Directory project is a group of | | | | with more than half their online customers |
| volunteers who strive mightily, without | | | | identifying flyers, newspaper ads and the window |
| compensation or reward, to find the best | | | | sign as the source where they found the |
| websites and include them in their directory. | | | | restaurant's website. |
| These volunteers have high standards. They | | | | You want everyone within a couple of miles of |
| ruthlessly discard websites with redundant or | | | | your store to know your web address. So don't |
| questionable content. Only the highest quality sites, | | | | make the mistake of limiting your Internet |
| those with original content or which are the | | | | advertising only to the Internet. |
| primary source of information on a topic get into | | | | So how is this free Internet advertising? Because |
| the OPD. | | | | these are marketing strategies you are, or should |
| As part of the OPD, the volunteers maintain a | | | | be using anyway. It costs next to nothing to add |
| separate space just for restaurants. This | | | | the words "Order online at our website – |
| restaurant directory is located at It contains | | | | to your next batch of menus and flyers. And |
| restaurant names, addresses, phone numbers, | | | | don't forget that window sign. |
| style of cooking, web addresses and truly | | | | One of our clients used a window sign to |
| exhaustive descriptions of the restaurants | | | | announce their web site and online introductory |
| amenities. | | | | offer and got a constant stream of new |
| Every single restaurant owner in the world should | | | | customers registering for online ordering. |
| visit and add their information. You can even | | | | Low Cost Internet Advertising |
| include reviews and links to other websites on the | | | | In addition to the free marketing strategies, |
| Internet which contain reviews of your restaurant. | | | | consider using some low cost paid Internet |
| Since every listing is reviewed by an editor, | | | | marketing. |
| search engines, such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN | | | | One of the least expensive Internet advertising |
| use the Chefmoz directory as one of the highest | | | | strategies is called Pay Per Click. As you might |
| quality resources. The directory is logically | | | | expect, it means that the advertiser pays for |
| organized by country, state and cities. In many | | | | every person who clicks on their Internet ad. |
| cases, when someone searches for restaurants in | | | | Search engines such as yahoo! and Google provide |
| a particular city, the Chefmoz.org directory listing | | | | this advertising service and display ads to people |
| for that city is among the top 10 search items | | | | who enter specific search terms into the browser. |
| returned. So it is a good idea to have your | | | | The advertiser can choose exactly what search |
| restaurant represented, have your web site | | | | terms he wants entered to make his ad appear. |
| available and your menu online. | | | | For example, a restaurant can use search terms |
| To add your restaurant, navigate to the correct | | | | such as "pizza delivery Jersey City" or "pizza |
| local directory, and click on "Add Restaurant." You | | | | restaurant Jersey City" and have his Internet ad |
| will be guided through a series of pages where | | | | show up only when someone enters that search |
| you can provide all your information and submit | | | | term. |
| the information to be reviewed by an editor. If | | | | If the person doing the search clicks on his ad, |
| your town is not already included, you can click | | | | the advertiser is charged. The cost per click is |
| "Add Restaurant" at the state level and your | | | | usually very low. Typically 25 cents or less, |
| listing, if accepted, will create the new directory | | | | depending on competition. A bidding system is |
| for your town. | | | | used to let the advertisers set their limits and |
| Online Yellow Pages | | | | daily and weekly budgets let the advertiser |
| One of the most popular places where consumers | | | | manage and monitor the ad campaign expenses. |
| search for local businesses is the online yellow | | | | One reason the cost is so low is because |
| pages sites. There are several, such as and They | | | | competition for highly local keywords is still very |
| all attempt to have at least the minimal | | | | small. A restaurant owner in Pittsburgh is not |
| information for every business in a particular | | | | going to select "pizza restaurants Bangor Maine" |
| town. Some will even let businesses list their | | | | as his keyword. At the same time it is a mistake |
| website for free. The site will let a business | | | | to use too general a keyword, for example just |
| create a free business profile which includes a link | | | | using "pizza restaurant" will not only cost much |
| to their website. Take advantage of this and | | | | more per click, but will be seen by people who |
| create your free business profile on The listings | | | | are hundreds and thousands of miles from your |
| are frequently among the top 10 items returned | | | | store. So using the highly localized keyword not |
| for local searches for restaurants or pizza. You | | | | only reduces the cost of the pay per click, it also |
| want to be there when people go looking for you. | | | | pre-qualifies the people who see that add. |
| Offline Online Marketing | | | | It is a good bet that someone searching for |
| Unless you are located on a rest stop for a major | | | | "pizza delivery Jersey City" lives in Jersey City, |
| interstate highway, all of your customers are | | | | wants to order a pizza and would prefer it to be |
| going to live within a few miles of your store. | | | | delivered. |
| Fact: 80% of your customers use computers. | | | | Sources of Pay Per Click advertising are Google |
| And that percentage is growing. | | | | Adwords, adwords.google.com, Yahoo!, and City |
| Fact: most people find websites outside of the | | | | Search, |
| internet. They hear them on radios, read them in | | | | Final Thoughts |
| magazines and newspapers, see them on business | | | | I hope you found this and my previous articles |
| cards, flyers and circulars and read them on | | | | useful. We have barely scratched the surface of |
| window, vehicle and sidewalk signs. | | | | Internet marketing. There are many, many other |
| These medias are excellent ways to get your | | | | techniques and strategies ranging from local link |
| web address and online ordering message in front | | | | exchanges to banner ads, search engine |
| of your customers. Your website and online | | | | optimization (SEO) and many many other strange |
| ordering message should be included as a matter | | | | and wonderful topics which can help bring visitors |
| of course in every one of your advertising pieces, | | | | to your website and customers to your food. |
| whether it is your takeout menu, your window | | | | In the end, your online business will prosper |
| sign, your pizza box, your delivery vehicle sign or | | | | because you decide to take advantage of the |
| a newspaper insert ad. | | | | power of the Internet and let it work for you. |
| Your web address is easier to remember than | | | | Like any other part of your business, it has to be |
| your phone number. Take advantage of this by | | | | done as part of the whole. Your website and |
| putting it where your local customers can see it. | | | | online ordering will bring you revenue only when |
| By providing your web address, you are inviting | | | | your customers learn about it and are encouraged |
| people to visit you and check you out in a | | | | to use it. |
| completely comfortable way. The web visitor | | | | Spread the word and watch your online takeout |
| does not feel awkward about checking out your | | | | and delivery orders grow! |
| menu online. They do not have to engage in an | | | | |