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