How do you digitize your restaurant?

Today, digitalization is essential for restaurants. The majority of prospective customers do their research in cyberspace. Being visible on the web is therefore vital to success in an increasingly connected world. Having a website to gain visibility is no longer an option, but an obligation for professionals. But creating one is not enough. It's essential to master the techniques of search engine optimization (SEO) to improve a website's ranking on search engines.

In the foodservice sector, the number of chains embarking on a digitalization project continues to grow. What are the challenges involved?

Restaurant digitalization constraints

It's difficult for a catering business to switch directly to digital. A number of constraints need to be taken into account in order to succeed. The most important are :

• Material constraints

To undertake a digitalization project for a restaurant chain, it is necessary to correctly define the hardware architecture best suited to the company. In fact, there are many different structures to choose from, depending on a company's needs. The wrong choice can either generate unnecessary expenditure by purchasing unsuitable hardware, or result in under-performing services.

• Human constraint

Any dematerialization strategy owes its success to a focus on the human factor. It's true that digitization often relies on artificial intelligence algorithms for data manipulation. However, the human factor remains irreplaceable when it comes to decision-making and physical work. What's more, far from being a barrier between staff and consumers, the digital platform is the link that unites them. A digital restaurant is focused on the needs of customers and facilitating the work of restaurateurs.

• Understanding how things work

To be exploited to its full potential, digitization needs to be understood by entrepreneurs. To achieve this, they need to familiarize themselves with the tools available to them. To begin with, it's important to understand the possibilities offered by this technology. Then it's time to consider the best changes to make to achieve the best results.

The benefits of dematerialization

Opting for digitalization is advantageous for the foodservice industry. It allows you to :

• Managing a brand

The major advantage of digitalization is undoubtedly the ease with which it can be used to manage a company. In fact, all the data representing the evolution of an establishment is stored in a single database accessible via the Internet. Management programs offer useful statistical tools for analyzing information and adopting more appropriate policies.

• Increase sales

With digitalization focused on improving the consumer experience, companies that have made the digital choice are seeing a significant increase in sales. This increase can be explained by the time-savings offered by connected devices, but also, and above all, by customer satisfaction.

• Be more competitive

In a market where competition is fierce, it's imperative to keep abreast of new offers from competitors. Today, the age of digitalization is upon us. Companies must keep pace with this evolution if they are to survive.

Why opt for digitalization?

Although there are many constraints involved in digitizing a restaurant, digitization is a mandatory step to success in business. Embarking on a digitization project is therefore the best option for restaurateurs. Dematerialization makes it possible to better manage an entire establishment, whether with ordering terminals or a connected cash register system. What's more, it opens the door to a number of marketing techniques, such as emailing, which consists of sending offers and promotions directly to prospective customers' e-mail addresses. We can also mention social networks, which have become indispensable, and blogs, which enable regular publication of articles likely to attract a new audience.

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