In a tourist economy, Tripadvisor WILL make or break your bar or restaurant
I hate the word “literally”, I really do. Especially in today’s meaning. Literally has actually turned somehow into meaning “figuratively” which is the complete opposite. That being said, Tripadvisor can LITERALLY save your business. Or ruin it if not used correctly.
If you are in a heavy tourist-driven economy, pay attention! Don’t think of “tourist” as just meaning places like Vegas or Bourbon Street. Think of it as being in a more “entertainment” part of a big city. If you have a large pool of people to potentially bring into your restaurant, this is for you.
Don’t guess where your customers are coming from, ask questions
Start to ask your customers where they have heard of you and make mental notes. Ask them for reviews. Ask them for feedback. Just ask. You’d be surprised how much info you can get from a simple brief conversation. Great Tripadvisor reviews will get you on the “best cheap eats” list for example or high up on the numbered list. This guy is in business because of this #1 ranking!
If you don’t want to pay astronomical rent prices to have great main street frontage, Tripadvisor could be your saving grace and your best friend. These user-generated reviews are true for the most part and a very good gauge of reality at your bar or restaurant. Rule #1 is of course to provide awesome food and service. Once the word gets out and the TA reviews start coming in, you will start to rise on lists like this one.
Without sites like Tripadvisor, you could provide the best service and food in the world but if no one knows about it, you’re sunk. The holy grail would be the great location AND a great TA ranking but for some reason, that rarely happens.
Restaurants with great locations seem to get complacent because they don’t have to provide anything other than average for people to walk in the door. In the future, as a customer, I will always use TA on my phone before heading out to a new country for the night. Learn more about how the public finds your bar or restaurant here.