If you run a restaurant, you know how important it is to have positive reviews on platforms like Facebook, TripAdvisor and Google Reviews. But have you ever thought about just how much those reviews can impact your success? It turns out, they can have a huge effect!

Let's say you're a customer trying to decide where to eat in the area. You want to find a good restaurant with delicious food and good service, right? So, you turn to online review platforms to help you find the right spot. It's no surprise that a whopping 85% of people do this. If a restaurant has a bunch of positive reviews, you're more likely to choose it. On the flip side, if a restaurant has negative reviews, you're probably going to keep looking. That's just how it goes...

But it's not just about attracting new customers. Reviews can also impact a restaurant's reputation. If a restaurant consistently has positive reviews, it's likely to be seen as a top-notch establishment. Negative reviews, on the other hand, can really hurt a restaurant's reputation. And a good reputation can lead to repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals, which is crucial for any restaurant's success.

So, what can you do to make sure you're getting good reviews? One way is to actively manage your online presence and respond to customer feedback. By paying attention to what people are saying about your restaurant and making changes based on their suggestions, you can increase customer satisfaction and boost your success. It's also a good idea to encourage customers to leave reviews by making it easy for them to do so.

Another thing you could do is manage which reviews are going through to those public platforms. Thanks to our latest premium feature, Smart Reviews - storekit restaurants can push all positive 5-star reviews to public platforms such as Facebook, Google & OpenTable. Whilst collecting constructive feedback from those customers who had issues with their experience. Hopefully, few & far between.

In short, reviews for restaurants are a huge deal. They can influence where people choose to eat and impact a restaurant's reputation. This impacts your footfall, and sales. By paying attention to your reviews and actively managing your online presence, you can use them to your advantage and improve your chances of success.