Like most businesses, restaurants have to attract and retain customers with effective marketing and operations strategies. To make and maintain those connections, they can utilize technology to effectively market on multiple channels (such as email or SMS) and automate repetitive tasks.
The software is sometimes referred to as a Marketing Automation Platform (MAP), and it is the critical component of its sales and marketing tech stack that connects customers, experiences and brand.
So it’s important that your MAP offers the features and functionality to deliver your marketing goals — and also that your teams actually use it. In fact, your marketing platform should be so good that your teams consider it essential to their success.
Here are 7 reasons restaurants often switch MAPs.
- Your Marketing Automation Platform is Hard to Use
Inflexible functionality. Poor UX. Lack of customization options. Tools that don’t meet specific goals. These all lead to frustrating experiences for end-users, which can prevent you from implementing the system as intended.
- Too Many Workarounds
As companies grow your marketing goals might change, and your existing MAP may not have the functionality to keep up. Constant customization, overcomplicated workflows and process overhauls can start to deplete resources and are difficult to scale.
- The Features Don’t Fit
Every restaurant’s marketing goals are unique, so you may find that your current MAP doesn’t have the features you need to get the most from your investment. Alternatively, you may be overpaying for features that you don’t use (or may not even know you have).
- Your MAP Doesn’t Scale with Your Goals
Many Marketing Automation Platforms fail to keep up and can limit your capabilities as your company grows. A state-of-the-art platform will increase efficiency and streamline tasks as organizational needs change over time.
- No Measurable Return on Investment (ROI)
Like most businesses, restaurants understand the need for sophisticated Marketing Automation Platforms, but can’t always justify the cost. The best MAPs will have clear metrics to track (and help improve on) things like KPIs (key performance indicators), ROAS (return on ad spend) and ROI.
- Too High a Cost
Even if a restaurant can see the link between investment and returns, it still may be difficult to justify the cost. As they become more adept at running their own campaigns, or if the platform has too many features that go unused, restaurants may find that a cheaper solution is a better fit.
- Not Enough Value
Even if the cost is justified, Marketing Automation Platforms with poor customer support will eventually impede objectives. Service is part of any restaurant’s DNA, so it’s important that marketing partners understand the core values of their clients. Some MAPs are simply not engineered with a high-value service component.
For most restaurants, marketing automation is an essential investment. But if your technology isn’t keeping up with your growth, it may be time to rethink that strategy.
