Running a successful restaurant requires more than just great food. Even with the highest quality dishes and attentive service, if you don’t have the right data, you won’t be able to make the best decisions for your business. That’s why it’s critical for successful restaurant owners to have comprehensive audience intelligence programs.
Audience intelligence programs help restaurants acquire key data about customers, trends in the industry, and more. Having access to this data helps restaurants gain a competitive advantage and make data-driven decisions about which menu items to offer, how to optimize operations, and focus marketing efforts.
Consequently, investing in an audience intelligence program is essential for restaurants that want to accelerate their success. We’ve put together the top 10 things you should consider when selecting an audience intelligence program to help you select the right program for your restaurant.
1. Data Collected
The types of data collected by an audience intelligence program are arguably the most important consideration when selecting a program. Audience intelligence programs typically collect a variety of data points, including customer demographics, purchasing and dining habits, trends, and feedback. Obviously, the more data collected, the more comprehensive your analysis will be and the more informed your decisions will be. You should also consider whether the program has capabilities to collect data from multiple sources, like feedback reviews, onsite surveys, and third-party vendors. This will save you time and help you get a more rounded view of customer behavior.
2. Data Analysis
The data collected is only beneficial to your restaurant if it’s analyzed in a meaningful way. That is why it’s important to evaluate the capabilities of the audience intelligence program’s data analysis. Some audience intelligence programs are more comprehensive than others when it comes to data analysis. The more comprehensive the program, the more informed your decisions will be. Look for an audience intelligence program that easily identifies trends and anomalies in data at the macro and micro levels. Also, look for an program that provides data segmentation feature which will allow you to tailor your analysis and uncover in-depth insights.
3. Data Accessibility
Having access to valuable insights is great, but it does no good if you can’t access the data when you need it. That’s why it’s important to look for an audience intelligence program with a user-friendly interface. A well-designed interface will allow you to quickly access real-time data, easily segment data by various metrics, and generate current market segments to make the most informed decisions. Additionally, look for an audience intelligence program that offers both mobile and web access for remote access when needed.
4. Reporting and Insights
The reports and insights generated by the audience intelligence program should be another key consideration. An effective reports and insights engine should quickly generate actionable insights from collected data and present important customer trends in a simple to understand format. Additionally, the reporting features should be customizable, enabling you to easily create detailed reports for however you prefer to track key metrics.
5. NPS & Customer Satisfaction
An effective audience intelligence program should also help you track customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Score (NPS). NPS is a widely used scoring metric to measure customer loyalty and sentiment. It polls customers to determine their likelihood of recommending your business to others. Additionally, it provides valuable details on how those who respond feel about your service. An effective audience intelligence program should provide an NPS dashboard that easily allows you to track this key metric so you can make prompt changes as needed.
6. Menu Item-Level Insights
To make the most informed decisions about menu items, you need macro-level insights on menu performance. This could include details like item popularity, helpful customer feedback, and sales data. Make sure the audience intelligence program you select has the capability to track this data for each item on your menu. This will help you identify customer preferences so you can make informed decisions about which items should be added to or removed from the menu.
7. Tech Compatability
Selecting an audience intelligence program with the right tech compatibility for your restaurant is essential. Look for a program that offers integrations with restaurant tech, such as point-of-sale (POS) systems or online ordering platforms. That way, you can quickly generate insights from the data collected from these techs and make informed decisions about your business.
8. Implementation
Every good audience intelligence program should offer easy and fast integration so that you can start utilizing the data as soon as possible. Many programs will offer a “turnkey-solutions” which provide quick implementation of the program alongside hours of data-enrichment.
9. Cost
Finally, you should consider the cost of an audience intelligence program. Obviously, cost will be a big factor when selecting a program, but it’s important that you don’t sacrifice data quality or features for a lower cost. It’s better to invest in a higher quality program, as it will pay for itself in the long run.
10. Support & Training
Finally, you should consider the program’s customer support and training capabilities. Look for a program with 24/7 customer support and training resources to help you get started. Training should also include regular updates so that you can keep up with industry trends and best practices.
