Location Analytics for Restaurants

The modern restaurant industry is more competitive than ever, with success often dictated by the restaurant owner’s ability to effectively manage operations and meet the ever-evolving needs of their guests.

But in a world overwhelmed with choices, how do you know what your guests actually want? How can you make strategic decisions that resonate with them?

This is where location analytics come into play.

Through the use of captive portals, WiFi sensors, and reservation system data, this robust solution delivers real-time, reliable data that provides restaurant owners with a 360-degree view of guest behavior.

Such insightful analytics can be a game-changer, facilitating data-driven decisions in marketing and operations that can significantly improve profitability.

Here is how location analytics work, the value it brings to restaurant owners, and how it stands out from competitors in providing an authentic, reliable snapshot of guest activity.

If your location-based marketing campaign doesn’t incorporate location analytics collected through wifi access points, you are missing a huge opportunity to improve the return on investment of your marketing dollars.

Likewise, restaurant operations can be greatly improved, and measured, using location analytics.

As any brick and mortar establishment marketer knows, it’s all about the traffic. So, things like what brings your customers in, what drives them to stay, and how can you get them to come back, are powerful marketing nuggets that a savvy marketer can mine from their wifi location analytics.

 

What Is Location Analytics?

Not all social wifi networks are created equal. Some social wifi solutions are great at providing WiFi service for your customers. This is a wonderful advantage and powerful incentive for customers to do business with you.

But there are other restaurant marketing and analytics platforms that offer detailed, comprehensive location analytics; rich, behavior-driven data about the foot traffic that enters your location.

 

 

There is an incredible amount of guest data potentially available through restaurant analytics including customer visits, length of visits, dwell times, return visits, and much more.

For example, even if they don’t log in, you can see anonymous foot traffic data in your Bloom dashboard such as:

• Customer Dwell Times
• Daily Customers vs. Passers-by
• First-time Visitors
• First-time Visitor Return Rate
• Popular Visit Times
• Projected Lifetime Visits
• Customer Repeat Rates, and more

For brick-and-mortar marketers, this is the best customer data you can obtain.

It is real-time data collected from a very large sample size of your actual customers.

And it costs pennies-on-the-dollar compared to any other data collection method.

Wouldn’t it be great to know these data, and apply to your email marketing and outreach? And at some point, to incorporate social media and customer engagement based upon your skillful ability to hone your marketing campaigns and restaurant operations based on real-time data analytics.

A quality restaurant customer data platform, like Bloom intelligence, can provide these powerful location-based marketing analytics.

In 2023, location analytics, also known as presence analytics, should be a core business marketing tool for brick-and-mortar businesses. Without understanding how guests are responding to your marketing campaigns and revisiting your location, your marketing will be hit or miss, at best.

Location analytics using your WiFi access points can be gathered even if visitors do not log into your WiFi.  Yes, read that again…your visitor doesn’t even need to sign onto the WiFi.

Anonymous information is captured, including length of visit, traffic patterns, time of day, and even repeat visits.

And Bloom will know when any of those devices return to your location, giving accurate, tangible data to measure you marketing campaign results.

 

 

Location analytics are vital for brick-and-mortar marketing to become more efficient, more effective and more profitable.

Here are 5 steps to drive more business using location analytics gathered through your WiFi access points:

1) Location analytics can reveal what is driving guest visits

Many marketing campaigns are based partially on fact, partially on experience, and partially on a hunch. You have an educated concept of who your target marketing persona is, and you believe you understand their motivating factors. But how can you know for sure whether your marketing campaign is on target?

Location analytics can capture traffic data regarding customer visits that you’ve never had access to in the past.

Does foot traffic increase when you run the campaign? Does it stay the same? Are you attracting new prospects, or are past customers making return visits?  Even time of day and day of week traffic can be segmented and evaluated.

To understand what is driving business, it is critical to measure which marketing message or media is impacting your customers.

And in restaurant marketing, more visits are typically the main goal of your campaign.  More visits means more revenue, and consequently, more customer data.

2) Location Analytics Reveal What Drives Repeat Customer Visits

Location analytics not only provide a data trail to improve marketing messaging and increase your customer base, they also can reveal return customer data.

Campaigns designed to reach first time consumers versus driving return traffic can be measured based upon consumer’s activities.

Using location analytics, you can easily distinguish when a customer comes back, and over time, this is a fabulous way to define campaigns based upon traffic goals, and then determine whether the messaging is working with accurate, tangible location data.

Without this information, your marketing dollars can be spent on endless campaigns and even repeated campaigns that could be ineffectual. Instead, real-time traffic analytics can validate and support marketing effectiveness.

3) Marketing campaign messaging can be refined and improved using location analytics

Real-time location analytics provide insight into marketing messaging and whether or not it is effective and engaging.

For example, if the ultimate marketing goal was customer retention, location analytics are helpful in providing baseline data, as well as metrics to accurately measure against.

Once a baseline is established, messaging can be refined on an ongoing basis with AB testing.  With real-time behavior analytics, the marketing campaign can be tested and continuously improved while results can be realistically measured in real time.

4) Revisit campaigns with more efficient offers based on location analytics

Over time, as more data is gathered, you will be able to easily go through your campaigns to find those that are resonating with your various target customer groups.

From there, testing other offers can hone in on what is working the best for your business and marketing goals. Inefficient marketing campaigns can be reduced or eliminated, yielding greater return on marketing investment.

For example, it would be best to measure what customer retention is like initially through your WiFi access points.

If customers visit, but do not stay long, you’ll know exactly how long they are staying? And then after you have developed and deployed marketing efforts to boost retention rates and dwell times, you can look at the analytics again. Is there an improvement in the numbers? If not, what needs to be done to improve?

This will help improve and enhance marketing efforts in order to drive long-term, sustainable success.

And with Bloom, you can have various campaigns being executed simultaneously to each of your different customer personas.

5) Data from location analytics results in improved return on investment

As data are gathered, eliminating inefficient marketing programs will result in cost savings, as well as creating more effective marketing campaigns.

This has the effect of improving return on marketing investment while driving customer lifetime values and per-person averages higher.

Using location analytics through a WiFi marketing and analytics platform like Bloom Intelligence is one of the best ways to gain a direct channel of insight into your customers.

It provides a level of insight that is simply not be possible through other solutions.

Having access to accurate, comprehensive location analytics will help propel a business to improve and enhance current offerings in a much more targeted way for maximized success.

 

 

Captive Portals and WiFi Sensors: The Heart of the System

Bloom Intelligence leverages the power of WiFi technology, particularly through the use of captive portals and WiFi sensors, to gather location-based analytics.

A captive portal is a web page that a guest encounters before accessing a public WiFi network.

By customizing this page, restaurant owners can engage with guests, request basic contact information, and offer promotional deals.

WiFi sensors, on the other hand, collect anonymous data to monitor foot traffic, dwell time, and guest return rates.

These sensors are designed to be non-intrusive and compliant with privacy regulations, which means they capture data without making guests uncomfortable or violating their privacy.

When a guest enters their contact information on the captive portal page, Bloom can then associate their device and create a robust customer profile.

How It Works

1. Guest Connection: When a guest connects to the restaurant’s WiFi, they are redirected to a captive portal.
2. Data Capture: After agreeing to the terms and conditions, their device’s MAC address and other non-personally identifiable information are captured by the WiFi sensors.
3. Data Analytics: This data is then sent to Bloom Intelligence’s cloud-based platform where it is analyzed in real-time.
4. Actionable Insights: Restaurant owners can access this information through a user-friendly dashboard, which presents an assortment of analytics from guest frequency, dwell time, to churn likelihood.

 

 

The Power and Value of Accurate, Reliable Location Analytics

In the fiercely competitive landscape of the restaurant industry, every edge counts, and one of the most potent advantages comes in the form of location analytics.

But what exactly does this mean, and why is it invaluable for restaurants?

Targeted Guest Experiences

Location analytics enable restaurants to understand not just who their guests are, but also how they interact with the physical space.

Do guests prefer the cozy corner booth or the tables near the window? Do they spend more time at the bar than at dining tables?

By analyzing these behaviors, restaurants can optimize their layout for both comfort and efficiency, crafting a guest experience that is tailored to preference and thereby encouraging repeat visits.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Gone are the days when gut feeling and anecdotal evidence were the main decision drivers.

Location analytics provides quantifiable data that can be the cornerstone for making operational choices.

Whether it’s adjusting opening hours according to when foot traffic is highest, deciding on the best times to schedule maintenance, or even determining which days to run special offers, data informs decisions that directly impact profitability.

Streamlined Operations

Efficient operations are vital for maintaining guest satisfaction, and this is another area where location analytics shines.

By studying patterns like peak dining times or areas of congestion, restaurant owners can optimize staff allocation for different shifts and identify the most effective table turnover strategies.

This means reduced wait times for guests and a smoother, more enjoyable dining experience that can directly affect reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations.

Personalized Marketing Campaigns

Incorporating location analytics can refine your marketing initiatives to an impressive degree.

Understand the demographics that frequent your restaurant, how far they travel to get there, and how long they stay.

This valuable information can be utilized to craft highly targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with your guest base, ensuring that you are not only retaining existing guests but effectively reaching potential new ones.

Measuring Marketing ROI

With the accurate data provided by location analytics, you can measure the success of specific marketing strategies in real time, assessing their ROI in ways that were not possible before.

By tracking metrics like guest return rates and dwell times before and after a campaign, you can immediately gauge the campaign’s effectiveness and adapt your strategy accordingly.

Enhanced Guest Engagement

When you know your guests better, you can engage with them more effectively.

Location analytics can be used to trigger real-time actions, such as sending a promotional coupon to a first-time guest or offering a loyalty reward to a frequent visitor, creating instant and meaningful interactions that can secure long-term loyalty.

Compliance and Security

Lastly, in an era where data privacy is paramount, leading platforms like Bloom Intelligence offer GDPR and CCPA compliant solutions.

This ensures that you can gather and utilize guest data without infringing upon privacy laws, providing peace of mind for both restaurant owners and guests.

In summary, location analytics provides a goldmine of insights that are directly actionable.

From crafting a better guest experience to making data-backed operational and marketing decisions, the value of location analytics in a restaurant setting is substantial.

It’s not just a technology investment; it’s a strategic one that could define the future success of your restaurant.

 

 

Advantages of Using Location Analytics

While there are numerous location analytics platforms on the market, Bloom Intelligence sets itself apart in several key areas:

1. Real-Time Analytics: The platform offers real-time data, meaning you can adapt quickly to emerging trends and guest behaviors.
2. Compliance and Privacy: Bloom Intelligence places a premium on data security and privacy, ensuring all gathered data is anonymous and compliant with regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
3. Integration Capabilities: The platform seamlessly integrates with various Point of Sale (POS) systems and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, creating a unified data ecosystem.
4. Customer Support: Known for their robust customer service, Bloom Intelligence provides continuous support to ensure you get the most out of their platform.

In today’s data-driven world, the value of accurate, reliable analytics cannot be overstated.

For restaurant owners looking to gain a competitive edge, understanding guest behavior is critical.

Bloom Intelligence’s Location Analytics Platform, powered by its innovative use of captive portals and WiFi sensors, offers a compelling solution.

With actionable insights, it enables restaurant owners to make informed decisions that can improve guest engagement, optimize operations, and drive marketing strategies.

Its features, such as real-time data analytics and robust integration capabilities, make it a versatile tool that can significantly enhance the profitability of a restaurant business.

By incorporating Bloom Intelligence into your restaurant’s operations, you’re not just investing in a technology platform, you’re investing in a future of data-driven success.

 

Discover Bloom Intelligence

Bloom Intelligence is an AI-powered restaurant marketing platform that includes a powerful customer data platform, automated data collection, automated WiFi marketing, and advanced reputation management tools.

Guest data is collected from multiple sources and aggregated into one single platform, making it simple and easy to analyze and segment your fine dining restaurant’s guest profiles.

Bloom makes guest data collection effortless, allowing you to quickly execute the strategies listed above, saving you time, increasing customer lifetime values, attracting new guests, improving your reputation, and boosting your bottom line.

To see more of what Bloom can do for your restaurant, schedule a free demo today, or call us at 727-877-8181.