The dash for your online food order

By Jim Marshall, President of Bluefoot Digital Marketing

Ah, it’s dinnertime. A meal from a favorite restaurant sounds great, but is it really worth the effort to make ourselves “presentable,” as my wife calls it? This is when we discuss takeout, and whether anyone (usually me) is willing to go out into a blizzard to pick it up.

Today, ordering takeout online has never been easier. Many restaurants have created curbside pickup for the growing popularity of online ordering.

But what if you don’t feel like braving the elements and want someone to bring the food to you? Traditionally, options were limited to pizza and Chinese, but not today. Online services like Door Dash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Postmates allow us to have our favorite food delivered right to our door—from even the smallest restaurants.

One of the biggest issues surrounding these services is food arriving cold. Who does the consumer expect to fix the issue? Who gets the bad review, the restaurant or the delivery service? Unfortunately, restaurants are getting the bulk of the blame for things they have no control over. And worse, Google is now partnering with online delivery services, often including a link to the delivery service right on the restaurant’s Google listing without the restaurant’s permission.

If you’re a business owner and you’re not actively managing your Google My Business Listing (and similar directories, like Yelp), then someone else is. In the case of local restaurants, if you don’t reveal your menu to Google, they’ll pick it up from a company like Postmates, even if that version of your menu is wrong or out of date.

At Mimi, we’ve spent years developing our new Local Search and Reputation Management solutions, which help you manage your listing on over 60 popular online directories, including your Google listing. We make sure your business’s online information is accurate, professional and strategic—all to help you “look good and get found” online.

For more information about Mimi’s Local Search and Review Management tools, please contact our offices at 330-220-8610 or email Mimi@MimiVanderhaven.com.