Marketing Restaurant Online

What is Landing Page?

Landing Page is basically a page that your new potential fans will see when they visit the fan page of your restaurant on Facebook.It is sort of introductory page where you direct your new fans to and  persuade them to become fans.

Why you should have Facebook Landing Page?

When a new potential fans come to your fan page, you don’t want them to get so confused that they leave right away with out becoming a fan. If it takes them to the main wall with many tabs and other things in one place your potential fans might not know what action to take next. So the main purpose of the landing page must be be a focused one. It should provide clear and concise call to action.You can put any information about your restaurant.  It can be an introduction about your restaurant business, an opt in for eMail Loyalty Club, anything relevant to your restaurant and more importantly Call to Action to Become a Fan.

Video Tutorial for Visual Learner

For all those visual learners I have included the video tutorial prepared by Pat Flynn. The video explains in detail and shows you step by step how to make a Facebook Landing page. Please watch the video to get an idea and then follow the steps that I have outlined below.

Steps for Creating Your Facebook Landing Page?

1. Create a Facebook Fan Page
2. Install Application-Static FBML
3. Have website designer  create HTML
4. 2 ways to see the landing page for customers.

Create a Facebook Fan Page-

Obviously the first step before you create your landing page is to create a Fan Page. If you haven’t created one, then here is a link on how to create a Facebook Fan Page for your restaurant.

Install Application-Static FBML

First go to the home page of your fan page. On the left hand side below the logo of your restaurant, Click  “Edit Page” and scroll down for more application. Browse for more and on a search box type in Static fbml and it should bring you with fbml app. FBML stands for Facebook Markup Language. You don’t have to worry about this fancy term. But you should be aware of what it does so you understand how it functions when you use it.

Click on Static FBML and then click again on Add to my page that is just below the app icon. Then select the Fan Page where you want this FBML to be activated. In your case it would be the fan page of your restaurant. So select that one. If you have multiple fan pages for multiple restaurants then select the respective restaurant that you plan to include the landing page. Now go back to home page of your fan page. Click Edit and then look for Application FBML. Click the little pencil looking icon and then click Edit. It is going to ask you the Box Title. This is where you put the title that you want it to appear on the tab. You can give any name you find it relevant with your restaurant. I would say something like Welcome.

Have website designer  create HTML

Then you have a bigger empty looking box which is for fbml code or html. Since you are restaurateur and not a website designer I don’t expect you to learn all the technological thing. What I would recommend you to do is have a website designer design the attractive landing page for you and get the html code from them. You will have to pay a small fee but will save you the time and hassle. Now all you have to do then is copy and paste it in the box. Click Save Changes. Once you save it, the landing page should be ready.Go back to the Fan Page. Your new tab that you created might not be visible.To make it appear you have to click the double arrow icon that you see on the far right and click the Welcome landing page that you created. Now you should be able to see the landing page. Make sure that the landing page has 2 important aspects of an effective fan page. One to include Call to Action-Become a Fan in the beginning and end. Two to explain about your restaurant and the benefit of joining your fan page.

2 ways to see the landing page for customers.

Now that you have created your landing page you need to set landing page so that your new potential fans can view it before they decide  to join your fan page. The first way is to go to the main fan page. Click Edit.Scroll to Application and click the pencil looking icon, then Link to this tab. This will create specific link. You can use url shortner like http://bit.ly and use the link to promote it on Twitter or on your website if you have one.

The second method is to allow the first time potential fans to land on the landing page so the chance of them becoming a fan is greater. First you need to go to the main fan page. Go to the status area where you make the updates. Under Options you will see settings. It will take you to View Settings. On the second, where it says “Default Landing Tab for Everyone else” Select Welcome page that you had just created or whatever name you had given to your landing page. And that’s it. You have created a Facebook Landing Page for you restaurant. Congratulation.

Do you think incorporating a nice compelling landing page will help convert more potential fans into real fans? Please share your thoughts and experiences with the results you have got with your landing page on Facebook.Thanks.