Bringing your in-person hospitality to the digital world

What does digital hospitality mean? “Every business needs to be digital first, and every business needs to be in the hospitality business,” says Shawn Walchef, owner of Cali Comfort BBQ and founder of Cali BBQ Media. And while this may sound like just another industry buzzword, its importance has been expedited over the course of the pandemic. In this week’s deep-dive episode, we speak with Shawn about what digital hospitality really means, why it’s crucial, and how businesses can implement it.

In order to run a successful business, the customer has to have a great experience. And when you’re able to interact face-to-face with your customers, it’s easy to prioritize hospitality. The tricky part is when you can’t interact in-person with your audience—like during a pandemic. At that point, the experience is likely moved entirely online, and as Shawn shares, it’s about how those customers are treated on the digital stage.

“Digital hospitality is about integrating your in-store experience with your digital strategy,” Shawn says. It’s about ensuring the online experience matches the quality of the in-person customer journey. When thinking about where to start, Shawn says, “You have to extend who you are—no matter what kind of business you are—to the online business and to your communication.”

And despite how important that is, for many small business owners, a digital strategy may be considered a “nice to have” with how busy their day-to-day operations already are. But an online strategy is becoming more and more crucial every day. The landscape has completely changed, and consumer expectations have changed along with it. On top of that, the pandemic has accelerated the online movement, making consumers even more reliant on the digital interaction they have with brands—whether it’s the local barbecue joint, the mom-and-pop coffee shop, or the family-owned hardware store. Consumers expect the ability to connect with your brand online, and how you show up and service them makes a big impact on their experience.

Here are some other lessons you’ll learn from this week’s episode when thinking about your own digital hospitality strategy:

• Hospitality is about more than just the in-person experience. You can interact with your “digital guests and customers” with the same level of hospitality as you do people who are physically in your business. It’s important to extend those same principles of care and engagement to an online audience.
• Storytelling is key. When thinking about your digital brand, it’s much more than just setting up a website, social media accounts, and a Yelp Page. While those are all crucial elements, you should always be sharing your story. People make purchases based on their emotions. They spend their money and time with businesses they love or care about. When you communicate your story well and connect with your customers in an authentic way, that will pay off down the road because those people will share their own experiences online—reaching more people than you would have on your own.
• Technology is your friend. Technology is ever-changing, and that can certainly be overwhelming, but try thinking about how it can benefit you. There are many platforms that can help you run your business more efficiently, with many offering free trials so you can see if it’s the right fit.
• Always be learning. Shawn’s advice is, “I’m a student every single day. I’ve got to learn. So stay curious. If you’re listening to this podcast, you’re already so much farther ahead than so many people because you want to be better. Get involved, take some action items from this podcast, and then finally, ask for help.”

Interviews by Emily Washcovick

These lessons come from an episode of Behind the Review, Yelp & Entrepreneur Media’s weekly podcast. Listen below to hear from Shawn, or visit the episode page to read more, subscribe to the show, and explore other episodes.