Visibility that turns into orders.
Imagine this: a hungry customer opens Zomato. The very first thing they see? Your restaurant. Front and center. That’s not just prime real estate—it’s the digital equivalent of a billboard in Times Square during lunch hour.
So, how do you get there? The Zomato homepage isn’t reserved for the big brands or unicorns with unlimited ad budgets. It’s for smart players who know how to work the system. Here’s your guide.
- Let’s start with basics – Ratings, Reviews & Reliability
This one’s simple. Zomato doesn’t promote restaurants that deliver bad food, late orders, or inconsistent experiences.
Restaurants that show up on the homepage usually have:
- High average ratings (4.3 and above)
- Consistent order fulfilment
- Low cancellation/refund rate
- Quick response to customer complaints
According to Zomato’s 2023 Partner Playbook, restaurants with a rating of 4.5+ and less than 3% order cancellation rate were 2.2x more likely to be featured on homepage banners during campaigns.
Example: The Bohri Kitchen in Mumbai maintained top-tier ratings and was featured prominently during festive Eid promotions.
- Invest in great photos
Your food may be incredible, but on Zomato, it has to look incredible first. Visual appeal can make or break that homepage chance.
Restaurants that invest in high-quality, appetizing imagery see significantly higher engagement, click-throughs, and conversion.
Zomato’s 2023 internal data showed that restaurants with professionally shot images got 35% higher CTRs on homepage carousels.
Example: Burgrill used a consistent, bold photo style across listings and promotions. Their “#BurgersThatSmile” campaign during IPL season landed them right on the app’s homepage.
- Use Zomato ads to your advantage
Zomato’s ad platform allows you to bid for top spots, including homepage visibility. Especially during high-traffic events like festivals, sports tournaments, or weekends, ads can push you up.
Think of this as your restaurant’s moment in the spotlight—with targeting tools to back it up.
According to RedSeer’s 2022 Food Delivery Report, paid ad campaigns resulted in 5X more impressions and 3X higher order conversions.
Example: Box8 ran targeted ad campaigns during Valentine’s Week with “Meal for 2” combos and dominated the homepage carousel.
- Join the Zomato gold/pro ecosystem
Zomato often gives special placement to restaurants that are part of their Pro (Gold) program. If you offer Pro-exclusive discounts or menu items, Zomato has more reason to push you forward.
Restaurants part of Pro see a 4X increase in homepage visibility during app-wide promotions, especially in the dine-in category. (Source: Zomato Business Blog, 2023)
Example: Asia Kitchen by Mainland China ran Gold-exclusive buffet offers and got featured during Diwali season in Bengaluru and Pune.
- Get social, get noticed
Your Zomato presence doesn’t live in a vacuum. If people are talking about your food on Instagram, tagging you in reels, or leaving viral reviews, Zomato takes notice. There’s a strong correlation between social media buzz and homepage pushes.
Zomato tracks real-time social trends and user behavior to populate trending restaurant slots.
Example: Chai Sutta Bar launched a World Cup Chai combo. Their campaign trended on social media and Zomato quickly picked it up and placed it on the homepage during semi-finals weekend.
- Think like a festival or occasional marketer
Whether it’s Diwali, Christmas, Holi, or the Cricket World Cup, Zomato curates seasonal collections and their homepage slots based on event-specific menus or campaigns.
If you’re running a limited-edition festive thali, a Holi-inspired beverage, or a combo pack for match nights, Zomato is more likely to feature you in their themed homepage banners.
In 2023, restaurants with festival-based limited-time menus saw 42% more engagement during homepage promotions. (Zomato Restaurant Pulse Report)
Example: Gulab in Delhi introduced a “Diwali Sweets Celebration Box” with regional mithais. The promo got picked up for the Zomato homepage and featured across North India.
- Reviews: The gold you don’t pay for
You don’t need to beg for reviews but you do need a plan to consistently earn good ones.
- Thank-you notes are long gone, you can try adding a free cookie or sample chutney/aachar
- Offer discounts for honest feedback
- Reply to reviews, every one of them, not just the good ones
Responding to negative reviews quickly (within 2 hours) also boosts your listing in Zomato’s “reliable” algorithm bucket.
Restaurants with 500+ high-quality reviews are 3.7X more likely to be featured in homepage slots.
Example: Social cafes are known for replying to reviews with witty and thoughtful messages. This boosted their brand engagement and Zomato visibility organically.
Final word: Homepage fame is earned
Getting featured on Zomato’s homepage isn’t luck, it’s smart marketing, operational excellence, and a little creativity.
So, if your food is top-notch, your images are scroll-stopping, and your offers are aligned with what’s trending, you’ve got every reason to be there.
Don’t just be on Zomato. Be the one everyone sees on Zomato.