Time and again, research underscores the crucial role that websites play in long-term restaurant success. In fact, 90% of consumers check out restaurant websites before deciding where to eat, while 33% of them won’t eat at restaurants with fewer than four stars.
Here’s how to create a restaurant website that entices customers to visit or order from your establishment, plus some tips on how you can keep improving your site throughout the year.
There is no one “perfect way” for how to build a website. If you Google what makes a strong website, you will most likely find 100+ different ways to build one. This information overload can often be a roadblock to even starting the website process, let alone creating an effective one.
Through years of research and industry experience, experts have distilled great websites down to four essential elements:
Content isn’t just words like this blog post. It also includes things like business hours, menu items, and special offers. To keep your online following up-to-date, you’ll need to make sure not to let your content get outdated. Periodically updating content also helps increase your website’s SEO.
Search engines are designed to present users with the most relevant and accurate content in relation to a query (such as “best restaurants near me”). A website built to meet SEO criteria is essential in appearing higher in searches relevant to your restaurant.
About 57% of consumers prefer to order directly from a restaurant’s website or mobile app, so it’s important that your website is easy to navigate from all devices. Fast page speeds, the ability to view menu items easily, and seamless online ordering are all key to keeping your mobile customers coming back for more.
Customers don’t just make decisions based on the quality of service, but also based on your brand. Your website is a digital storefront telling users who you are and what they can expect. If they see an outdated website, they may assume your food or services match. A modern website and strong brand are critical in helping with their purchasing decision.
While there are many elements that comprise a strong website, focusing on these four website best practices can help set you on the path to success.
All websites have to be built, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be the one to build it. You have several options when it comes to building a restaurant website and putting that technology to use.
Services such as BentoBox help entrepreneurs construct an internet presence from scratch using templates and easy functionality that answers to the needs of various restaurant types. These templates are designed for optimizing your restaurant website, so you can boost sales as quickly as possible. No need to understand code or try to learn design in your spare time. Think of this as a turnkey solution.
These platforms usually have a combination of WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) drag-and-drop editors and more complex offerings for owners/operators interested in how to learn about web development and site construction. There is some ease-of-use with these platforms, but you’ll likely have to find or even buy certain options piecemeal, which can add up in terms of time and money.
You can hire a professional website developer to create a site built to your specifications. While this can result in a beautiful website, this approach might not be practical or economical for small businesses given the other, simpler solutions that already exist.
There are a lot of restaurant website design tips available for those who want to “DIY” their website, but first, you need to tackle the basics.
Your restaurant website is not an island. There are some key integrations that you can leverage to make your website more functional and to help support your other goals, including increasing traffic, boosting customer engagement, and increasing overall revenue.
When you build your own restaurant website, an online ordering system should be high on your list of must-have integrations. While you can build your own ordering system, that technology may be complex to construct and difficult to manage. A better option may be to partner with a third party that already has a platform that integrates with your existing point-of-sale system.
Those little Facebook, Instagram, and X widgets on websites are useful because they allow people to instantly share your content with their friends on social media. Make sure your blogs, menu, and promotions are sharable so your fans can help spread the word. Can you say free advertising?
Your restaurant POS system is a major part of day-to-day operations. The right software and platform can track key data points such as inventory information, customer analytics, sales data, and more. This info can be collected and sorted into various reports to help inform everything from how to staff your restaurant to whether you should turn that one-off special into a standard menu item.
Guest feedback can be a scary proposition for restaurants. After all, there’s always someone looking to complain about the temperature of their food or that they waited too long to be seated.
The truth is that these bits of feedback are all opportunities to improve operations and better serve your guests. Including a feedback form and other contact methods on your website gives guests a way to let you know what you’re doing right, what you could do better, and what they’d like to see from your brand in the months and years to come.
Restaurant websites are not “set it and forget it” marketing tools. Just because you created an incredible website doesn’t mean your work is done. It’s important to keep your website updated. This includes:
To be competitive and successful over the long term, all restaurants should consider developing websites to attract consumers who are looking for information and a way to make reservations or place orders.
Clover offers a wide range of business solutions that can help you bolster your online presence and ensure your restaurant runs smoothly, even as you scale. That includes a restaurant website and commerce platform, such as BentoBox, that can provide all-encompassing marketing help for restaurants just like yours.
Why wait? Elevate your business and get started with a Clover restaurant POS system today.
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