Why an Online Presence is Essential
E-Commerce is on the rise and increasing numbers of retail business owners are setting up online. But it’s important to remember that establishing an online presence can prove to be equally as important to those of us running restaurants too! Here are just a few things that you might want to focus on when it comes to establishing an online presence for your restaurant, as well as a little information on why these areas are so pivotal to your business’ success!
Have a Good Website
You may not actively sell anything on your website, but it can help to secure interest in your restaurant and get bookings. When people look for information or consider visiting somewhere, they’re likely to look online first. Make sure that you make the most of this opportunity to impress by setting up an appealing and easily navigable website! You can engage with Strategic technology consulting to achieve this!
List Location and Opening Times
Perhaps the most important information that needs to be listed on your website is your location and your opening times. This is the most searched information pertaining to restaurants. People tend to want to look up your location so that they can put your postcode into their satellite navigation or order a taxi to the right place. Alternatively, they might want to plan a public transport route or a walking route. Opening hours are also essential, as it will help to reduce the number of customers turning up when you are closed and being disappointed.
Accessible Contact Details
Contact details are also extremely important. A phone number and email address will allow people to get in touch with queries and to make bookings. This may sound obvious but over the years I have come across numerous restaurant websites with no contact info!
Add a Booking Form
Speaking of bookings, you might want to add a booking form to your site too! This will allow potential visitors to view available time slots and book in, even outside of your business’ operating hours.
Add a Menu
Often, people will look up a menu to determine whether they want to dine with you or not. They may want to check that there will be something on the menu that they will enjoy before booking. So, add your menu! If you offer specialist menus, such as vegan menus, gluten free menus, or kids menus, make sure to add these too. The more variety you show, the more people you are likely to draw in. I would advise you don't have the menu as a pdf download, as this is an annoyance for visitors, especially that access your site via mobile. If you change your menu regularly then just have a sample menu, but update the sample often.
Invest in Professional Photography
We cannot emphasise the importance of professional photography for restaurant websites enough! At the end of the day, the people viewing your site cannot yet smell or taste the food that you will be able to offer them. They will entirely rely on visuals to determine whether they want to dine with you or not. So, hire a professional food photographer to show off what you’ve got to offer and truly appeal to them!
As you can see, a high-quality website is essential when running a restaurant nowadays. Hopefully, the above information will help to ensure that your website really is up to scratch!