Having the RIGHT Website in Today’s Modern High Tech Era
Written by John Tomblin
We live in a new, face-paced, digital world, and in this world, every restauranteur must absolutely have a website, not only to attract customers, but to showcase their menu, pictures and ambiance. Restaurant owners often miss out on this important aspect of running a business successfully. They create only the basic of all websites, which is a mistake, especially as restaurant owners must increasingly do more to keep current with the latest trends that drive consumer traffic through the front door. Some have PDF’s as their menu (big mistake). Others have old, very obsolete looking websites, while others have a website that shows their copyright hasn’t been updated since 2001. While having impeccable service and delicious food is what brings people back, having the right website is how new patrons find and dine with you for the first time. Restaurant websites often represent your customers first contact with your business and having an enticing website can be the key to making your restaurant stand out. Having a beautifully designed, fast and functional website can also help you reach more people and develop an edge over competitors. So, here’s some of the benefits of having a modern, mobile friendly, restaurant website.
Online search is where consumers begin
Nowadays, most people looking for someplace new to dine begins on the Internet, whether through Google, Yahoo, Yelp or many of the restaurant centric search engines. Word of mouth advertising is still important, but for lots of people, online search wins the day. Gone are the days when people used to make elaborate plans to eat outside and book a restaurant in advance. Instead, people look for nearby restaurants with good ratings, and once they see positive rating, there’s a good chance they will click that all important link taking them directly to your website. When they arrive at your website, they will make four snap decisions in less than two seconds. These include include: (1) Is the site design clean and attractive? (2) Is the site easy to navigate and friendly? (3) If they are viewing the site on their phone, is it easy to use and (4) can they readily view the menu and view pictures of the restaurant? That’s right….all of this in just two seconds.
Your website represents your brand…YOU
Unfamiliarity with a restaurant makes people less likely to risk a bad dining experience. That’s why your site must serve (sorry, I couldn’t resist) a great first impression. Having a beautifully designed site is just as important as ensuring each dining room tablecloth is spotless and clean. Today, consumers decide whether they are going to dine at your restaurant based on your website presence. Even if you have the best burgers or Italian sausage in town, consumers visiting your website for the first time will decide whether your food is great based on your site design. Get the site design and appearance right, and you’ll be on your way to capturing a whole new audience.
Online table booking, and ordering are crucial
Does your restaurant accept reservations? Reservations were commonplace 20-30 years ago when most restaurants preferred reservations, but competition and a more casual marketplace changed all that, but reservations are starting to make a slow comeback. For patrons who want to come in and be seated quickly, reservations are the way to do, but the difference between yesteryear and today is that patrons want to make their reservations on line…and they want to do it fast. The good news is there are some excellent software development platforms that help streamline the online reservation process. As a result, creating an online reservation system for your restaurant is not only cost efficient, but can be completed in far less time than just a few years ago. By clicking the table booking and ordering system on your restaurant website, you can improve your services and give people the flexibility to book a table easily and fast. In turn, you can better gauge rush hours, better manage purveyors and better staff the floor for those all-important Friday and Saturday nights.
You work hard to run your restaurant…and you put in a lot of work every day before you unlock the front doors, often showing up at 4 or 5am in the morning to get ready for the lunch rush. Your goal is to fill your restaurant with happy, satisfied, repeat customers, and our goal is your goal. To learn more about how RestaurantBizz can help deliver better online website services to your customers, or to discuss your restaurants online business goals, give us a call. We’ll give you straight answers to your questions, and we’ll provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions that grow your business.