7 Restaurant Website Tips You Need to Include
A strong restaurant website design can make a huge difference in the success of your online presence and ultimately helps customers with their decision making.
Restaurants thrive on providing delicious foods in an environment that is flowing with ambience – inevitably creating an experience that one will not soon forget.
Increasingly however, a crucial component of a restaurant offering is now the digital experience that is offered too. Over 90% of diners now research restaurants online before visiting in person with a further 57% visiting a restaurants website in order to build trust and reliability into their decision-making process. Restaurant owners need to be careful however as 70% of diners have been discouraged from visiting a restaurant because of a poor website.
It is easy to see why having a credible, reliable and stunning restaurant website is advantageous for your business which is why we have compiled 7 important aspects that your restaurant website should include for maximum success.
What to Include in Your Website Design
1. Keep It Simple, Yet Fresh
A restaurant’s website should not be a complicated or confusing affair. A simple home page layout that exhibits the brand tone of your business provides a pleasant yet exciting visual for potential customers to engage with. A carefully designed website theme essentially helps to construct an idea as to what your restaurant brand is all about and gives customers an idea of what to expect should they decide to dine with you.
2. The Basics
Your phone number, email address, location and hours of service are four basic yet important pieces of information that should be front and centre on your restaurant homepage. Ensuring that your Google My Business is operating and up to date is also imperative as Google is usually the first place a potential customer will begin their search.
3. Linking to Social Media
Ensuring your website fluidly links to your social media channels is another essential aspect to consider for your restaurant website. By creating this link, whilst also showcasing posts from your social media channels on the website itself, customers are given a glimpse into your offerings. Having this medium established can be hugely beneficial as nearly half of all diners try a new restaurant because of its social media posts. Tread cautiously though as 21% of diners also claim that poor quality social media content has deterred them from trying the venue all together.
4. Show-off That Menu
A massive 93% of customers will look at a restaurants menu before making a decision on where they will eat which is why it’s essential to have your restaurants menu easy to find and accessible on your restaurants website. Make sure however that it’s not a PDF or image but instead opt for HTML configuration for easy searching and browsing.
5. Optimize for Online Booking
Gone are the days of calling a restaurant to book a table that the Maître d’ jots down in their old leather-bound book. Online booking systems are now becoming a permanent feature on websites and through mobile app integrations. As many as 40% of diners consider an online booking system as one of the most important features for a restaurants website which not only provides convenience but also helps restaurant owners make less mistakes, reduces the number of no shows and provides important guest information for future email campaigns.
6. Optimize for Online Ordering
Since the start of multiple global lockdowns due to COVID-19, restaurants have had to adapt and migrate their service offering to food delivery only. A staggering 82% of diners prefer to order directly from a restaurant’s website which is why your ordering functionality should be of utmost importance during web development. It’s also worth noting, online ordering & delivery has grown 300% faster than dine-in traffic since 2014 and only becoming more popular.
7. Incorporate Customer Reviews
Customers depend on reviews during their restaurant decision making process so much so that over 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. With consumers relying on reviews relating to the restaurant industry more than any other industry, incorporating your reviews on your website and through Google My Business can be of great value to attracting a new customer.
Restaurant owners should always think of their restaurant website as if it is guests walking through their very own front door. What first impressions are you trying to create? What ambience and branding are you trying to portray? Are you building an experience that’s supported by credibility, functionality and reliability?
All of these elements make for an amazing website that can take your restaurant business to the next level.
Feel free to contact us if you want to get in touch about how we can create your next restaurant website.