It used to be good enough to have a basic website with your menu posted somewhere online; however, the rage for having the internet and apps handy have made people look for restaurants online. What is considered ‘important’ has changed. Here are the top 4 things that every restaurant website needs to have to maximize its chances of converting website traffic into paying customers.
- Mobile-Friendly Website Design: The majority of restaurant websites are not mobile friendly. There is a new standard for restaurant websites which is to offer visitors a version that is easy to read on a mobile device either through an app or a website built with responsive design.
- The Online Menu: Restaurant websites that have a downloadable PDF menu are not compatible with a mobile device. If you are not ready to add responsive website design to your entire website, consider adding an online ordering system that features mobile-friendly menu design as part of their service. Make sure your menu page includes descriptions of the food, any specials or promotions and appealing photos of your dishes.
- A Photo Gallery of your Restaurant and Food: People love to see what the restaurant looks like before they decide to eat there. That is why every restaurant website needs to have a photo gallery. Hire a professional photographer to come during one of your restaurant’s busy times and capture the ambiance, decor and dishes that make your restaurant unique. Then display the photos on your website in a simple photo gallery.
- An Effective, Restaurant Homepage: Your homepage is the most important page on your website because it makes the first impression. Within seconds of arriving at your homepage, a person will decide if it is worth their time to look through the rest of your site.
With the advent of this virtual era, everyone goes online to look for restaurants when they want a new place to have dinner at. If your restaurant has no website, or if your online presence if not good enough, people will look for someone else whose restaurant they can find. Also, if you don’t feature a well-designed and thought out website, including photos, menu, contact and other information, potential customers will likely move on to another website and will dine at another restaurant.