Stand apart from other restaurants with a website that genuinely delights visitors
The market for eateries is rapidly growing, as can be seen from the number of choices a person has today to eat out. A growing number of restaurant patrons search for restaurants based on the location, cuisine, menu, etc., before deciding which restaurant to visit. When this search happens, if your restaurant does not come up as an option, you will lose a potential patron to one of the other restaurant websites that are also vying for a patron’s attention.
Whether yours is a small mom-and-pop cafe or a national restaurant franchise, you need a custom restaurant website design that provides all the information a patron would need in a way that makes them want to visit your business establishment. A website that stands apart from the competitors and looks appealing and comes up in Google and other search engines when someone is looking for options for dining out.
What a modern restaurant website needs
For it to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace, the website of a restaurant needs to be much more than just professionally designed. Customers want to feel the comfort of your establishment through your website. They are probably looking for restaurant menus. They would want to get a feel of the ambiance. Your audience should be able to view your site on any device – computer, tablet or mobile. A lot goes into building a successful restaurant website.
Features to impress visitors
There are a number many restaurant websites competing to attract visitors. For your site to stand apart and build a strong online presence, it needs to offer as many of the following features as possible.
Online Ordering: Having your menu available on your website allows your customers to order online so they have the choice to “dine out” from the comfort of their home. You can expect an increase in revenue since customers are dining in and dining out.
Menu and delivery choices: If your restaurant has different menus for dining in and take-out, then having separate dine-in and take-out menus is a good idea. Offering choices like home delivery and take-out will help you cover all bases and reach the broadest possible audience.
Online Reservations – Providing an option for making reservations online allows your customers the freedom to make plans any time of day or night. Even last-minute reservations are made easier online; customers can see all options at their fingertips.
Events Calendar – Your event calendar should be maintained regularly and up-to-date. It should be accessible on both desktop and mobile devices.
Professional Photography – Taking pictures of food is not rocket science; however, taking appealing images of food does take talent and creativity. Your customers’ mouths should be watering from just looking at the photos. This is also true for images of your restaurant. The pictures of your interior design should be both appealing and representative of what customers can expect when they visit you.
Contact Information – Without updated contact information your customers are at a loss when they need to contact you in a hurry. Having consistent contact information across your site, social media and other sites on the web is also important for your website to rank in local search and attract searchers.
Ability to attract visitors
Just having a website that professionally presents your restaurant business online isn’t good enough. For patrons to find you, your website should be able to attract visitors when they are looking for dining options.
Graphic Design – A professional graphic design team is vital not just select the right website templates, but to also give your website a unique identity that draws attention to your brand and builds a recall of your logo over time.
Mobile Friendly Design: A responsive website has become a norm for all businesses today because your website needs to provide a consistent experience on all devices; mobile, tablet, computer.
Mobile App: Consider having a mobile app that makes it easy for regular patrons to make reservations, check out events and chef’s specials and even order food from their phone.
Featuring in Local Search: When your potential clients search for “restaurants near me”, search engines show a “local pack” with a map showing choices. Appearing in local search requires local optimization or local SEO.
Search Engine Optimization: Professional search engine optimization (SEO) needs to be an ongoing activity that ensures your website is reaching its visibility potential on search engines.
Social Media: Linking social media networks to your restaurant website increases customers’ chances of connecting finding your restaurant, following you on social media and sharing your content with their friends. Customers will be able to add reviews and share posts, increasing the audience your restaurant is reaching.
Email Marketing: You need an engaging restaurant newsletter to let your customers know what you offer, new items and events coming up, and how your customers can benefit from your services. By giving your customers the option to provide their email address and subscribing to your newsletter, your email and nurture campaigns can maximize brand recall and repeat customers.
More than just quality restaurant web design
If you are in need of a professional restaurant web design or a digital marketing partner, contact Flying Cow Design. We are a full-service web presence management form that offers an assortment of solutions across web design, content and online marketing.
Beyond the web, we also provide design services for logo, brochure, business card, letterhead, and much more.
To find out more about restaurant web design, logo design and online marketing, or any of our other services, contact Flying Cow Design today!