According to Restaurant Nut, back in the day, staying off the beaten path was a way for restaurants to brand themselves. Now that we live in the digital age, those days are over.
Restaurant websites are different than websites created for other businesses. For one, you need to provide your clientele with information about service, ambiance, and what they can expect from you. Typically, most of this work is left to corporate business-to-business marketers.
Your website will either attract customers or repel them. Here are five tips to ensure you don’t ward off customers who can help your business grow.
1. Less flash, more bang
Think of your webpage like you do your restaurant: no one likes a lot of noise. There was a time when flashy images and bright colors were thought of as attractive features on a website. That is no more. Industry professionals suggest using more neutral colors. They make your restaurant appealing to a wider audience than bright colors do.
2. Make it scan-able
Let’s face it, people don’t read much these days. More often then not, they scan pages for the information they are looking for. You probably did this while “reading” this article. You may have read the first couple of paragraphs, got a gist of the article’s direction, and then scanned over the numbered points. Your restaurant website needs to be adaptable to scanning. Don’t intimidate your customers with text. Give them the essential information in a quick, easy to read manner.
3. Make it mobile friendly
A recent survey of restaurant goers found that 41 percent of customers choose a restaurant based on its reviews from social media. If a customer hears about you on Facebook, the first thing they will do is check to see if you have a page on the platform, or look for your website. Generally, people are doing all of this research from their phones. So, if your website is not compatible with their device, you can bet that customer won’t walk through your doors.
4. Give directions
Ultimately, the point of your website is to attract customers. What’s a more attractive feature than giving them information that helps them find your restaurant? If your location is tough to reach by GPS, give landmark directions such as “turn left by the big boy holding a donut”.