Running a restaurant is the most challenging task that comes with a never-ending to-do-list. Most restaurant operators probably don’t like adding new ideas in their projects but there is one which is very essential – a website.

75% of consumers surveyed often choose a restaurant to dine at based on search results.

If you don’t have a website for your restaurant, then you’re missing out on a massive audience.

In this technology world, Creating online visibility for restaurants can ultimately determine whether customers pick your restaurant or not.

More than 80% of consumers believe that if a particular restaurant doesn’t have a website, then it doesn’t have much value as the one which has one.

ADVERTISING MENU ITEMS

When your customer is looking online for a restaurant, they will browse through a list of menu items to check if the restaurant is affordable or not for the customer.

Here is why websites are important for restaurants, the importance of advertising menu items cannot be understated at any cost.

Some customers will have special dietary restrictions or may be picky eaters.

Some will look for a casual dining experience, and others may look for a fine dining experience with good ambience. If you have a restaurant, your menu should be online to answer all these customer questions.

SHOWCASING THE EXPERIENCE

The restaurant website should showcase the dining experience. Some people go out to eat simply as they don’t want to prepare their own meals or snacks at home.

On the other side some are looking for a specific experience. They may look for a venue that has relaxed outdoor seating or a pristine and upscale indoor dining room.

They may be even looking for a venue with a full bar and many number of wine lists.

Your website can feature high quality pictures and a detailed write-up that showcases what all your restaurant can offer.

WHY SHOULD YOUR RESTAURANT HAVE A WEBSITE?

While not only for restaurants but also every business has many advantages when creating a website, there are several specific advantages that can benefit a restaurant in every possible way.

Out of all the customers going to a restaurant, more than 3/4th surf online before deciding the restaurant to dine on, depending on a specific occasion.

Here are 10 reasons your restaurant should have a website:

1. Low Advertising Costs

Print ads and commercials are quite expensive in festive seasons and also in general terms. Here comes the profit of owning a website that you can display an endless number of print information at a fraction of the cost.

Information is available 24/7 to the customers who have internet access and you can update out-dated information on your website at any time. Of course, the cost of re-printing flyers is great and takes more time to do.

2.      Easy to Give Key Information On Your Location, Menu, Opening Times and Special Offers

A website is a platform that provides the basic information about your restaurant to customers including hours of operation, directions, payment methods and more.

By providing information to these basic questions, you can decrease the amount of time your managers and staff spend usually answering phone calls.

Your customers will be aware of any promotions, such as pre-theatre menus, lunch deals or Christmas offers from your website.

3. Customer Testimonials

You can include customer testimonials on your website or try to feature your restaurant in a publication such as a review by a restaurant critic in a leading newspaper and you can link this in your site.

This ensures you to build the restaurant’s credibility to the next level.

A website can help you to gain reviews by bloggers as they have a resource to gain information about your history and add it on their article.

4. Increases Awareness of Your Business

When people are searching for information they will first look on the web predominantly.

It is important that if someone is searching for your business they must find the relevant information quickly.

So you can reduce the chance of customers shifting to your competitors.

5. You Can Improve Search Rankings

You should invest time into search engine optimization (SEO) and this will help your business to be visible for related search terms.

For example, if your website shows up for people searching ‘late night cafe’, ‘Italian restaurant’ or ‘family friendly pub’ you could gain more exposure and attract more customers.

6. You Can Build a Solid Brand Image

A website will ensure the professional brand image to your business. Particularly if you are just a startup struggling to uplift your business, a website is a great method to reach out more customers with your brand.

If you follow the correct marketing strategy your customers will seek you out and try out themselves.

Provide high quality images on your website it will increase the number of customers visiting your site.

7. Differentiate Your Business from the Competition

If all of your competitors have an online presence then probably you must have one to tackle in the competition.

Many competing restaurants are using a website to promote themselves; and that may steal your business.

A well-presented and user friendly website will help you to highlight your business. And this will help customers to pick you over other alternatives in the market.

If you are lacking without a website it means that you are not willing to invest for your business

8. Book Online Features

To boost your business add an online booking link or app to your website which allows your customers to make reservations easily.

9. A Way to Promote Other Services

A website can act as a channel to promote your other services.

Do you offer catering or private events? Then this is the best way to promote.

You can create pages for this using SEO and generate more business.

10. Sell Gift Cards

On your website you can also add options like online selling and sell gift vouchers online.

This will help you to drive more business, particularly around festival seasons like Christmas or other events where people search for gifts.

Make your local restaurant visible on the web

If you don’t have a website for your restaurant, it’s like you don’t exist.

If you want to maintain your brand over other competing local restaurants and rise above the crowd, you need to create awareness to your customers that you exist.

Social media can help you out in this process; people are sharing constantly in our big wide world and having a website is the basic way to communicate your presence.

Make sure it’s a good one that attracts wide customers and ensure that they visit back.

Wrapping up

INTERESTED IN SETTING UP A WEBSITE FOR YOUR RESTAURANT?

If you don’t yet have a website for your restaurant, then you are missing out on potential customers.

Chennai web development helps small businesses build easy-to-use, reliable websites that perform well and have all the features needed to build an excellent online presence.

Our websites are designed to rank and the building blocks are already in place to set up a user-friendly, beautiful website in just a matter of hours for you.

For more information about getting your restaurant online, Contact Us now!

We specialize in helping small businesses make their stamp online.

Talk to our experts team, we will be happy to share with you about our price packages available.