A website is an extension of your restaurant and is an excellent forum for a restaurant to accurately convey the concept to potential customers.
Almost 80% of restaurant guests visit a restaurant’s website before they decide to dine at your restaurant. But many restaurant operators rely heavily on social media but seem to overlook the fact that their websites are a key factor in bringing in customers.
How do you ensure that you convert these website visitors into paying customers?
Below are some factors that help make your website successful:

• Have key information readily visible: once potential customers land on your site they shouldn’t have to search for
  • Menu
  • Location
  • Contact information
  • reservations
• The following key ingredients leverage your website and enable you to monetize it:
  • Self-editable menu (not a PDF or image)
  • On-line ordering that is easy to manage and adjust
  • Visuals that effectively communicate the concept and the brand
  • With most people using their phones to access the web, the site has to be mobile friendly
  • Ability to sell gift cards
  • On-line events form so people can reach out with enquiries.
  • Has tools to make your site ADA accessible
  • Crucial – site is SEO optimizable. Without SEO optimization (and subsequent SEO campaign) web users will not be able to easily find your website.
• In addition, the following features are “nice-to-haves”:
  • Positive reviews highlighted
  • Ability to sign on to emails
  • Link to social media

Effective Restaurant Website

In additional to being a billboard for your restaurant, a website provides an opportunity to monetize your web presence by providing online ordering, selling gift cards and merchandise, and highlighting your facilities ability to hold events. Don’t let this opportunity go to waste by not maximizing your website’s capabilities.