Having a clear and concise website helps reduce confusion as potential customers scroll through your pages, helping to increase the chances of attracting guests to your restaurant. Keeping your website simple to use and view will keep customers engaged and help them better understand what your establishment has to offer.
1. Simple Navigation Features
An easy way to improve your website experience for customers is by simplifying the navigation. Visitors to your site should be able to find the most important information instantly, such as your phone number. Doing so ensures easy visibility, allowing customers to quickly find the information they need to contact you and find your location. Providing your restaurant’s contact details in an easily visible spot aligns with user behavior on websites as most people look towards the top of the page for that information.
Along those lines, place your business logo at the top left of the website, helping visitors recognize your brand and providing them with an easy way to return to the homepage when necessary. Many websites use this return feature, which helps make your site easier to navigate while promoting your brand.
2. Highlight Your Money Makers
Having an impactful front page on your website can make a major difference in how customers view your restaurant. One tactic you should use is to feature your best money-making dishes or drinks on the homepage. Always use high-quality images of dishes. Lower quality photos lessen your brand appeal. Do not use automatic scrolling images when showcasing items. This only slows down your website.
Also, consider adding wording like “Known for our famous cornbread” or whatever is your best seller. This will tantalize your guests to want to try these dishes and encourage them to make an order online or visit your establishment.
Highlighting your best dishes guides your guests to options that are both popular and profitable for your business. It also makes it easier for the customer to decide what to choose and make quicker decisions which helps boost sales.
3. Bury Your Social Media Links
Social media is a great tool when it comes to marketing your restaurant by promoting dishes or using it to showcase different events your establishment may be holding. However, when it comes to social media links on your website, you want to place them in a conspicuous way so they don’t become an attraction point for clients to click. Posting social media links in a very visible way may attract customers to click on those links and often they never come back to the website where you are wanting them to interact with your establishment. Most people who click on these links never return to your real website where you want them.
To prevent this from happening, consider placing your social media links in less predominate locations on your website such as the footer. Doing so allows visitors to your site to find those links, but it isn’t a focal point and will help ensure that your website visitors interact with your company more through the actual page than via social media. The key is to keep visitors on your website as a long as possible and not direct them away to other sources. Keep social sites hidden and keep your customers engaged through the site to gain more clientele.
Having a user-friendly website is crucial for your restaurant’s success. Focusing on your best items, having simple navigation, and keeping potential customers engaged will help create a seamless experience for those visiting your website. Having a website that utilizes simple features will encourage guests to engage more efficiently with your establishment and encourage clientele to visit your restaurant.
Steve Comer is the President/Owner of Split One Technologies, a web-based software development company in Tempe, Arizona focused on website development, search engine optimization, and internet marketing. Comer has designed thousands of websites for commercial businesses in a variety of fields including hospitality and restaurants in North America, Europe and Australia.
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