Why You Need to Build a Great Restaurant Website with WordPress

21 Jun 2017 0 Comments

Development
Design

There’s no longer a debate about whether your restaurant needs to have its own website. When people want to arrange dining out there first move will almost invariably be to go online. That means being able to find your site on Google, and having that site load and run smoothly no matter what kind of device they’re using. There are also particular features which every visitor will expect to be able to access easily. Get your restaurant website design right and you’ll take your business to the next level. Get it wrong and your prospective customers will be happily dining in the competition across the road.

Do your research

Who are your target audience? How will they access your site? What will they expect to find there? These are the kind of questions you have to ask yourself, and you have to carry out the research needed to get reliable answers. If you’re targeting a fine dining audience, for example, your restaurant web development will have to reflect this in terms of both appearance and content. If value is your USP, then the cost of your food will need to be front and centre.

Keep things simple

People access restaurant websites on a ‘need to know’ basis. Your restaurant website design needs to tempt them and make them think your food is delicious, yes, but this works on an almost subliminal level. On the service, a visitor to your site will require speedy access to your menus, location, opening hours and booking information. All of the main restaurant features should be just one ‘click’ away from the Home page. Any complicated navigation or pointless form filling will result in visitors impatiently moving on.

Communication

The main aim of your website is for you to communicate exactly what your restaurant is offering, but it can also be a two way street. Opening up communication from your customers can help you to hone your offer and provide exactly what your diners are looking for. To this end, make your contact form as easy to use and comprehensive as possible. Remember that eating is a hugely sociable activity, and everything your restaurant web development does which fosters a sense of ‘friendship’ between you and your customers will increase the likelihood of them dining with you.

Social Media

No matter how sophisticated your marketing effort becomes, nothing is ever going to be more powerful than simple word of mouth. Even more than a brilliant online presence, a recommendation from a friend is likely to have a huge influence on someone’s dining choices. The good news is that you can have a huge influence on this by instigating an active and vibrant social media strategy. Use platforms like Twitter and Facebook to open up a two way conversation with your customers, keeping them informed of your latest news, additions to your menu, new members of staff and anything else you think might interest them. Dining out is often an impulse decision. The right tweet at the right time on a Friday afternoon could have a big influence on someone looking to treat themselves at the end of a hard week, for example.

Great Visuals

It’s a cliché to say that people eat with their eyes first, but it’s a cliché which happens to be true. The visual appeal of food is a vital component in making it appetizing. That’s why the photographs you use on your website have to be of the highest possible quality. Even if you’re working to a budget, this is where you need to invest in the very best you can afford. No description of a dish could ever match the allure of a top quality image, and your menus will be improved massively if prospective diners can see what’s going to be served up to them.

Personality

Eating out is about more than just good food. It’s about relaxing in a convivial atmosphere and feeling completely at home. Your ‘About Us’ page is your chance to let the personality of your restaurant shine through. Don’t simply tell visitors who you are, when you opened and what kind of food you cook. Communicate your passion, the professionalism of your team and the welcome which each and every guest receives. Convince anyone who reads it that you’re different from the crowd, and worth spending an evening in the company of.

Keep your menu simple and publish it in HTML rather than PDF. This, after all, is the epicenter of your website – the food you’re promising to serve to your customers. By removing the load time of a PDF you’ll speed the process up, and by keeping things simple you’ll create a sense of anticipation. Overlong and adjective packed descriptions will merely serve to convince anyone reading that you’re trying too hard and must therefore be worried about the quality of your food.

Start the journey to a website that looks as good as your food tastes.

There are lots of WordPress restaurant websites out there, but approach yours in the right way and it will stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons. Remember why you love cooking food and making people happy, and ensure that comes across in your web design. Take a look through our restaurant portfolio to see what we can do for you.

* Free no-obligation mockup designs

Why You Need to Build a Great Restaurant Website with WordPress

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