“90% of people who use the internet research for restaurants before deciding where to dine.”
If you are a restaurant owner and you don’t have a website to promote your brand, you lose opportunities to motivate customers to go to your place instead of competition. It’s vital for your business to have a strong online presence. You may have put off having a website for any number of reasons, but it’s time to stop making excuses and get one. Here are 10 reasons why.
1. A website is your real estate address on the Internet
Which would you prefer? A restaurant on a busy intersection with its own lot, building and parking space (like the picture above) or a tiny stall in a food court? Having a website is like owning that corner lot for your restaurant on the Internet. If your brand is just on a Facebook page or review site, then it’s just like that tiny stall in a food court, but in this case, it’s a place where there are thousands of stalls just like yours.
2. Get More Business
A website lets customers become familiar with what you offer, gives them a visual display of the ambiance, it easily lets them know where to find you and what time you’re open. It’s like having a whiff of your menu… enticing customers to go to your restaurant and savor more.
3. First Impressions Count
The first impression with your restaurant for many people begins with your website. Customers will pass judgment whether it’s a place worth visiting. They will likely pass to check you out if your website does not reflect the kind of experience you project with your brand.
4. Social Media is Only a Part of Your Web Presence
Being on social media boosts your web presence but it’s your website that establishes your brand. By simply having a link to your restaurant site on social media accounts, you make sure people get your latest menu, photos of your dishes or new locations. You have a venue to cite positive reviews and answer negative ones. You won’t be like many restaurant owners who bemoan the lack of control they have over review sites like Yelp or Zomato.
5. Differentiate Your Brand
A well-designed website showcases your assets to impress customers why they should choose your restaurant to dine in. Without a website, potential customers may get the impression you don’t care enough to put your best foot forward. And if you skimp on the quality of your image, they may wonder what other areas you’re skimping on. This is an unfair assessment of your business, but it’s a common one.
6. Better Customer Experience
It must be emphasized that for better customer experience your website must not only be well-designed, it must also be responsive. This means it should look good on mobile devices. It should make it easy for customers to get information about your restaurant’s location, phone numbers, office hours and product promos whether they’re using a desktop, tablet or smart phone to view your site.
7. A Bad Website is Worse Than Not Having One
This sounds counter intuitive. Without a website you’re missing out on opportunities to let people know what you offer and to identify your brand. That said, having a bad website is worse because it can actually make your business look bad. There’s no excuse for your website to look outdated, sloppy and unprofessional. If you can’t proudly promote your website for the world to see online, better to take it down.
8. Increase Awareness for Your Brand
A website is the most ubiquitous way to increase awareness for your brand. It’s available 24/7. It’s there to see for anyone in the world interested in your menu or restaurant design. Every time a customer visits your well-designed site, it reinforces your image as a quality restaurant worth having family and friends over to share good times with.
9. Web Analytics
When you launch a promotion through newspapers, radio or TV, how do you measure its success? Would you know how many customers came because of that promo? With web analytics a website provides data you can use to measure the effectivity of your promotions, both online and offline, with a high degree of accuracy. It helps you make better, more informed business decisions.
10. You Have Total Control
This is the coolest part. You control how your website would look, the content you place there and the photos you display. You don’t have to adjust to a third party service when it makes changes on how your page appears, or how your content is arranged. You have a venue for a timely response to a negative review or comment. You are in control of your site.
As a restaurant marketer, you probably need only two or three reasons to get a website. Why wait? Get started now.
LET’S GET STARTED
Contact Details
72 Hereford St., Bahay Toro, Quezon City 1106
Telephone: 63 (2) 897-9755
Email: info@hitsandmetrics.com
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