With almost 70% of customers looking at a restaurant’s website before committing to a visit (Wifitalents), the first impression of your website is critical for growing your customer base in a crowded market. Although food quality and customer service are undoubtedly crucial to your success, attracting customers through the door is restaurants' first hurdle and top priority. A professional website with SEO (search engine optimization – aka showing up in local search results) plays a massive part in whether a steady stream of new customers will visit your establishment and, ultimately, determines if your restaurant will succeed.

A professionally designed website can bring in new customers, connect with loyal customers, advertise for free by appearing in local search results, and ultimately increase reservations and sales. However, many restaurants fall victim to common DIY mistakes that can hurt their reputation–and ultimately their bottom line–but not you! Please continue reading below to avoid restaurants' top five mistakes with their website. This blog will provide the tools to overcome these common errors and improve your restaurant's long-term success.

Outdated or Inaccurate Info (and using a web platform that is too difficult to update)

As a restaurant owner, it can be maddening to invest in a website, only to find it too complex or expensive to update when changes arise.

As a customer, one of the most frustrating experiences is visiting a restaurant's website and discovering that the information provided is outdated or incorrect. Whether it is an outdated menu, a change in hours, or even broken links, these all reflect poorly on the level of quality your brand provides. So how do you avoid landing in this pickle, and losing customers?

SOLUTION:

When you are selecting a website designer, make sure to ask what web hosting platform they use. Hiring a WordPress designer may create editing challenges, requiring additional costs for future updates (who has the time or money for that?!). I suggest working with a website designer who uses platforms like Squarespace or Wix. Both are easy to update, although Squarespace has more functionality and features than Wix. Squarespace provides freedom of design and integration for your web designer AND offers a simple drag-and-drop editing experience (similar to using Microsoft Word) for your restaurant—making future updates free, easy, and on your terms. Change is inevitable. Ensure that your website consistently offers up-to-date information. Hire a professional website designer who uses Squarespace and embraces long-lived success and happy customers.

2. Poor Mobile and Tablet Usability

If your restaurant’s website layout is hard to navigate or doesn't read well on mobile devices, you will lose customers before they even see your food or visit your restaurant. Restaurants with mobile-friendly websites are TWICE as likely to see sales increase than those without (Helpscout).

SOLUTION:

Invest in a professional website designer to ensure a smooth, user-friendly experience for your mobile and tablet customers. Make sure your website has easy-to-find and easy-to-click buttons, readable text, and fast-loading images, and double-check the layout on multiple screen sizes to improve its performance with potential customers.

3. A Clear Next Step (Call To Action)

Many DIY websites do not include a clear Call to Action (CTA). If you do not lead potential customers to the next step of your customer acquisition process, you will lose them, even on your website. To ensure that potential customers make a reservation, order takeout, or sign up for your newsletter, you must provide clear guidance that leads them to take these actions with a CTA (sometimes disguised as a button or link).

SOLUTION:

Make your CTA clear by having a button at the top of your page and scattered throughout your web pages. First, you need to understand which customer actions contribute to the success of your restaurant (it’s different for every restaurant). If your menu makes your business stand out, feature a Menu button at the top of your webpage. Place an "Order Online" button at the top and bottom of each page to generate more revenue from takeout orders. Lastly, just like we stated in #2, ensure the CTA buttons are easy to find and read on your desktop and mobile website.

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4. Unclear, Overwhelming Navigation Menu

Have you ever felt confused on a website because there were too many options or the pages had unusual names? What do you do? Usually, you “x” out of the page and move on to a competitor. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes – what are their top four or five most important things? (Hint: usually, the menu, location/hours, reviews, reservations, and phone number). 85% of diners look up the menu online before deciding on a new restaurant. If you make it too hard to find, potential customers will get hangry and frustrated and usually find a competitor with a website that is easier to navigate.

SOLUTION:

Make the top 3 - 5 essential pieces of information visible within one click for your customer. The rest can be nestled within the other pages. Keep the navigation menu labels as simple and clear as possible. Creating an effortless user journey will keep potential customers engaged and more likely to dine with you. Keep it simple, and watch your sales grow!

5. Neglecting to set up SEO (aka showing up in search results)

No matter how beautifully designed or user-friendly your website is, it's a waste of money if people cannot find it. Ignoring SEO (search engine optimization) is one of the biggest mistakes of restaurant owners. 76% of consumers who perform a local search will visit within a day! SEO helps ensure that when people search for restaurants near your area, your website appears at the top of search results (basically free advertising). SEO plays a crucial role in determining whether potential customers find your restaurant and choose to visit or not.

SOLUTION:

Since 51% of diners decide where to eat based on location, adding SEO to your website and registering it with Search Console and Bing are non-negotiable. If nothing else, start with a Google Business Profile, use keywords on your website, and include carefully crafted headings, page titles, and descriptions to start attracting hungry, curious searchers. Investing in SEO for your website is critical to achieving sustainable, long-term success.

CONCLUSION:

People searching for restaurants WANT to find important information about your business. With the amount of competition restaurants are facing, if you don’t have a professional, search-appearing, easy-to-navigate website, you will potentially lose thousands of customers per year! You have five seconds to make a first impression on websites — does your website attract or lose new customers? Avoiding these common mistakes can grow your customer network and boost your sales.

BONUS TIP:

Invest in at least a handful of professional photographs. Food is a love language, and with ample competition, professional food photography will help your brand (and website) stand out! Plus, the images can be multipurpose: used on your website, menu, online ordering, social media posts, blog, etc.

If you feel deflated after finishing this blog and realizing that your website falls into one or more categories, do not worry! Contact a professional like Propel Web Designs today for a free quote on updating your website and/or adding SEO.

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