Why do well-rounded online presences matter to restaurants?
While business websites have become an important component to modern consumers, only about two-thirds of small businesses (including restaurant and hospitality businesses) have a website (1). However, more consumers are now valuing the presence of well-rounded restaurant websites that they can easily access and interact with. In this post, our team will be sharing our thoughts on the roles that restaurant websites have to play in bringing your restaurant and hospitality businesses closer to prospective guests.
1. Guests love doing their research
Research matters to restaurant guests. According to upserve, about 90% of guests will do their research before dining out at a restaurant, which is significantly higher than any other business type (2). As 59% of the global population now has access to the internet (with this number being even higher in developed countries and regions), the digital world has now become one of the easiest ways for guests to search and to help them make a decision (3). They want to learn about the restaurant’s location, menus, and other services provided, to ensure that they have a welcoming and relaxing experience with great quality foods. A restaurant’s website is a gateway to help guests learn more about their upcoming dining destination, and hence act as the first point of contact between your restaurant/ hospitality business and your potential customers.
2. Enabling a better way to connect with your guests
A modern restaurant website now features different tools and extensions, allowing guests and restaurants to interact in more effective ways. New technologies allow restaurant owners and operators to customize their websites with a menu, reservation form, FAQs and reviews sections. Some customers can also place their order directly from the restaurant’s website, or initiate a conversation with members of the staff through a chat tool or a contact page. This will help optimize restaurant operations, streamline communication channels with guests and allow restaurants to invest time and resources to further improve their food quality and dine-in services.
3. Gaining popularity on search networks
According to Smart Insights, 81% of people made a purchase/ visiting decision through an online search (3). If your site appears on the first few pages of the result displayed for your target query (ex. “Best Indian Food Ottawa”), your restaurant will gain a huge advantage in convincing prospective guests to visit. Search engines have an enormous role in connecting restaurants with guests, and search engine optimization can help to improve your site’s ranking and popularity on a search network. For tips on optimizing your restaurant’s website for search engines, check out this blog post from our partners at Etoile Web Design.
Building a well-rounded website with the right features is key to enabling restaurants to connect and build a better relationship with their guests. At Five Star Plugins, we pride ourselves in supporting restaurant and hospitality business owners with the right plugins to create a beautiful and responsive website. Our plugins are easy to install, set up and customize. Learn more about Five Star Plugins and our plugins here.
