Build a Website
We have covered why you need an online presence for restaurant, let’s talk about the most basic but an essential part of online presence “website” for your restaurant.
The majority of Restaurant business owners know they need a website, but what all is required to build a website for restaurant is not known by many, and to tackle these questions, we have created a list of restaurant website requirements.
Let’s dig in and understand the primary requirement for restuarant website. To have a live website, you need three things Domain name, Website Hosting, and finally, a Website. To understand this better, let’s take the example of a house.
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- Domain Name – This is like an address for your website, E.g., www.foodship.com.au or www.your-restaurant-name.com. So when people search for this address on the internet, they can visit your website. Domains names are generally leased for a minimum a year and can be leased from a domain registrar like Crazy Domains for anything between $20 to $30 annually.
- Web Hosting – Hosting is like a land where you build your house. In actuality, they are resources like RAM, CPU, and space on a web server that makes your website live on the web. It is crucial to choose a reliable web hosting. Preferably in the same country where your customers are for speedy website access. Stable web hosting generally costs around $20 a month.
- Website – Is a house or building on that land. In actuality, the website is a pile of code, design, files, and images which make your site. The type of business decides the kind of information you need on your website. Check out some demo websites here.
- SEO – SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization in which you have to work to rank your website on Google. The purpose of SEO is to improve your website visibility for getting free traffic.
Pro Tip: There are many free website builders (CMS) like WordPress, Drupal, etc are available in the market which you can use for making your restaurant website (no coding knowledge requires). Note: Please read their privacy policy first.
Restaurant Website Essentials
This list will tell you the primary features a restaurant website should have. First and foremost, your website should allow editable control to you (preferable website builder is wordpress), not to your IT guy, not your designer but you for the following features:
Custom Banner – The ability to customize a banner with pictures and text with good color combinations to create an eye-catching landing page for your customers with welcome message.
Contact Form – A way for your customer to reach out and able to send a message from your restaurant’s website.
About Us – This is where you can tell your story to share the vision behind your humble beginning & purpose.
Image Gallery – Image gallery can come handy feature to showcase your restaurant’s environment, food images, restaurant interiors, and a lot more.
Events Page – A section where you can announce an event or occasion you are hosting in your restaurant, e.g. New year’s dinner, Live music night, Wine tasting, New Recipe Launch, Birthday party, etc.
Google Maps – If you want your customer to locate and drive to you without struggle, you can’t operate without this feature. You just have to setup Google My Business for your restaurant to be appear on Google Map. You can get restaurant reviews through Google My Business.
Social Media links – Inform your customer that you are also on social media so they can connect with you.
Menu – Well, what is the point of having a website if you don’t showcase your product. Any restaurant customer will expect this information on your website.
Business Hours – Caring for customer’s time is the key to business success. Not caring for this can ruin your customer’s experience when they visit your restaurant only to find out it is closed at a specific time. Publish business hours on your website.
Table Reservation – Your customer would feel more welcome and comfortable when they know a table is reserved and ready for them in your restaurant. Also, read how the table reservation system can improve the efficiency, user experience(ux) and operations of your restaurant.
Online Food Ordering System – No restaurant wants to turn down the takeaway request. However, most businesses still operate on the old school order over the phone system. This way of communication gaps is prone to losses when customers don’t turn up to pick up food. An online takeaway ordering system can be a game-changer here. For a commission-free food ordering system, tap here.
Most websites look great on computers and laptops. Still, to ensure an optimum experience for your customer, your website should be 100% mobile-friendly. Since you are collecting customer’s email and contact detail for table reservations and online food ordering you shall publish privacy policy as well. This will also help your online reputation when your customer searches you on the internet, which concludes the basic restaurant website requirements.
