Having a great website has rapidly become a staple of every successful business.

It demonstrates what your business offers customers, its brand values, and, in the world of restaurants, could be the differentiating factor in getting those tables filled night after night.

Here are five reasons why you need a great restaurant website:

1.  A great way to take – and increase – bookings

Being able to take reservations on your website is appealing to customers who want to quickly check availability and fill out an online table booking form. And those customers are growing in number!

Your website will also serve as an easy way for staff to access reservation information. This will make you better prepared during busy periods of the day, ensuring satisfied customers and reduced waiting times.

2.  A great way to display vital information and news

A great restaurant website will allow you to display vital information, such as opening times, public holiday closures, menus, directions and contact info.

Having all of this information conveniently in one place is good for customers who are researching a great place to eat, but also allows staff to focus on delivering a great service instead of taking phone call enquiries.

3.  You need to stand out and look good

Having your restaurant info displayed on an outdated website is not good enough; your website needs to look the part and be attractive to potential customers.

You can stand out from local competitors by having a great looking website – it doesn’t always come down to your menu or decor! Potential guests should be able to get a sense of the ambience of your restaurant through image galleries and become attracted to your brand the second they visit the website.

Third party websites that allow you to display your menu or order food can be costly, commission-wise, and usually provide a uniform layout that doesn’t set your business apart from the competition.

People eat with their eyes, but having a clean, good-looking website with premium features is now just as important as food presentation in the restaurant biz.

4.  People research menus all the time

Statistics have shown that 85% of diners who search for somewhere to eat online go on to make a reservation . Do you want to miss out on that colossal market?

Having your menu and pricing presented on a great looking website will encourage people to visualise and look forward to visiting your restaurant even before they arrive.

Although some still prefer to be surprised by a menu, many people like to know in advance what options your restaurant has – particularly if they have any dietary requirements.

People are often put off if a website doesn’t look up to scratch, especially those that feature outdated pictures of food on a basic website.

5. It’s a great marketing tool

Having your restaurant easily accessible online will help you increase revenue and keep your restaurant among the top searches in your area (providing you invest in search engine optimisation). That means your establishment will remain current and among the competition on search results.

A great website also encourages community growth via social media; people can search for your restaurant easily and share it with others.

It’s also a great place to advertise loyalty schemes to get people through the door and keep them coming back.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why potential customers research and visit restaurant websites before making a reservation. Ultimately, your website serves to quickly answer questions that potential customers have and give them the option to book online.

Excluding the design phase, hosting a website is a relatively small monthly business expense. Your own, custom online presence will draw diners away from third-party commission-based websites and could make a real difference to your bottom line.