What’s the point of making a website for a restaurant?
Building an online reputation for it. Even if you don’t intend to accept online orders, the website is still important. Most potential visitors will want to check out your offer, as well as the interior before they decide to visit. Some of them want vegetarian or gluten-free food, so they want to know if your menu can meet their needs.
Through your website, you convey your vision. You present the restaurant the way you want people to see it. That’s why it’s so important to make it as perfect as it gets. When we look at different websites of restaurants, we notice common mistakes that ruin the positive impression for the audience. Those mistakes are usually related to copywriting. Let’s list them all, so you’ll know what steps to avoid if you want to end up with a great website for your restaurant.
Too much text
Don’t forget: you want people to eat with their eyes. They don’t visit a restaurant’s website to read articles. They want to see what you offer. Of course you can publish fun articles that explain the culinary culture you represent. You can even share some recipes and tips on restaurant etiquette. However, the text musn’t overwhelm the pages.
Too little content
Too much text will scare the visitors away, but that doesn’t mean you should not feature any content at the site. First of all, the visitors want to see a clear menu. They want to know their options. They will also appreciate information about the chefs and the culinary culture you represent.
A blog is always a good idea. It gives you a lot of space for search engine optimization, so your audience will easily locate the site through Google. It also gives you space for providing tips the visitors will be interested in. Short, catchy articles with relevant images can make a restaurant’s website very successful.
Neglecting your selling point
When you decided to start a restaurant, you defined your unique selling point; the one that made you better than all similar restaurants in the area. Maybe you offer lower prices or more sophistication. Maybe you created the perfect environment for business lunches. Whatever the case is, the content on your site has to convey that unique selling point.
It’s important to publish high-quality content that presents your restaurant’s unique charm in the most captivating way. If you’re not that great of a writer, you can always hire professional writers from Assignment Masters website and similar online services. These writing agencies also offer editing assistance, which will bring your own content to perfection.
Lack of personality
What’s your first impression when you land at the website of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen? Personality. You notice the selling point, but you also see that something that represents Oliver’s style — a love for British homemade food and an incredibly warm, welcoming attitude. And, that personality is conveyed through the content.
Personality is what most restaurant websites lack. When you’re creating the content, make sure to tell the audience about the history of the restaurant, as well as the staff. People feel comfortable to eat when they know who serves them.
“Romantic” fonts
This is a big mistake. You don’t want to pick a font that’s fun; you want a font that’s readable. Most people want to read as quickly as possible. They just skim over the headings of the articles, so make sure they are readable and on-point. The menu has to be readable and clean, too!
Neglecting SEO
Of course you can create a website that presents few images of the interior, the menu, and photos of few dishes. After all, that’s what the audience wants to see. Will that be a successful website? Hardly.
There’s no point in fighting the SEO trend. It is the art of making your website reachable. You want people who are interested in the kind of food you offer to immediately find your website even if they know nothing about the restaurant. If you can’t write optimized content, then it’s smart to hire professional content writers to do that for you.
Where can I find it?
You optimize the content, so your target audience can find the website. But, where can they find the restaurant, exactly? Many websites make this information hard to find. Keep in mind that most people will be accessing the site through mobile devices, so they immediately want to see the contact and location.
Make the location visible and provide different contact options, so the audience can reach you by phone, social media, and email.
When you’re developing or improving a restaurant’s website, remember: it’s not only about appeal. It’s about functionality, clarity, and information. Avoid the mistakes described above, and you’ll be closer to a website with perfect content.
