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Owning any service business is challenging, but operating a restaurant is especially so. No one has to tell you that you need to have a website. However, given all that you have to worry about, have you truly considered all the ways in which you might maximize the benefit you get from your online property?

Make your advertising work together: The online world is rather inexpensive once you have your website designed and published. Therefore, it is a good idea to use your other, more expensive, forms of business promotion in a way that complements your restaurant’s website. Feature your web address in all of your broadcast and print advertising. Make sure that the URL is also added prominently to your business cards. Think how much your website can say about your dining establishment compared to a thirty second TV ad, a quarter page in the newspaper or even an entire billboard.

Menu display: Some restaurants choose to display a sampling of their menu selections. Of course, there is no real problem with that. However web space is practically free, so why not include your entire menu. You do not want to omit someone’s favorite entree that could have brought them to your tables. Be certain that the menu pages are designed in a way that allows you to update them any time you actually change your menu. Whether you choose to include the prices will be somewhat determined by the types of diners you are hoping to attract as well as the stability of your prices. If a lot of your selections are impacted by “market prices,” then it might be better to leave all prices off.

{Include attractive images: Pictures of the food are fine for cookbooks and boxed macaroni and cheese on the supermarket shelves, but you want your food to sell itself as your guests dine. To attract the eyes of your website visitors, you need to show real human beings enjoying the food and the dining experience. Be certain that the images show all of the kinds of people you want as customers, representing the full diversity of your community.~Think about including a reservation form: You might want to add a form for requesting reservations rather than simply referring them to a phone number. Such a form allows them to act immediately as they are thinking about it. Collect their contact number, and give them a reminder telephone call the day before they are supposed to dine.}

Build an email address list: Gather the email addresses of visitors to your web pages and allow the diners in your restaurant to add their addresses as they pay. Use regular email marketing to announce new menu items, offer special coupons or other enticements. You might email a secret word of the week. If they whisper that word to their waitress they receive a free dessert with their dinner or a courtesy visit from the chef.

Definitely encourage and display testimonials: While an enthusiastic restaurant review from the local newspaper{ or local magazine} is wonderful, most folks also trust what non-journalists have to say. You might want to put these on their own page, but additionally sprinkle a few of the more interesting remarks on each page of your site.

All of us in any facet of the service industry needs customers who keep coming back. In order to help your diners feel as if they want to visit your establishment often, they should feel that they have an ongoing relationship with your business. A well designed, efficiently used service business website can help establish that bond. This is particularly important in the restaurant industry, where there is already so much social contact.

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