3 Questions You Should Ask Before Putting up Your Restaurant’s Website
We are living in the digital world and restaurant businesses are not exempted from this. The use of restaurant technology is becoming the norm. Thus, having a customized website is fairly critical to the success of your venture.
It is on your website that you can offer your menu and services to your target customers. You can also establish your initial engagements with your customers when you use a website for your restaurant.
So, if having a great website will help you gain more customers, how to do this exactly? The secret is when you endeavor to have an online ordering system within the website. There are many reasons to set-up your website and we can write pages about it under the restaurant technology niche.
But before putting up your own restaurant website, consider asking the following questions to yourself so that you will know the direction you’re going to as far as how it will benefit your business.
Question No. 1 Do I have the resources?
The first thing you should ask yourself is the availability of your resources in order to put up your website. The importance of knowing beforehand if you have the needed resources is for you to make the necessary adjustments. If you lack one of the resources you can tap providers or hire people to perform the work for you.
There are many providers like designers for your restaurant technology for your online ordering system on your website. Having an inventory of resources will also help you as you start your project of putting up your own website.
Website Designers
You need to make your website look professional and engaging so you’ll need website designers. Ask your team who are graduates of information technology or computer science and is proficient in website designing. If none of your team knows website designing you can choose to search for freelancers or hire a full-time employee website designer.
Furthermore, we will round up the benefits of each as you go along this post. The key here is to hire a designer that can deliver great results at a minimum cost to you.
For more information on the qualities of a good designer read this post.
Comparative cost-benefit analysis of a Freelancer and Employee Website Designers
It is good to consider the benefits of your two options of work engagement on your website designers and have a cost-benefit analysis. Doing so will help you to decide later on which option is viable to help you in relating restaurant technology to your business.
- Freelance Designers
You can find them in all job sites in the market today offering their services with their ready sample portfolio. They can create a restaurant app and food delivery app exclusively for you to help your website. Pay is dependent on their years of experience and expertise in website designing.
But most importantly, the advantage of hiring a freelancer is that you can save a huge amount of money. Why? Because then you won’t be tied down paying for insurance and holiday pay as compared to hiring in-house for a long-term employee.
Freelancers don’t have the same benefits as regular employees since they are independent contractors. When it comes to expertise they can even outwit a regular employee because of their exposure to different business niches and global clients.
Although, there is also a risk in hiring a freelance designer. Project continuity is always one of the major hiccups that come with hiring independent contractors. These freelancers may not be able to hold their end of the bargain with you because of personal circumstances that may arise as the project is progressing. They may also accept a better offer or a higher paying client. The possibilities are endless.
Therefore, always have a contingency in place. You’d want to be involved in the project, engage your contractor and make sure you have a fluid working relationship.
- Full-time employee
Having a regular employee designer will let you have direct control of workflow and project delivery on time. You can contact your designer in real-time once clarification is needed or technical meetings for product development.
Your website design specifications can be changed immediately even at short notice.
The risk in hiring a regular employee is the limited website designing experience common to designers working in a firm. Sometimes their experience is on an entirely different business niche like pharmaceuticals or education.
Add also that you’ll be paying them their salaries and company benefits as well as once they are regularized you can’t easily terminate their services.
Digital marketing
This resource describes your capacity to manage your advertisement in social media, on your website and other forms in the digital space. You’ll also consider if your campaign advertisement will be an organic one or you’ll be paying for it. It’s important to have the technical resources before starting your website so that you can use it to get leads and eventually convert them into paying customers.
Here are some of the technical resources for digital marketing
- SEO or search engine optimization
This is your google ranking search on your website. It’s important to compete for the top ranking since this will give you mileage over your competitors in the business.
- Data-driven marketing
This is the use of your gathered data for your improvement in your digital marketing initiatives.
- E-mail marketing
This is your way of informing your customers of your updates usually in the form of newsletters sent to their email address. You can include in your newsletter updates on your restaurant technology.
- Content management
This is your strategic plan on how you can use your content in your websites for your improvement in your SEO and social media campaigns. It is reflecting your brand and product in your content while giving information to your subscribers.
- Gamification
This is targeting your customers by offering interactive games that will engage them with your services and menu offerings in your restaurant.
Question No. 2 What types of customers do I have?
You need to identify your target market and their consumer behavior because this will help both the design and marketing of your website. The type of generation of your target customers will give you some idea on your proper approach in order to engage them in your website.
Here are the two types of generation of your customers
Generation X or Gen X
These are your customers who are born in the mid-1960s and the early-1980s. They’re the first generation that was exposed to computer technology and development. Expect that they are tech-savvy and more critical of your website. They tend to compare old with modern technology which includes a website. In order to engage this generation, you need to ensure that your website user experience is great and no glitches will happen to them as they are browsing.
Millenials
These are your customers who are born in the early 1980s and the mid-1990s. This generation was born with technology and gadgets like tablets and the iPad. They’re considered the techie generation. In order to engage this generation well, you need to ensure that your website look and feel on a computer will be the same quality to mobile devices like tablets and cellular phones. This generation is known to be always on the go and likes to enjoy apps. Check carefully your online ordering app for optimum engagement.
Question No. 3 What is/are my goals?
Goal setting is another key to the success of your website. Identify your goal in having your website if it’s for sales generation, your digital presence or business growth.
Sales generation
If your goal is to increase your sales in setting your website it is advisable that you do the following on your website:
- The design and content should focus more on your menu and services (online ordering system, waitlist, and the loyalty program).
- Interactive tools that will lead to sales conversions like party package reservations or online orders in your ordering app.
- Your website should include a chatbot for customer inquiries.
For more information on using your website for sales generation read this post.
Digital presence
To establish your brand and restaurant in the digital space, consider the below factors:
- Emphasis on your about page, history and affiliates (if any)
- Your restaurant interior and exterior are your backgrounds on your website.
- Your customer user experience and browsing are that as if they already entered your physical restaurant.
Business growth
Business growth in setting a website is for restaurants that are offering the sale of their brand franchise. Your focus should be the following on your website:
- Your brand and why you’re different from your competitors
- Sustainability of your business
- Success stories of your franchisees.
Your website is your key to the world of countless opportunities
Take advantage of websites in order to tap customers and business opportunities that traditional markets cannot give you. Expand your horizons and make your goals your achievements. We are always here to be of service to you.
We have already given you some lists to consider before setting up your website. Also, check our blog regularly for more tips on how to run a successful restaurant business.
If your restaurant is looking for an online ordering system
