How to create a restaurant website that brings a lot of sales

Owning and running a restaurant can be exciting, but it's not always easy. Today, if you want your business to be successful, you should ask yourself how to build a restaurant website that sells online. You can reach more people and make more money by doing simple things like putting your menu online and offering takeout & delivery.

Many local restaurants struggle to stay open in the current economy, so selling online is more important than ever. Small businesses can find it hard to compete with big companies that already have a strong online presence.

Top 5 reasons local restaurants are struggling to stay open in the current economy:

1. Changes in customer habits have led to less foot traffic
2. More competition from big businesses with bigger online presences
3. Difficulty adapting quickly to changes in the market or trends in digital marketing
4. A business's price of goods and services to run well increases.
5. Not being able to offer discounts that are competitive with other businesses
   

If you are a local restaurant that want to sell more online, the most important thing is to make a website for restaurant that has all the important information about your place and your products. The ability to order online is a critical feature.

Essential steps to building converting restaurant ecommerce website

Here are a few steps that local restaurants can take to increase their online sales:

1. Set up a website that is easy to use and order online
2. Create an online menu so customers can easily see what's available
3. Offer delivery options so customers don't have to leave their homes
4. Promote your business on social media for more exposure
5. Reach out directly to potential customers with email marketing campaigns

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Advertise your restaurant online store

Sure, an ecommerce online store is a way to go if you have a small local restaurant. Yet, to get the maximum amount of customers, you still need to develop a proper ecommerce digital marketing & advertising strategy.

There are 5 essential reasons why local restaurants need to advertise it's online store:

1. Reach More Customers: Advertising online will help your restaurant reach a larger audience, which can lead to more customers.
2. Convenience: Customers are increasingly looking for convenient ways to order food, and online ordering provides them with an easy and hassle-free way to do so.
3. Increased Revenue: By advertising your online store, you can increase the number of orders you receive, leading to increased revenue for your restaurant.
4. Stand Out: With many restaurants offering online ordering, advertising your online store can help you stand out from the competition and attract more customers.
5. Flexibility: Online ordering provides customers with the flexibility to order from your restaurant at any time, which can help increase your restaurant's overall sales.
   

How to make a restaurant website that is easy to use?

Building a website for your restaurant is an important part of digital marketing. A website that is easy to use and order from will help you attract more customers and make more money.

Local restaurants can make ordering online easier by having the right features on their website. Features like a clear and simple menu, easy ordering options, and quick payment methods will make it fast and easy for customers to order food.

When you ask "how to create a website for restaurant" think not about the website itself, but rather what features it should contain.

Here's a list of all vital restaurant website features:

1. Menu items: A list of all the food items you serve at your restaurant, with their name, description, and price.
2. About Us: This section tells customers what your restaurant is all about. What is your mission and vision? What sets your restaurant apart from others?
3. Contact Information: Include your restaurant's phone number, email address, and physical address so customers can reach you easily.
4. Online Ordering & Online Reservations
5. Reviews and Testimonials: Collect reviews and testimonials from happy customers and showcase them on your website. This builds social proof, which can encourage others to try your restaurant.
6. Location and Hours: Let customers know when your restaurant is open and where they can find you. Put a link to Google Maps to make it easier to locate you.
7. High-quality Images: Show customers what they can expect from your restaurant by including high-quality images of your food and establishment.
8. Delivery Time: Be clear about how long it will take for the food to be delivered to the customer after they place an order.
9. Cost of Delivery: If you charge for delivery, state the cost on your website clearly. Some places offer free delivery if a certain dollar amount is spent on food orders.

By including these essential elements on your restaurant website, you can help customers learn more about your restaurant and encourage them to order online or visit you for a delicious and satisfying dining experience!

Make a simple & appealing menu

Creating a simple menu on a restaurant website is an easy way to encourage online sales. Having a clear and organized menu on your website lets customers quickly find what they are looking for and order easily.

To create a simple menu, start by listing all the food options in your restaurant. This should include entrees, sides, drinks, and desserts. Then make sure to include pictures of the food items and descriptions, so customers know what they are ordering.

Essential restaurant website item page content

Since you want your restaurant ecommerce website to generate sales easily, the product page should contain the following list of things:

1. The dish's name: customers want to know the name of what they're ordering.
2. A description of the dish: explain what's in the dish, and how it's prepared. Use language that makes it sound delicious.
3. A mouth-watering photo: include a high-quality picture of the dish that makes it look as delicious as it tastes.
4. Dietary information: inform customers if the dish is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or any other dietary restrictions.
5. Pricing: list how much the dish costs so customers can easily decide if it's within their budget.

Remember to keep your descriptions easy to read and interesting, with a clear information hierarchy, and easy for customers to find on your website. Following these 5 tips will help your customers decide what they want to order before visiting your restaurant, increasing their chances of returning for more!

Use professional-looking product pictures

When it comes to the pictures of food items on your restaurant's website, they must look professional and appetizing. This will help customers understand what they are ordering and make them more likely to purchase from your website.

When selecting pictures, choose images that accurately represent the food item from all angles. Also, ensure you have at least 1 close-up shot and 1 long shot to fit the item entirely.

Taking high-quality photographs of food items requires skills and knowledge, so hiring a professional photographer to make professional-looking product pictures is best. A professional photographer can make sure the photos look the best they can and capture each item in the most appetizing way. Browse websites like Fiver and Upwork to find a local photographer for reasonable prices.

Restaurant website navigation rules

Here are fundamental rules of easy-to-use ecommerce navigation for a restaurant owner in a way that is easy to understand.

1. Keep it Organized: Like a restaurant menu, your ecommerce navigation should be well-organized and easy to read. Use clear labels for each category and ensure that items are grouped logically.
2. Make it Accessible: Your navigation should be easy to find and use. Consider placing it prominently on your homepage or your website's header, so customers can easily find what they're looking for.
3. Offer a Search Bar: Just like diners want to be able to search for specific dishes on a menu, customers visiting your ecommerce site want to search for specific products. Be sure to include a search bar that's easy to find and use.
4. Keep it Simple: Like your menu, your navigation should be simple and easy to understand. Avoid using overly complicated terms or industry jargon that may confuse customers.
5. Use Descriptive Labels: Your customers should be able to quickly and easily identify what each category means. Use descriptive labels that are easy to understand, such as "Appetizers," "Entrees," and "Desserts."

By following these simple guidelines, you can ensure that your restaurant website navigation is easy-to-use and helps your customers find the products they need quickly and easily.

How To Create an About Us Page

Since you want to capture the unique atmosphere of your place and make it appealing to potential customers, you need to focus on creating a warm and inviting tone with descriptive language that would engage readers.

Firstly, you highlight the restaurant's commitment to quality ingredients and exceptional service. By emphasizing these attributes, you give readers a sense of trust and assurance that their experience at your restaurant will be unforgettable. Additionally, I can write about the team's passion for creating delicious food that reflects the local culture and identity of it's culture and place.

Overall, your goal should be to create engaging copy that accurately captures what makes your restaurant special.

Here's an example we have done for one of our client - a local home-made Mexican food place in Jupiter, Florida.

Blue Water Taco About Us Statement

Welcome to Jupiter's Mexican food restaurant. Our custom recipes and unique atmosphere make dining the best it can be. Since we opened, our restaurant in Jupiter has been a big hit because of the great food and service we offer.

As a locally owned restaurant, it's important to us to make delicious, authentic tacos that are perfect for every taste. Our recipes are home-made, and we only use the freshest ingredients. This makes sure that you always get the freshest and tastiest tacos.‍

But what makes us different is that we have a warm and friendly atmosphere. As you enjoy your tasty tacos, quesadillas, burritos, and much more, you'll feel right at home thanks to our welcoming decor and friendly staff. We like to have fun, and our team of mexican food-lovers will always make you laugh with their high spirits.

Our restaurant was built on the ideas that hard work, quality, and creativity are important, and we try to keep these ideas in mind in everything we do. We work hard to make sure that each and every one of our customers has a great time.

Come see us today and find out what makes us different. You have to try our tasty homemade menu, and we promise you won't be let down. We hope to see you soon at our taco restaurant in Jupiter, Florida.

Most Common Objections

It's difficult to maintain

It is difficult to manage an ecommerce website with limited technical expertise.

Having a team of people to take care of your online store can help if you don't know how to do it yourself. Our team can ensure your store is updated and secure, and working at its best. Getting help from experienced restaurant ecommerce developers will make sure that your website works well.

They can make sure all the features are added and work correctly. This way, customers will have a good experience when they use the website. It's important to invest in a digital marketing team you can trust so you don't have to worry about any technical problems or not understanding how to build a website.

There are hidden costs

Additional costs may appear when setting up and maintaining an ecommerce website.

We understand your concern regarding the additional costs of creating and maintaining an ecommerce website. Rest assured that our team is totally transparent and accountable when it comes to setting up and running a successful online store. All costs are discussed in-depth before any projects begin, so there will be no surprises down the line.

Not only does this ensure that you know exactly what you’re paying for, but it also allows for peace of mind knowing you have a partner who will take care of all technical aspects from start to finish. With us, you can feel confident your investments in your business will yield high returns.

Time-consuming & expensive to manage

An ecommerce website requires a lot of time and effort to update content regularly.

Our team functions as an automated system with the latest technologies that help to manage and maintain your online store easily. This way, you don't have to worry about spending too much time updating content. Our ecommerce platforms can help update information quickly and accurately so you can focus on other aspects of running a business.

Additionally, our project management is designed to automate many tasks required to keep your website functioning optimally, so you don't have to spend valuable time managing it manually. With us, setting up and managing an ecommerce website is fast and cost-effective!

Competitors have lower prices

More competition from online businesses can affect sales due to pricing differences.

A proper digital marketing strategy can help your local business overcome increased competition from online businesses. By taking a strategic approach to pricing and marketing, your local restaurant can remain competitive and ensure that your customers receive the best possible value for their money.

You should also build customer relationships through personalized marketing campaigns, loyalty programs, and special offers that make your local restaurant stand out among competitors. With effective restaurant digital marketing strategies, your local restaurant will be well-equipped to compete against larger online competitors while still offering great value and quality service.

Most Common Questions

Will digital marketing strategy help?

How will a digital marketing strategy help my restaurant compete with online businesses?

A digital marketing strategy can be extremely effective when tailored to your restaurant business's specific needs. By setting goals and objectives that align with the unique qualities of your restaurant, you can create a strategy that will maximize its potential. For instance, you could use data from previous campaigns to pinpoint key customer segments and target them with messages that emphasize your restaurant's unique qualities.

Additionally, you could use email and social media accounts to reach new potential customers who may not be familiar with your brand. With the right digital marketing strategy, your local restaurant will be able to compete successfully against larger online competitors and succeed in today's competitive market.

What automation tools do you use?

What automated systems do you have to manage and maintain an ecommerce website?

Our team utilizes various automation tools to help manage and maintain an ecommerce website. Webflow Ecommerce is one such tool that allows users to easily create and manage ecommerce stores with a drag-and-drop graphical user interface. Woocommerce is another popular tool that allows users to build their own online store.

Additionally, we use various automated marketing tools like Google Ads, Monto, and Semrush to help optimize the customer experience and increase sales. These include AI-driven analytics tools that provide insights into customer behaviors and AI-enabled chatbots that can answer customers' questions in real time. With these automation tools, you can save time and money while ensuring your ecommerce website is running as efficiently as possible.

How long restaurant online store take to build?

How long does setting up and running an online store with your services take?

Building an online store with our services takes about a week. But before that, we need to spend another week running a digital marketing strategy. That way, your online store can be ready and successful in sales and increasing brand awareness!

Some vital tips for successful restaurant marketing

Here are the top 5 tips for successful local restaurant digital marketing:

1. Use high-quality visuals on your website
2. Ask restaurant PPC experts to run ads
3. Get a restaurant local SEO expert team to help optimize your website
4. Use popular keywords related to your business to appear in organic search results
5. Stay active on social media with consistent content
6. Offer discounts and promotions to attract customers

Summing Up

Creating a successful website for your restaurant involves more than just designing an attractive page. You need to ensure it's easy to use and optimized for search engines so that customers can easily find you. To do this, consider adding elements like a simple navigation bar, descriptive labels, and a search bar. Additionally, create an About Us page on your website that captures the unique atmosphere of your place to draw people in.

Follow these tips and stay active on social media. Offer discounts or promotions. This will help local restaurants attract more customers. It will also increase their sales potential online. Ultimately, investing time into creating a great digital presence is essential to run a successful business today.

We, At Blue Bee Web are ready to help you out. Being in the marketing industry for more than 10 years, our team has an exhaustive understanding of digital marketing, including how to optimize your restaurant ecommerce website to increase conversions.

Request your free marketing review to get all the necessary tips to improve your digital marketing to help you increase ecommerce conversions, bringing your restaurant more customers and sales.

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