Guest Blog Post from Judi Knight of New Tricks Web Design
Often People ask us to help their restaurant come up in the search engines. We take a look, but sometimes we cannot do anything to really help it succeed without redoing the site. Sites that are created in Flash or don’t have good navigation just need to be redone where they can start building up organic search. If you own a restaurant and you want to have a successful website there are some “musts”. Here are some of them:
1. Your site must have a branded look. It can be fun and whacky or serious and sedate, but it must look pulled together and appealing.
2. You need your menus on your site so that they can be read and downloaded. Be sure they are up to date so people who come for a particular dish are not disappointed.
3. A printable menu – By offering a printable take-out menu you not only allow people to easily order your food, you also save money on printing and save time on phone calls. PDFs are always nice.
4. Don’t make people think – the website must be simple and easy to use.
5. Include a blog- Use it to post specials and have news of the staff and patrons. Include pictures and videos to promote your restaurant. Blog posts can be pushed out to Twitter and Facebook Fan Pages.
6. Use WordPress to create a website you can edit yourself – As a small, busy business owner you need to be able to make changes to your site by yourself. In this day, if you wait for a web designer to make a change, it is too late and the opportunity to get some word out is over. Usually changes need to be made immediately. You should have that ability.
7. Give clear directions; a map and a picture is nice – Don’t assume that everyone will know where you are located.
8. A Facebook page and a widget on the website - We all know that Facebook can send businesses new clientele. A Facebook widget allows people to see friends that are a fan of your restaurant. This can create trust and send more customers your way. It is also an easy way to promote your restaurant! However, please make sure the widget is visible on your website; don’t put it where no one will see it!
9. An optimized website – Your site should be optimized for the types of food you offer, special dishes, where you are located (in detail), your phone number and of course your business name.
10. Place a visible phone number on every page – If you want people to call you for reservations and questions it should be easy to find your phone number.
You can use a well designed WordPress website as the hub of your social media marketing. Let us know if you need help. Judi Knight- New Tricks
