Having an effective website for your bar or restaurant can significantly increase your customer base by attracting new visitors to your establishment. The design and content of your website can make a real difference in how your brand is portrayed.
Well designed websites will showcase your food and drinks to the highest standard, enticing customers with beautiful images and informative menus. This blog explores the different features which are key to creating an effective website for your bar or restaurant.
Clear information
Even the most stunning website design is ineffective without clear information on what you are selling. Having clear, informative content is vital in showing your customers the key aspects of your business. There is some information you should consider including:
Menus or Drinks Lists: perhaps the most important aspects to include in your website is the menu or drinks list at your bar or restaurant. If your menu changes daily, then upload a sample menu so that potential customers can see your style of food.
Your services should be your number one selling point, therefore to include a menu on your website allows you to showcase what is unique about your establishment. Ensure the menu is in a format which is easy to download such as a PDF file and that it is high quality.
Contact numbers and booking system: in order for more customers to visit your bar or restaurant you must have your contact options clearly displayed.
If you run a restaurant, it may also be useful to have an online table booking system, this will save you time taking calls to book tables and is more convenient for your customers. Whichever way you get your customers to contact you, make sure there is a requirement for them to input their email. This will allow you to contact them in the future with offers or news regarding your establishment.
Location and opening times: to ensure more customers visit your bar or restaurant you must make sure that they have the information needed to find you. When showing your location it may also be useful to include a Google map link, this is so that customers can see your location in relation to other landmarks or their location.
Another important aspect to include is your opening times. This should be clearly shown along with location and contact numbers. Make sure you include special opening times such as holidays.
Your Spaces: this may be more relevant for larger establishments. Providing information and photographs of different areas in your restaurant or bar is particularly relevant if these spaces can be privately rented out, such as a meeting room or room for a party.
Enticing Images
Having visually appealing images of your restaurant/bar can be a significant factor in encouraging new customers to visit. These images should be well lit and high quality. If the images show food/drink ensure to include a caption as to the name of the dish or drink. This allows customers to visualise your menu.
When choosing your images consider how they show your restaurant or bar. Low lighting and busy scenes can show a bustling sophisticated bar, attracting a young clientele. Whereas bright lights and saturated colours may represent a more relaxed daytime atmosphere, attracting young families.
Social Media
Another way many bars and restaurants show their images is through social media. Creating a platform on sites such as Instagram and Facebook can increase the knowledge of your restaurant or bar. There is also the potential to link your social media platforms to your website. Having a section on your website about your social media platforms and links to them can be an effective marketing tool.
Key aspects to remember when making a social media profile are:
- Images should be high quality
- Captions should be short and relevant
- Hashtags and location can increase the number of people who see your posts
- A relevant username
- Including a link to your website and your location in the description at the top of the page
A Mobile Friendly Website
Designing the perfect website will not gain you many customers if your website is not mobile friendly. With 63% of Google searches happening on a mobile device, you want your website to quickly and easily display the information that they’re looking for, without being clunky or difficult to use. Go Sitebuilder is 100% optimised for mobile devices, and with this feature built-in, we can ensure your website looks good on every device.
If you are looking to build a website for your company, then look no further than Go Sitebuilder! Our simple design means you can have a professional website up and running in minutes, so that your restaurant or bar can start attracting more customers today! Try our 14-day free trial to see what we can offer.