What should be on a cocktail bar’s website?

Group Of Female Friends Enjoying Night Out At Rooftop cocktail bar

Having an effective website for your cocktail bar is vital in increasing brand awareness and giving potential customers more information about your cocktail bar. Website builders such as Go Sitebuilder will allow you to create a professional website with simple templates and a range of features you can customise. 

Creating a website can be daunting as there are so many different options regarding navigation, web design and content. Therefore, when creating a website you must consider some key aspects. In this blog we are going to outline what you should include in a cocktail bar’s website! 

Information on your cocktail creations 

Whether you have a set cocktail menu or one that changes regularly, having a menu on your website is incredibly important. There are a couple of ways you could create a menu:

  • Either write a menu on one of the pages on your website
  • Or create a separate file that you can attach to a webpage. If you are looking for an easy way to create a pdf menu then check out the templates for cocktail bar menus on Canva for some inspiration. 

Generally try to think about the following factors when designing your menu:

  • The colour scheme – does the design fit with your website and brand image?
  • Use of images – do you want to use photographs or infographics to enhance your menu?
  • Font choice – ensure this is in keeping with the rest of your web design.
  • Can you use the same menu in your bar as on your website? This gives continuity and makes the customer experience easier. 

Stunning photographs 

The best way to market your cocktail creations is to have beautiful photographs. Try to have a range of photographs, some which focus on individual cocktails and some which show the atmosphere and decor of your bar. With each photograph ensure to include a caption, especially if the photo is of one specific cocktail so that visitors know which drink they are looking at. 

Images can help portray your brand image as well as boosting visitor numbers to your website; if you want to find out more about how you can use images to get your website noticed, check out our blog post on how images can enhance your website. Also ensure you link any social media accounts to your website, but make sure the photographs you post on social media are also high quality and in keeping with your brand. 

Key information 

Having a beautiful website doesn’t mean much for your business if it doesn’t have the vital information that visitors need in order to find your bar in person. When you are creating your website ensure to have a page dedicated to key information such as:

  • Contact information – phone number, email address etc.
  • Location – an address and a Google maps link (many website builders have this as a feature you can add.)
  • Opening times – ensure to include any special times such as bank holidays.

Many websites will have this information in a footer at the bottom of the website but having the information on a separate page is useful as well.

Special events 

Another aspect you may want to consider for your cocktail website is having a section on unique experiences or aspects of your business. This may be in the form of:

  • Cocktail masterclasses 
  • Hen or stag parties 
  • Themed nights
  • Music nights 
  • Guest Mixologists 
  • Being part of an event or festival 

However, you choose to differentiate your business, having a unique selling point can be a great way to separate yourself from the crowd. 

What makes your bar stand out from the rest

When a visitor is looking at your website is there a unique part of your bar that stands out? If not that needs to change! With many cocktail bars in competition with each other having a unique selling point is vital. Take a look at these Unique Bars in London for inspiration. 

Some bars focus on their decor or theme. For example, the Alchemist cocktail bars have a clear theme on mystical creation and a black and gold colour scheme that is clear throughout their website.

Others may focus on particular cocktail Mixologists that they have in their team. For example the cocktail bar White Lyan’s selling point is master Mixologist “Mr Lyan”.

Whatever your main selling point is, ensure that visitors can clearly see this on your website and can find out as much information as possible. 

If you need a great website builder to create your cocktail website, then look no further than Go Sitebuilder. With a wide range of features such as an image editor and the ability to add your menu to your website, our simple website builder design means you can have a professional looking website up and running in minutes. Try our 14-day free trial today!

The importance of localised SEO for restaurants

Modern office researching the importance of localised SEO for restaurants

You’ve perfected the interior design, you’ve tweaked the menu until you’re happy with it and your staff is ready to go. But how are you going to get the new customers you need for your restaurant to thrive? We’re going to look at how you can use Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to help your restaurant’s website get noticed with people in your local area. Local SEO can increase your brand reputation, drive more customers to your restaurant, provide cost-effective marketing and increase customer engagement!

What is local SEO?

SEO is a way of applying elements to your website that makes it easier for search engines to index and rank it. This means that robots scan your website and decide what it is trying to do or sell. If it seems relevant or useful to people the robots will push your website up the search engine results so it gets noticed by more people. You can do this in multiple ways, using keyword implementation, optimising your web design, or using a good website builder with some SEO techniques built in. 

This is fine if you have a company that is global or national, but if you have a geographically specific company like a restaurant or a bar, then it doesn’t matter if your restaurant is the first result on Google in the Marshall Islands; that isn’t going to get you any more customers. Instead, you want to use local seo techniques to make sure people in your area are more likely to see your restaurant’s website.

Think about when you’re looking for a new restaurant in your area – what do you search for? If you’re anything like us, it will be something along the lines of “restaurants near me”. Let’s look at how you can make sure your restaurant is one of the first results they see.

Set up a Google My Business page

Google is the most used search engine and it is very adept at showing people what they are looking for close to where they are. This is due to the fact that many companies have a Google My Business page, which means they show up on Google Search and Google Maps as a certified business. 

When creating your Google My Business page, be aware that this is likely to be the first thing a potential customer will see of your restaurant. Choose high quality pictures – of your restaurant and your food – and add a description of what you offer. Make sure all the information you include is up to date, especially the address, opening hours and phone number. 

Use your social media pages

Social media is an important marketing tool for local businesses. You can use beautiful images to showcase your food and restaurant, publicize offers and discounts, and drive engagement with your potential customers. Make sure in each account you have your website address, physical address and phone number to make sure they can contact you. 

Publish your menu on your website

How many times have you visited a restaurant’s web page and there isn’t a menu to peruse? Don’t be that restaurant. Typically people search for the menu when they’ve decided on a specific restaurant, so if you can take them to your website immediately and show them a well-designed menu then you are likely to increase your conversion rate. 

Make sure your site is mobile friendly

The vast majority of people searching for restaurants will be using a mobile device when they are already out and about in a certain area. If your website isn’t optimised for mobile usage then people are likely to quickly lose patience and choose another option. In fact, Google ranks responsive websites higher, so make sure you choose a website builder like Go Sitebuilder that ensures that your website can be used across desktops, tablets and mobile devices. 

Get local citations

A local citation is anywhere on the internet where a website (that isn’t your own) mentions the name, address and phone number for your business. Google My Business is a great place to start, but consider branching out into other areas like Yelp and Trip Advisor, as well as more local options. Does your area have a local restaurant listing website, or is there an online local magazine that has a section on places to eat in the area? The more places your website and business information shows up on the internet, the better. 

Your restaurant is local, so make sure your SEO is as well! If you’re looking for a website builder to help you create a beautiful web design to show off your restaurant, why not try Go Sitebuilder? We know you’re busy, so we provide pre-made templates custom-made for industries such as restaurants so you can get back to what you do best.

Try our 14 day free trial today and see how a website can help you grow your business!