Any business knows that to get ahead in this modern world, you need to have a website. A website is the place that you provide information on yourself, promote yourself, even sell your product or service. For restaurants, their website is there to entice people to come and eat with them. It is their chance to showcase their abilities and make sure that their customers know more about what they have to offer.

Whilst a restaurant will rely on delicious food and great service to keep customers coming back for more, having a great website is going to make a big difference in whether or not they get the customers coming in the first place.

So, with this in mind, we have put together some of the essential components to keep in mind when putting together a restaurant website.

You need to be mobile friendly

When you are out and about and you need to find somewhere to eat, then chances are that you will use your phone to find somewhere to go. This means that it is hugely important that your restaurant website is mobile friendly. Being easy to navigate and view on a website is one of the key factors in bringing trade to you and as it is not too tricky to get right thanks to responsive web design, there is no excuse for not having this as part of your website set up.

You need to have an online booking system

Say a customer comes across your website when looking for somewhere to eat with friends or family. If they have to call and make a booking then they might forget, or call at a time when your restaurant isn’t open, losing you the booking. Having an online booking system on your website is a great way to combat this. Not only does it mean that a customer can book there and then on the website, but it also means that you don’t have to worry about whether your phone line is being monitored all of the time.

A menu

Sounds simple, but having a copy of the menu on your website is really important. This shows the customer what type of food that you can cook for them, and will often help in them making a decision on whether to book or not. Don’t forget to make it clear whether you offer children’s meal or can cater for those with dietary requirements, as these are often big considerations when making a booking for somewhere to eat.

Make sure it is easy to change

There is a good chance that things will change within your restaurant on a regular basis. Deals, promotions, events, even the menu itself. These can all move with the seasons. The last thing you will want is a website that take ages to make amendments on. Instead make sure that the user interface is easy enough to use and that any changes can be done in no time at all.

The quality of your website can have a huge impact on how well your restaurant performs, which means that it is something that you should definitely be paying attention to.