4 Tips on How to Optimize Your Restaurant’s Website

We live in a digitally-driven world and a significant portion of a business’s success is dependent on its online presence. For restaurants, this is mostly about having a website that is engaging and optimized for search. While we aren’t discounting the power of word of mouth, a website without the TLC it deserves can lead to missed customer opportunities. If you’re not quite sure how to go about optimizing your site, we’ve compiled a list of easy yet effective website optimization tips that can catapult your restaurant’s online presence to new heights.

1. It’s All About the Domain

Your website domain name is an important factor that contributes to how memorable and effective your website is. While you may think that choosing a clever and highly creative domain name will make it memorable, that does quite the opposite. Keep it as close to your restaurant name as possible. Skip any hyphens or underscores and make it quick & catchy. If possible, try to incorporate keywords that a potential customer may type into a search engine when looking for the style of food you serve. For example, if your restaurant’s name is Charlie’s Barbeque Grill, consider a domain name like CharliesBBQgrill.com

2. Let Your Images be Your Marketing

While every website should strive to feature high-resolution and striking imagery, this is especially important for restaurant websites. Think of every image on your site as a mini advertisement for your menu. High-resolution and up-close images of your mouth-watering dishes can drive traffic from your site to your front door!

3. Optimize Your Online Menu for Mobile

While your entire website should be optimized for mobile, this is especially vital for your online menu. The majority of your mobile customers are usually on the go. This means that they are most likely diving straight into your menu before any other page. Nothing will prompt a user to move on to the next faster than a menu that they can’t properly view. Ensure that your online menu is descriptive, easy to read, visually-striking and most importantly, optimized for mobile.

4. Be Search Friendly

Keywords, keywords and more keywords – your potential customers won’t find you unless your website is optimized with target keywords. After determining which keywords your customers will type into their search engine and which keywords you would like to rank for, expertly insert them into your website copy (effective keywords for restaurants are food types, styles and locations). Digital real estate that holds the most power from a search perspective are page titles, meta descriptions and headlines. However, be careful not to overdo it! Insert keywords in a natural fashion that flows with the voice and tone of your site.
If your restaurant doesn’t have a website at all, all is not lost – there are many alternative options for establishing a web presence. ChowNow is an easy & effective online ordering solution that can build you a simple site via SquareSpace that not only gives your restaurant an internet home but is also geared toward driving online orders. If you’re looking to take your restaurant business to the next level, learn how ChowNow can meet your website and online ordering needs.