Restaurant Website Marketing
Although many restaurants have a web site, most of the restaurant sites are really lame, displaying only a couple of photos of their place and posting their phone number for people to make reservations.
This is all good but a web presence should mean much more for restaurateurs than just showing some information.
The latest Internet Usage Statistics (as of June 2008 according to Nielsen//NetRatings) tell us that there are in the US more than 220 million Internet users. This represents a 72.5% of the population and means that most of your customers access or have access to the Internet.
And yet, most of the restaurateurs are doing next to nothing to promote their business online.
A web site is a great vehicle for you to communicate with your existing and potential clients, so why are restaurateurs not using more the internet to do their restaurant online marketing?
There are probably some reasons, including probably the lack of technical knowledge and experience of many restaurant owners. However, having a solid web presence doesn't have to be difficult or complicated.
In my article: "Ten Basic Rules to Have an Effective Restaurant Website" I give you 10 rules that you should follow if you want your site to be useful to your customers while capturing from them the information that you need.
This is all good but a web presence should mean much more for restaurateurs than just showing some information.
The latest Internet Usage Statistics (as of June 2008 according to Nielsen//NetRatings) tell us that there are in the US more than 220 million Internet users. This represents a 72.5% of the population and means that most of your customers access or have access to the Internet.
And yet, most of the restaurateurs are doing next to nothing to promote their business online.
A web site is a great vehicle for you to communicate with your existing and potential clients, so why are restaurateurs not using more the internet to do their restaurant online marketing?
There are probably some reasons, including probably the lack of technical knowledge and experience of many restaurant owners. However, having a solid web presence doesn't have to be difficult or complicated.
In my article: "Ten Basic Rules to Have an Effective Restaurant Website" I give you 10 rules that you should follow if you want your site to be useful to your customers while capturing from them the information that you need.
And remember, your web site should be an extension of your restaurant. It should reflect your vision, your strategy and your values. You don't want people coming to your place with an image from your site, and leaving disappointed because you didn't deliver the dinning experience that they were looking for.
Now let me ask you a question: How comfortable you are with technology? Based on your answer, there are three possibilities for you to create and maintain your website.
Below, I analyze each one in detail and tell you what are the pros and cons for each.
Now let me ask you a question: How comfortable you are with technology? Based on your answer, there are three possibilities for you to create and maintain your website.
Below, I analyze each one in detail and tell you what are the pros and cons for each.
Do-it-Yourself Restaurant Web Site
If you like computers and you can get your way around a PC or a Mac, then this is the best choice for you.
You will have full control over your site and you (or somebody in your team) will be responsible for updating it regularly and maintaining the content fresh.
On the other hand, you will need to dedicate time and have basic knowledge of FTP and Web design.
PROS:
You will have full control over your site and you (or somebody in your team) will be responsible for updating it regularly and maintaining the content fresh.
On the other hand, you will need to dedicate time and have basic knowledge of FTP and Web design.
PROS:
Total control over your site, content, and organization.
Most inexpensive solution since you’ll buy the software only once and you’ll only need to pay for hosting charges (very small yearly fee)
CONS:
Time commitment.
Requires basic knowledge of FTP (to upload the site) and good sense of design
If not properly done, it could be a handicap instead of a marketing asset.
Pre-Made Restaurant Web Site
This is a good compromise between your creating and maintaining your site from scratch, and hiring a full-fledge web company to take care of your restaurant website.
When you hire a service specialized in restaurant’s websites to create your site, and then you become responsible for its maintenance and update, you get the best of both worlds.
PROS:
When you hire a service specialized in restaurant’s websites to create your site, and then you become responsible for its maintenance and update, you get the best of both worlds.
PROS:
You still have control over your restaurant site's and can customize your site's pages, images, and content yourself anytime you want.
You have access to a professionally designed templates and support
You don't need to worry about the technical details of your website (hosting, FTP to the server, adding components, etc.)
This is probably the best balance between control and convenience
CONS:
You must pay a monthly fee to the restaurant web design company
The templates won't be 100% original and unique to your restaurant
Full-Service Restaurant Web Site
If you hate all things technical, or you don't have any free time, but you still recognize the need to have a professional looking restaurant website, then you can hire the services of a professional webmaster (or web design company) specialized in creating restaurant web sites.
This is the most hand-off way to create your own website and you will be working with a professional or company that will take care of everything.
PROS:
This is the most hand-off way to create your own website and you will be working with a professional or company that will take care of everything.
PROS:
A professional website company or webmaster will take care of designing, publishing and maintaining your website
You will need ONLY to provide them with your restaurant information and they will take care of the rest. You don't need to worry about the technical details of your website (hosting, FTP to the server, adding components, etc.).
Your restaurant website will be unique (no pre-made templates) and you'll be able to request any additional features that you want
CONS:
This is the most expensive of the three options (it will cost you from a few hundred to a few thousands dollars to create the site plus an ongoing fee for maintenance)
You will have to rely in the company that designed your site to make changes (although not always, sometimes they allow you to edit the text in the main pages)
You may lose your website if you decide to terminate the contact with the company. I will recommend you to really make clear when you sign the contract that you own the site and the files, and that you will be able to move them into a different host/company if necessary.