Whether you’re a small business, an established one, or running a restaurant, it is vital to have an online presence.

A website is key no matter what industry you are in since most potential customers will visit your website before making any decisions.

You shouldn’t solely rely on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram as they aren’t as reliable as a personal website and could lose leads and opportunities for your business.

The quality of your website will have a direct impact on the results of traffic and sales and can make or break your business’ ability to generate revenue.

Reasons For A Business Website

• Create Credibility – It is important to stand out in a crowded competitive field. There are other businesses that offer the same product or service so it’s vital to have credibility with a professional and optimized website that shows high-quality content and information to your potential customers.
• Establish Your Brand – You can increase your chances of customers purchasing your product or service by establishing your brand clearly in an engaging way. Showcase who you are and what your story is and you’ll be sure to gain a following.
• Digital Marketing – Having a website is a large part of any overall digital marketing strategy to get leads and grow your business.  It allows you to analyze your site traffic to target customers and get the best ROI on ad creation.
• Organic Traffic – Once you create an SEO-optimized website you increase your chances of ranking high in search engine results. This will then increase your customer base by increasing the number of people navigating to your site.
• Get Leads –  A website will increase the likelihood of getting and collecting leads.  You can increase your sales once consumers discover you online and are interested in what you have to offer.  This direct contact from leads will allow you to send offers and coupons instead of having to pay for ads. Through customer’s interaction with your website to find answers to their questions and needs, you will have a strong ROI despite the cost of creating and maintaining your website.
• Easy Updates – Having a website that is constantly present online makes it easier to post updates and announcements to keep your customer base apprised of any new information or changes to your business that is important to them.  By doing so increases the likelihood of sales and upsetting them.
• Less Customer Service Time – A well-created website that answers your customers’ questions on certain topics will decrease the time and need for customer service calls and interactions.  This will increase your business productivity and help them find whatever information or answers they need.

Reasons For A Restaurant Website

Over two-thirds of diners will visit the website of a restaurant before they eat or order from it and of that group, almost 70% will be discouraged from eating there.

The reasons for this actually include a consumer not enjoying their online experience citing difficulty with site navigation, poor photography of the food, and even the readability of the menu and site offerings.

Therefore it is vital even if you’re in the restaurant business to have an optimized website.

• First Impressions – As previously stated, most customers will go to a restaurant’s website before making a decision so you should make sure your website is optimized to make a good first impression.  It should make an impact by reflecting on your brand and the service you offer.
• Credibility – Your website is your opportunity to convey what sets your restaurant apart from others.  Whether you have awesome deals, the best type of a certain cuisine, or offer unique services it is important to show what makes your place special.  Some things to consider when crafting your message include the customer’s experience once they leave, the atmosphere, what makes you unique compared to competitors, and what dishes your customers love over others.
• Current information – Vital information like your address, menu items, special offers, and hours will be present on a constant basis with a website. Answering the basic questions consumers have about your restaurant decreases the amount of customer service calls and interactions and will also keep your customers in the loop regarding any deals and promotions you might offer.  Your online presence is a big part of the customers’ experience so make sure it provides a good user experience to keep them enthralled.
• Email Lists – Collecting customers’ emails and creating lists of them from your website is by far the easiest way to generate sales and form a loyal customer base.  Sending targeted marketing emails and newsletters to customers keeps your restaurant top in their mind and gives them incentives to dine or order from you.
• Customer Testimonials – Posting customer testimonials, reviews by bloggers, and restaurant reviews from critics from other publications and websites help establish your credibility.
• E-commerce – Time and information management are vital to the quality of delivering perishable goods and reducing food waste.  E-commerce platforms allow busy customers to know when their food is available and when it will be delivered. These online sales portals and apps need to be integrated in order to increase sales and revenue.

Whether you are a regular business or restaurant, make sure to have an engaging optimized website.  It won’t be the last thing you’ll do for yourself and your potential customers, but it definitely should be one of the first.