Menu & Photos a "must have" for a Restaurant's Website

Here are the results from a recent survey of 2,437 diners conducted by The Coyle Hospitality Group.

Consumers Judge the Quality of a Restaurant Based its Website
Sixty-seven percent of those polled indicated that the quality of a restaurant's personal website is indeed an indicator of the level of service they can expect to receive when dining there.

TaDa Tip 1: Make sure your website looks professional. If you don't make a good impression online, you may not get the chance to actually make thir acquaintance.

Menu and Photos are a "must have" for a Restaurant's Website
Two-thirds of those surveyed categorized having a menu on a restaurant's website as a "must have" and "very important." A restaurant having its own web site was also deemed crucial with 86% putting it at or above 'Very Important'. Photos of the dining room were also cited by the majority as at least 'Very Important'.

The data suggests potential diners are seeking to do what actual diners do: They begin by reviewing the menu and looking around the dining room.

Diners, when researching a restaurant online, are seeking hard facts about your menus and pricing. It appears that presenting even a basic website with menus and some photos is a big help. For many diners this is the easiest way to get directions, check hours, and yes, even dial your phone number.

TaDa Tip 2: Your logo shouldn't be the only graphic on your website. Make sure that your website includes at least one photo of the exterior and the interior of your restaurant. Give people a preview of what its like to walk thru your door.

Let Your Customers Speak For You
When those surveyed were asked what influenced them most to dine at a particular restaurant, word of mouth still reigned supreme. It was followed by user reviews, then professional reviews, and finally newspapers. This tells us that diners begin researching based on other diners’ experiences. Whether they are friends, acquaintances or simply others who have dined at the restaurant in question, people are looking for real-life experience to base their dining decisions on - either in person or on the web.

TaDa Tip 3: Include reviews by your customers on the "About Us" page of your website. Potential customers would rather know what other real people have to say about your restaurant then read the chef's bio.