As a business, it is important to have the best presence possible online. Your website should look sharp, work hard to brand your organization, and sell your product.
Many restaurants handle this part well, and then struggle with another critically important area—their menu. A picture is so important. People may not realize they want that juicy burger or fresh salad until they have a visual for what they look like. Done right, and it can make your customers’ mouths water.
This is not a new realization. Restaurants came to terms with the need for professional food photography for their table menus a long time ago. They began showing their customers photographs of the food to make the experience more appealing overall. This gives customers more control over the experience. It gives them a better idea of what they are about to order.
Instead of linking to a simple PDF file on their website, restaurants should give their online customers the same courtesy they would give someone who came in. They need to show them the food. This is true for all restaurants, but especially true for those with an online ordering feature. Customers need to base their decision on more than a line of text.
Restaurants should be using standard HTML pages for their menu, with images of their food. The menu should have the same look and branded feel as the rest of the site.
People are making their food decisions online. They are looking for their city or neighborhood hot spots. The online field for websites is growing crowded, and they are heavily trafficked.
Keeping the brand and feel of the site on the menu pages is the way to grab your customers’ attention. The most successful online retail stores utilize this tactic down to the product description pages. That way there is never a question of the intent of the site, and they can keep customers engaged.
It will benefit restaurants to utilize the same strategy.
We know restaurant owners are busy! If you need a bit of help with your web design and digital marketing, our Chicago design company will help you every step of the way. Contact us for a free consultation!