Without a doubt, establishing an online presence is essential for attracting customers and increasing credibility. More and more consumers are starting their search online before even stepping out of the house. If your restaurant doesn’t turn up in search results, it’s safe to assume that not many of these customers will turn up in your establishment.

We’ve compiled a list of 5 tips that will help you attract consumers to your website and convert them into customers:

1. Your website needs to be responsive: Smartphones and tablets are quickly taking over as the most frequently used devices for searching online. In fact, research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey found that 81% of consumers have searched for a restaurant on a mobile app and 92% have searched through a web browser. A responsive website allows you to create a site that looks great across all devices – whether it’s on a computer, phone, or tablet, consumers will have an exceptional experience with your establishment.
2. Add amazing images & pictures: Including high-resolution pictures of your most popular meals is a great way of enticing customers to visit your establishment. People tend to eat with their eyes, and providing images of your food gives consumers a sense of what they can expect when they sit down in your restaurant. It’s also important to include pictures of your establishment and staff, as they’re a part of the experience your restaurant provides too. The images of your food, décor, and staff will help customers set their expectations and help them anticipate what type of overall experience they can expect.
3. Make your menu stand out: People love to check out the menu prior to visiting a restaurant. In fact, 80% of consumers want to see a menu before they eat at an establishment, and 70% want to be able to easily read the menu on a mobile device. Menus are the number one thing that consumers look for when they visit your restaurant’s website, and poor usability or hard-to-find information result in a poor user experience. If a customer isn’t able to easily read and access your menu, it’s likely they won’t visit your restaurant either. A recent survey found that 62% of consumers are less likely to choose a restaurant if they can’t read the menu on a mobile device.
4. Integrate your events: One of the best ways to invite consumers to engage with your brand or establishment is to host an event. This can include industry nights, community achievements, special occasions, or charity fundraisers – the sky is the limit! Making your event easily sharable through the use of social media or calendar widgets encourages consumers to invite others and spread the word. Events also have the ability to create a lot of buzz for your brand online as attendees share their pictures and reviews through blogs and social media.
5. Get social media savvy: Which brings me to my last tip – you need to be involved on social media! Channels like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are fantastic tools for building relationships with customers, humanizing your brand, generating awareness, and promoting any events or specials. Social media is an interactive platform that encourages users to become engaged in the community – so it’s the perfect environment for soliciting feedback or providing updates.

The question you might ask yourself after reading these tips is “who has time to do all these things?” As a restaurant owner, you’ve likely taken on multiple roles in order to keep your customers happy and your kitchen running smoothly. Automating as many digital components as possible is a great way to free up some of your time, so finding a platform or service that is robust enough to deliver on your requirements is essential. To learn more about automation platforms, click here.