If you own or manage a restaurant in Boynton Beach, or really anywhere in South Florida, then we know you have strong competition. Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, restaurants have had to pivot drastically or sink. All of a sudden, delivery and curbside pick-up have become necessary to exist. Historically restaurants focused on curating a desirable and unique in-person experience. They now have to figure out how to translate to the post-COVID world. How? Well…an upgraded website is the perfect place to start! Here are 5 features that any restaurant should have on their website to curate the best customer experience possible.
Ability to Order Online
In the age of Millennials and Gen-Z, there is nothing more likely to deter a potential customer than requiring them to call in to place an order. If there is an alternative that allows avoiding direct human interaction, you can almost guarantee the younger generations will choose it. Plus, phone orders are time-consuming, limit how many orders can be taken at once, and increase the possibility of errors on the restaurant’s side. Setting up and integrating an online ordering system with your website streamlines the ordering process, increases order capabilities, and – when implemented correctly – improves user experience. For restaurants that can’t handle delivery on their own, or who only want to offer dine-in and pick-up, there are options other than Uber Eats and DoorDash. MenuDrive and Square POS are just a couple of online ordering system alternatives that won’t cut too much into your profit margins and might even boost sales.
Easy to Navigate Menu
No, your online ordering system does not always replace your standard food menu. If you still offer dine-in then you may be looking for a way to make menus safe. The options are:
- Tedious, time-consuming efforts to disinfect menus after every use
- The costly and limiting option of printing single-use paper menus for each customer
- Providing a QR code for customers to access your awesome with an easy-to-navigate online menu
Yeah, we think the 3rd option sounds pretty great too. Although it is good to keep some physical copies on hand, a digital menu can cut down on costs, increase safety, and may even be more enjoyable for customers.
Tantalizing Photos
Do you really want to boost orders? Add professional photos of your dishes to your website. Include them on the homepage, digital menu, and on online ordering system. Photos give customers confidence in your menu and excite them for their upcoming meal. Also, catching a customer while hungry and flashing photos of a juicy burger with crispy sweet potato fries and a fluffy milkshake is a sure-fire way to secure the upsell.
Newsletter Subscription
A restaurant’s website isn’t just a tool to capture new customers, but one to keep them coming back. Include a newsletter subscription option so that you can notify past and potential customers of new special dishes, changes to business operations, deals, and so much more.
Prominent & Accurate Contact Information
Okay, this last “feature” may seem silly, but it is critical. Your phone number should be one of the first things a customer sees when they get to your website. One way to create a negative user experience is to make it difficult for a customer to contact you when they need to. And don’t just make the phone number visible, make it clickable so that it is easy to call when navigating the website on a mobile device.
Don’t forget to also include accurate hours of operation and a contact form or email address. This info should be displayed in the footer and/or on a contact page and need to be kept current at all times.
Why Buzzabait Should Build Your New Website
Our website development team at Buzzbait Consulting has experience integrating a wide array of 3rd party applications with websites, including online ordering. When we help you build a new website for your restaurant business, we ensure that the customer experience is seamless from start to finish. Our team can also provide effective marketing strategies to match – including email marketing, paid advertising, and local SEO optimization.