The Importance of Mobile Websites for Restaurants

The Internet has changed the world. Nothing is exactly the same because of the Internet. Newspapers are thin, anemic looking packets of paper on newsstands compared to what they used to look like. Friends and family can keep in touch around the world thanks to Skype and Facetime. Commerce has changed, and people can order just about anything they desire with just a click of the mouse.  That includes from your restaurant for deliveries when they just feel like staying in. One thing you may be neglecting is having a mobile website for your restaurant that works and looks great on smaller devices. It’s important to have a mobile website for your restaurants.

Why Have a Website?

You may think that since you offer delivery through a website that is not your own, that’s enough to inform others about your restaurant. It’s not. You need a website to inform your regular and potential diners about your business and your restaurant’s brand. A website is great for uploading menus, offering hours and policies, showcasing specials, and other events. It’s a perfect place for someone sitting at home to look at, and think, boy, this restaurant sounds tasty, so I’m going to order some takeout to feed my family and me tonight. It can be a great place for people to decide if they want to make reservations for a special occasion or decide if it’ll be a good place for a meetup after work thanks to your amazing happy hour menu pricing.

Why Have a Mobile Website?

It’s not enough for your restaurant to have a website. You need to have a website that is either mobile or a responsive website design that can handle any device. According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2015, about 68 percent of Americans have smartphones, and about 45 percent have tablets. This means that there’s an increasing chance that they are going to visit your website using a mobile device. Ensure that you have a mobile website makes it easy for anyone to look over your website from any device. A mobile website may be the difference between someone stopping in for drinks and dinner after a long day of shopping because they were able to see your menu or them heading somewhere else. They can check your website while they are on the go easily, and see what they can expect from your website. Think about how you may get customers driving through the area from other areas that stop by thanks to your website. It can also help you when it comes to takeout and delivery orders for someone after getting home from work as they can easily check their phone without having to fire up their computer.

How to Test Your Website

If you already have a website, you may wonder how it looks on different devices. There’s a very easy way that you can test your website to see how responsive it is for devices and how it looks. Pull the URL up on your phone, tablet, and other devices that you have access to as this will give you a real look at what your customers see on their devices. You may even want to ask your staff, friends, or family to see how it looks on their devices. This can give an idea of how it looks, and whether or not any changes need to be made to make it more user-friendly. Google also has a tool to test your website as it could impact your ranking not to have a website that is mobile friendly.

What to Have on Your Website

There are a number of things that you should consider putting on your website. Think about any of the phone calls that your staff gets as this is all information you should have online. Things like your menu, specials, hours and other policies should all be easy for your online visitors to find. Offer reviews or links to review websites to make it easy for potential diners to see how others have enjoyed your meals. Link to your social media accounts to make it easy for pleased customers to follow your business. You can also have links to your online ordering, catering menus, and reservation service. You may want to tell people about how far away your restaurant is willing to deliver orders, and whether or not there is a surcharge. Another great option to have on your website is a map widget that shows people where your restaurant is located and gives them the option to get driving directions. Basically, you want to make it easy for potential customers to find everything they need to make a decision to stop by or order in.

The time is now to either upgrade your current website to be mobile friendly or get a responsive website today if you don’t already have one. There are some huge benefits to be had for

making it easy to access information about your restaurant. It can be a huge draw for someone thinking of coming in while they are out and about in your local area as well as someone sitting at home thinking of ordering a meal to relax in front of the television for a night in.

Contact us today about how we can help you with your online ordering, website, and marketing.