Whether it’s for a special get-together or casual bite to eat, most Aussies turn to their smartphones to find new restaurants and read reviews before making their decision. Your restaurant website is a huge asset, helping people find you online. Check out our top considerations for writing your restaurant’s web copy below!
Treat your website as your restaurant’s best spokesperson
Think of your website as your staff member. It has the potential to be your best or worst spokesperson. For example, how would your customers feel if they couldn’t get the answers they wanted, or staff were unresponsive, poorly presented or didn’t express themselves coherently? A poorly designed website can do all of that.
Since your website is often the first interaction potential customers have with your restaurant, make sure it starts off on the right foot. Deliver an all-round great experience by making it easy for customers to get the information they need, understand who you are and complete tasks with ease.
Consider the customer journey
When writing your restaurant website, consider the customer journey. This is like the roadmap of their interactions or experiences with your brand. Put yourself in their shoes. What do your customers want? How can your website create or build upon a positive brand experience? Get the empathetic brain juices flowing with these questions:
- who are you talking to? What do they like and value? (Remember: Your audience is likely to be diverse)
- what information do they want to access?
- is it easy for customers to take the next step (e.g. make a booking or get in contact)?
- does my website cater to people with temporary and permanent physical, mental or cognitive disabilities? (e.g. easy to read for someone with low vision)
- is it easy to complete tasks on the website (e.g. make a booking)?
- how easy is your website to use for someone on their mobile phone?
Don’t fret, it’s OK if you don’t have answers to all these questions! These are just some of the considerations a copywriter or web developer will look at when writing or designing your restaurant’s website. The main takeaway? Understand your customers’ needs and cater to them.
Balance words with tantalising images
You know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Hospitality is a competitive industry, so if you manage to get prospective customers to your website, you want to win them over. While we’re the first to preach the power of good web copy, good images are a restaurant website must-have.
Get their mouths watering with dazzling, vibrant images of your food and facilities throughout your website. By pairing this with your website copy, you can bring to life what makes your restaurant unmissable.
Show me the menu, baby
What’s one of the first things your customers want to see on your website? Your menu. Access to the menu gives people a look at the prices, quality and range of options available. Your menu should be easy to find and access, well-designed and mobile-friendly.
Pass your customers the mic
Garner trust with your audience by letting your customers do some of the talking. Positive customer reviews, such as testimonials and recognisable awards (e.g. Timeout Awards), add credibility to your restaurant’s website. Link your website to your social media channels and consider including an Instagram carousel on your website.
Tell your story
Food is an innately personal thing. It has a unique power to bring people together. We all have a story, and this is what can help your prospective customers create an emotional connection with your restaurant.
When writing your restaurant website, learn how to maximise your homepage and use your about us page to showcase who you are, your values and what makes you different. Your web copy should have a clear tone of voice and be a good representation of what to expect in real life.
Get our winning recipe for web copy success
As a small business owner, we understand you may not have time to do this yourself or know where to start. Our team of professional copywriters offer affordable copywriting packages for small businesses just like yours. Get in touch with our Melbourne-based team today to learn more.