With literally “too much” information out there for restauranteurs hoping for sound advice on how to narrow down a website design company suited to their needs, finding one can be a daunting task. You own/manage a food service business, you know what to look for when it comes to your industry, but not necessarily that of the online design world. That’s what we’re here for. The SEO Chefs serve not only as providers of site design and template subscriptions, we are here to pass on information about our vertical market so that you as a restauranteur can make a more informed decision when selecting a design/development company. Read further to find out what you need to look out for when preparing to build a new website for your restaurant business.
5 Ways to Identify a Good Website Development Company for Your Restaurant
1. They Can Actually Be Found in Search
See how you found this here article about web design companies for restaurants? This one falls under the proverbial “practice what you preach” and “physician heal thyself” categories. If a design/development firm is any good at what they do then they will know how to put their brand in front of the online eyes of the business owners that they seek to help. If they can’t do so with their own website, then how can they promise to do the same for yours? Talk to your prospective design company and ask them what they themselves are ranking well for. After that conversation, you’ll be able to find the proof in the pudding, or lack thereof, within a few simple online searches.
2. They Have Flexible Options to Meet Your Budget and Goals
The restaurant industry is extremely diverse. Not every restauranteur is looking to fork over $10,000 to build/rebuild their website. In addition, no venue has the same goals in mind for their website. Some are looking to use it to drive a new target demographic to their establishment. Some already have a strong customer base of patrons yet are looking to expand their catering portion of business. Others simply recognize the need to complement their existing offline marketing strategy, understanding that a great looking and functioning website is absolutely expected from the dining public. No matter the reason, the design/development company you choose should be able to accommodate your unique goals under your unique budget.
3. They Understand & Accommodate the Necessity of Optimizing Your Site for Your Mobile Customers
Many web developers will offer basic design for one price, then hit you with a big mark-up to optimize your site for mobile (smartphone/tablet) users. This practice may have been acceptable five years ago when only about 20% of web traffic came from mobile use, but now that we’re above 50% in 2015, mobile website design is nothing less than expected as part of the package. Simply put, there should be no mark-up for this service. Anything less is a disservice. Make sure that when you choose a restaurant web design company that mobile optimization being included within your package/template is a foregone conclusion.
4. They Can Give You a Deadline Range and Stick to It
This is a huge issue with most design firms. They promise that your restaurant website will be complete by an exact date or date range and fail to deliver accordingly. They may indeed have had the best of intentions to do so, but that is not of your concern. The issue, is that their design/development service packaging for restaurants is not scalable. The only way, it seems, to truly stick to the promised date range is when the firm is focused on your vertical market. Thus, if having your website completed by a certain date is absolutely essential, find a company that specializes solely in restaurant website design.
5. They Don’t Publish a Website Without it Being On-Page Optimized for Search Engines
Unlike mobile website design, it should not necessarily be an industry mandate that all design firms include on-page SEO with all published websites. However, only the truly client-conscious design companies will include search engine optimization. And that is the kind of company your are looking for, for your restaurant, right? Of course it is. Reputable design firms simply won’t feel right about building a website for you, or providing a template service to you, without that site being set-up with the SEO basics. If they take pride in their work then they want to ensure that your new site has the best chance at being found by the public searching for eateries in your locale. While your site will need ongoing SEO work to perform well in the future, you will want to make sure the table has been set before you make the decision to add a monthly SEO package to your post-design online marketing strategy.
By following the above five tips when searching for a design/development company for your restaurant website you will have a great shot at an end-product that you are happy with. And in case you were wondering (if we didn’t make it obvious enough) our restaurant website design and template subscription company checks all five of the above boxes (and more). Contact The SEO Chefs if you are ready to transform your online marketing plan into something you can be truly proud of.