Owning any service business is a huge challenge, but a restaurant is especially so. You probably have already learned that in the twenty-first century, you need to have be on the Internet. However, you are already so busy; have you truly considered all the ways in which you might maximize the benefit you get from your online property?

Make your advertising work together: The online world is rather inexpensive once you have your site planned, built and published. Therefore, it is a good idea to use your other, more expensive, forms of business promotion in a way that complements your restaurant’s online presence. Feature your web address in all of your radio, television and print advertising. Make sure that the URL is also added to your business cards. Think how much your website can say about your establishment when you compare it to a thirty second TV ad, a quarter page in the newspaper or even an entire billboard.

Menu display: Be sure to include your full menu, and update it online whenever it changes in the restaurant. Make sure the design makes it easy to update with your daily specials. The design should also reflect the style of the dining experience. If you operate a diner, don’t use a formal looking background on your menu page. On the other hand, if your restaurant is known for an elegant setting, the appearance of your web menu should reflect that.

Use attractive pictures: Pictures of the food are fine for cookbooks and boxed macaroni and cheese on the supermarket shelves, but you want your food to speak for itself as your guests eat it. To attract the eyes of your website visitors, you need to show real human beings enjoying their meals and the social experience. Make sure that the pictures include the kinds of people you want as customers, representing the full diversity of your community.~Think about including a reservation form: You might want to add a form for requesting reservations rather than simply providing you website visitors with a phone number. Such a form allows them to act immediately as they are thinking about it. Collect their contact number, and give them a reminder telephone call the day before they are supposed to dine.}

Build an email database: Request the email information of people visiting your web pages and allow the diners in your restaurant to add their addresses as they pay. Use regular email marketing to announce new menu items, offer special coupons or other enticements. You might email a secret word of the week. If they whisper that word to their waitress they receive a free dessert with their dinner or a courtesy visit from the chef.

By all means include testimonials: While an enthusiastic restaurant review from the local newspaper{ or local magazine} is wonderful, most folks also trust what non-journalists have to say. You might want to put these on their own page, but additionally sprinkle some of the more interesting remarks throughout your site.

Everyone in any sector of the service industry needs customers who keep returning over and over. In order to help your diners feel as if they want to patronize your establishment repeatedly, they should feel that they have an ongoing relationship with you and your business. A well planned, efficiently used service business website can help establish that bond. This is particularly important in the restaurant industry, where there is already so much social contact.