A Business Owner’s Guide to Digital Marketing

Posted on December 27, 2018 by absolute.admin3

The red bubble on your inbox icon reads 52. It’s 7:02 am. Gulping your coffee, you start wading through the email chaos. You clench your mug – half of these emails are ads for digital marketing services. Finding digital marketing help has been on your to-do list for a week, but more options bring more confusion. How do you choose a digital marketing person or team when you don’t know what digital marketing entails? Can digital marketing be done by one person? More importantly, how is digital marketing even defined? Now your head is spinning with questions you don’t know the answers to. Digital marketing efforts will be postponed another day… or five.

We’re often asked, “what’s the difference between regular marketing and digital marketing? and “is digital marketing social media?” so we decided to break it down. The basic definition of digital marketing is: “the marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on the Internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising and any other digital medium.”

The main difference between digital marketing and traditional marketing is, of course, the Internet. Digital marketing is on the rise because it is more measurable, targeted and personable than traditional marketing. However, it’s no surprise that many are unsure about the digital marketing process, the roles that are necessary, and how digital marketing can be utilized for business.

Web Design

Developing a website is not included in digital marketing, but digital marketing activities (when done well) drive traffic to your website. If potential customers are directed to your site and cannot find what they need, the digital marketing practices are useless. It is imperative that your website is fully developed before moving forward with digital marketing, so we always recommend beginning with website design.

In today’s noisy landscape, your website is the first impression, portraying your value to visitors. An informative, eye-catching and easy-to-use website is crucial to any business in defining its brand, connecting with customers and influencing buying decisions. Not only does your website need to be effective on a computer, but it must be equally effective on a cell phone or tablet – this is referred to as responsive web design. Mobile traffic makes up nearly 60 percent of all web traffic, so it is crucial for websites to function on various devices. To learn more about our responsive web design services, click here.

Website Optimization

A website cannot be built and left alone. It takes constant testing, examining and measuring to ensure a website is performing effectively. The goal of website optimization is to convert visitors into customers. This may entail moving features around, changing colors or updating information to cater to different people. Website optimization is a perpetual process of educated experimentation. You can track and compare users’ actions, but preferences and features are constantly changing. By optimizing and updating your website, your online presence will never stagnate. Feel free to read more about our optimizing maintenance services.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

A great website is no use if no one can find it. That’s where SEO comes in. In order for a website to register with search engines like Google, popular keywords must be utilized. The SEO process includes website audits, link building and in-depth keyword analysis to determine which phrases people use when searching for your products or services. SEO requires a trained SEO professional, who sometimes works with the website developer when elemental changes are necessary. Want to read more about SEO? Click here.

SEM (Search Engine Marketing)

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) is the most common form of SEM. PPC is a key-word focused approach used as a form of paid advertising. The advertiser (you) pays the search engine a small fee each time your ad is clicked. When done efficiently, the visit to your website will result in a sale, which outweighs the amount paid to get the consumer there. This form of marketing generates immediate leads and measurable results. If you’re interested in PPC, or other forms of search engine marketing click here.

Display Advertising

Display advertising includes any type of banner ad used on websites, apps or social media that aim to deliver targeted messages. Digital advertising isn’t limited to banner ads, it also includes forms of outdoor advertising. Did you know that digital billboards can tell when it’s raining, and can change the displayed advertisement to fit the forecast? That’s the difference between traditional billboard marketing and digital billboard marketing. Digital marketers utilize ever-changing scenarios and concepts to their benefit – thank you, technology. Display advertising calls for a copywriter and graphic designer.

Social Media Marketing

Social media is no longer just a way to chat with your friends – it’s an opportunity to improve your business. Social media is a powerful digital marketing tactic; posting consistent, relevant content will help build a loyal following. Consumers have daily conversations about your industry. The best way for your company to remain at the center of the conversation is to become a part of the conversation. Social media is a forum for conversations, reviews and trending information, and must be constantly monitored. It’s crucial to know that it’s not all about receiving likes. One person can handle social media marketing, but the best work is done when writers, photographers and graphic designers create content together. There’s a lot to understand about social media. Here’s some more information.

Content Marketing

Businesses are continually finding ways to carve a place in the minds and hearts of consumers. The days of using a catchy jingle or a colorful print ad to capture customers are gone. In our digital age, one of the best ways to build trust among consumers is to offer something of value. Creating content (like blogs or video seminars) that solves a problem, entertains or educates consumers will help your business stand out. The content marketing process usually calls for a videographer/photographer, writer and graphic designer. Read on about our content marketing process.

Email Marketing

While email may be one of the oldest forms of digital communication, it also is one of the highest converting mediums. An effective email marketing strategy can connect you to your audience; email marketing software helps you understand your audience’s response so that you can plan your next marketing move. It’s a good way to ensure that specific audience members are receiving important announcements and opportunities. Email marketing is not as simple as just hitting send, the writing, visuals and flow of information must be well-thought-out. More about email marketing can be found here.

Public Relations & Reputation Management

Public relations focuses on storytelling, persuading and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships on clients’ behalf. The goal is to ensure that your business is being positively discussed by the public – both in person and online. PR professionals work to repair the business’s reputation and mend the repercussions if a business has been negatively impacted. When a business takes a hit, it doesn’t take long before it’s being discussed on the internet, making crisis management a digital concept. PR professionals must repair the digital status by pushing down any negative articles or comments in search rankings. This also entails sending custom messages to all stakeholders. Writers, spokespeople and social media managers may make up a PR team. If you need help managing your reputation, here’s a more in-depth look at our process.

Although we’ve discussed each component of digital marketing as separate, it takes a team of digital communication professionals to work together for consistency and success. Our clients utilize our team of graphic designers, content strategists, videographers, PR professionals, website developers and SEO experts for every digital marketing project. The best digital marketing is done as a team with a goal, tone, strategy and audience in mind.

Do you have a clearer understanding of digital marketing services? If not, give us a call to learn more about how we can help advance your business: (813) 908-6862.

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Phoebe

A recent graduate from the University of Tampa, Phoebe brings an understanding of journalism, PR, advertising & branding to the Absolute team. Her extensive customer service and cross-cultural communication experiences give her insights into various perspectives.

Building A Website for Your Business: Frequently Asked Questions

Posted on October 22, 2018 by absolute.admin3

Building a website for your business, but finding yourself stuck? It’s no simple task. In a world full of websites, (over 1.8 billion), creating a unique and usable website with relevant content can be daunting to even the most tech-savvy. When generating or re-doing a website, there are a variety of elements to consider ranging from user experience to information hierarchy. If this sounds like a bunch of gibberish, you’re not alone.

How many websites do you visit daily? I can’t keep track on two hands. Nielsen reports that American adults spend over 11 hours a day interacting with media, and a quarter of U.S. adults report being online constantly, but we seldom give thought to the logistics behind the screen. How do websites actually work? When it comes to generating a website for your business, do you know the necessary steps to take? Can you tell an effective site from an ineffective one? Our team has 20+ years of experience designing websites, and we’re here to explain what it takes to build an effective website for your business. We’ll also provide you with examples, so you can see the difference between effective and ineffective web pages for yourself.

1. How are websites created?

From a technical point of view, websites consist of software code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) that is rendered by web browsers. Although a website can be written entirely in HTML, most websites today are created using a server-side language such as PHP or a Content Management System (CMS) such as WordPress or Drupal. Some simple websites are created using drag and drop tools such as Wix. However, to create more complex websites, you’ll need a skilled, professional website developer.

As for the actual process of creating websites, this can differ based on who is building the website, their experiences and preferences, the size and complexity of the website, and your budget. Most website development processes can be distilled into three phases: design, development, and deployment.

2. How long does it take to create a website?

This is a pretty common question. Most clients want to know how long the project will take before the project begins. The challenge is that developers often have little information about the project before they are asked this question. Some developers will provide a SWAG (Scientific Wild Ass Guess). This isn’t entirely worthless, because the developer is likely an expert and is basing the estimate on their past experience. However, we do not recommend relying on SWAGs and suggest asking for a second estimate after the design process has been completed.

3. What type of content does my website need?

As every organization is different, so too is every website. Your website content depends on your business and your target audience, however, there are a few pages that every website needs such as a home/landing page, an about page, a contact page, and a product/service page.

Besides the type of pages on your website you need, it is important to have clear calls to action throughout your website. Understanding why a visitor has come to a particular page should help you decide on what kind of calls to action will be most successful.

These are just some basic content considerations. There are hundreds of potential content features to be utilized, from blogs to event calendars, to photo galleries. The more information you give about your business and services, the better. However, the material must be appropriate for your audience and organized deliberately to ensure understanding and accessibility.

4. Why does a website’s structure matter?

Designing a user-friendly website structure is perhaps the most important part of website development. This will positively or negatively affect the overall user experience. Internet surfers typically seek a specific answer or product and may get frustrated if they can’t find what they’re looking for quickly. In fact, users will leave your web page within 10 seconds, unless you clearly communicate your value proposition. This is why it is imperative to optimize the user’s experience by making the content or action they are seeking clear and easy to find. A good user experience means that the customer will stay on your site, and possibly return in the future.

5. What is responsive website design?

Responsive website design changes website appearance based on the device being used to view it. According to Statista, more than 50% of all global web traffic comes from cell phones. Since cell phones are sized differently than desktops and tablets, websites must accommodate varying screen dimensions. Responsive website design does this by shuffling elements around. If done incorrectly, this could negatively affect the user experience from one device to the next. Your site must be programmed to respond to each device so that the user experience stays consistent and straightforward across all mediums.

6. How will my website stand out?

Your site will stand out if it’s easy-to-use, eye-catching, and true to your brand. Forbes recommends to “avoid the natural inclination to make your website about you.” Instead, make it about the consumer/client. Knowing your target audience and how to appeal to them is key in designing a stand-out site. What are your visitors looking for, how can you help them, and what type of content do they enjoy most? Provide users with exactly what they want, and surprise them with material that they don’t even know they want.

7. Should my website be updated?

Technology advances rapidly, so staying aware of the newest updates and trends is necessary to keep your website relevant. Changes in industry and consumer behavior also come into play. By analyzing user patterns and data, it becomes apparent when changes should be made. Our agency re-evaluates & tweaks clients’ sites on a regular basis. We also recommend major updates/site makeovers every two or three years at least.

8. How can I tell if my website is effective?

Regular website maintenance is essential. Developers and marketers must work together to consistently evaluate visitors’ interaction with the site. Are users following through with the call to action? This is known as conversion optimization, and it is the primary way to tell if your website is efficient. For the best outcome, work with a full-service digital marketing agency, so you can discuss goals and implement marketing strategies from the start. This way, the website developer will work directly with the marketers who define objectives and tactics for the site.
Your website is a vital communication tool that must convey your brand’s message effectively. If built, monitored, and maintained well, potential consumers will be more likely to engage with your brand. Check out these examples of website makeovers to see what Absolute can do for you.

A before and after image of Anthony & Partners’ website A before and after image of Taco Bus’ website

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Phoebe

“Siri, what restaurants are near me?” How to break into local SEO for restaurants

Posted on December 29, 2017 by absolute.admin3

Like many restaurateurs, you probably see a lot of new faces in your restaurant every week. But where are all these new diners coming from? Most restaurateurs we have spoken to believe the adage that “the only marketing a restaurant needs to do comes from the kitchen,” and that word-of-mouth is responsible for bringing in most new customers. As catchy as that sounds, it isn’t necessarily so.

Right now, you may be thinking “Who cares how they found us? As long as they come in and eat.” The answer is simple: if you don’t know where your customers are coming from, then you have no hope of controlling how effectively you attract new customers. We have yet to meet a restaurant that didn’t want to attract new customers.

For the past two decades, study after study has demonstrated that the internet has surpassed all other means by which people discover restaurants. If you have not considered how and where your restaurant appears in search results (if it appears at all), you may be losing opportunities to create new customers and increase your local visibility. Local SEO is the marketing tactic that puts your restaurant in front of consumers when they are deciding where to dine.

Are you interested now? Let’s dive in deeper and learn a little more about what trends are driving the need for Local SEO and how to use it to drive more customers to your restaurant.

Why Local SEO is Important

Location, Location, Location

It has long been a restaurant maxim that the three most important decisions when opening a restaurant are location, location, location. Unless you are a destination restaurant, customers will not travel far to visit you. According to Brightlocal, the average time a consumer is willing to spend traveling to get to a restaurant is 17 minutes, which in most cities could represent just a few miles. This means that the majority of your customers are likely in a limited geographical area, or in other words, “local.”

According to research conducted by SinglePlatform, 75 percent of consumers say they frequently choose a restaurant based on local search results.

“Siri, I Want Tacos”

Most local searches are conducted on mobile devices, a trend that has only increased since the release of digital assistants such as Siri, Google, and Bixby. This “voice search” technology allows users to request information and the device searches the internet for the best response. When a user makes a request such as “I want tacos,” the device assumes that the intent is to find nearby taco restaurants. When your customers ask their phones for tacos, does it send them to you or someone else?

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO encompasses several activities aimed at helping businesses promote their products and services to local customers. Whether you are a single restaurant or a multi-location chain, local SEO can help customers find your location at the moment they are most likely making a dining decision.

There are several elements to an effective Local SEO effort, including directories and citations, reviews, website optimization, and local link building.

Directories and Citations

Citations are defined as any online mention of your business name, address, and phone number. You may find citations listed in local business directories, social media platforms, or websites and apps. The purpose of citations is to help users find local businesses in their area. Citations also influence the results you may see on local search engine rankings like Google Maps or Bing Places. For this reason, you should make it a habit to manage your business’ citations to ensure that they’re accurate.

Since the number of citations for your business has an impact on Local SEO, your restaurant locations should be listed on as many local and industry directories as possible. This is easier said than done, as there are typically dozens of directories with new ones emerging almost daily. There are at least 13 core local citation websites in the U.S. that you must be listed on.

Here is a list of just some of the directories for restaurants to be listed in:

Acxiom
Apple Maps
Bing
Citygrid
Facebook
Factual
Foursquare
Infogroup/ExpressUpdate
Localeze
Superpages
Yahoo!*
YP/Superpages
Yelp
Google My Business
TripAdvisor
Allmenus
Urbanspoon/ Zomato
Manta
Indeed
BBB

There are three main ways to perform citation management, manually, semi-automated, and automated. In manual citation management, you manually build and manage your citations. This is extremely time consuming and error prone. For this reason, we do not recommend this approach. Semi-automated citation management occurs when a firm uses an automated service to manage some citations while building and maintaining others manually. This service is provided by a number of vendors and is one we often employ for our clients. Automated citation management is wholly automated by service providers such as Moz Local or Yext. This can be the most cost-effective method of citation management.

If you decide to choose a semi-automated or fully automated local citation service, make sure to ask the service provider what happens should you decide to cancel your service in the future. Some vendors will claim ownership of your citations, which means you will have to go through the process again if you terminate your contract with them.

Optimize your citations

In addition to the number of citations your location may have, it is important and vital that your citations are accurate (and consistent). You should pay special attention to the Name, Address, and Phone (called the NAP), and make sure they are spelled EXACTLY the same way as they are listing on your Google My Business profile. If you fail to remain consistent, it may result in duplicate listings, which could negatively affect your local rankings. This is because Google recognizes it as two different addresses and will believe that you are two different businesses instead of consolidating it into one. You should consider your customer as well, as you want them to easily find you online and know where you’re located. Don’t confuse or frustrate them with multiple listings of your business.

Regardless if you choose the manual, semi-automated or fully automated citation management system, you will always want to maintain consistency with every citation. Optimize each listing with additional information such as business hours, contact information, photographs, and other useful pieces of information to the user. Remember to update the listings frequently, and have a system or process in place should you need to change them.

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews

Did you know that Google will serve restaurant results with the highest reviews and closest proximity in a local search? According to a collection of online review stats by Vendasta, star rating is the number one factor used by consumers to judge a business.

While that may be specifically tied to your rating on your Google My Business page, the more positive reviews across a various number of review websites, the better. Consumers are heavily influenced by online reviews and for a good reason. Quality, frequency, and variation are what customers are looking for. Here are a few stats from Vendasta’s series that are of particular interest to restaurant owners.

92% of consumers read online reviews
88% trust reviews as much as personal recommendations
95% of consumers suspect censorship or faked reviews when they don’t see bad scores

As you can imagine, it’s important to have a system and policy in place for handling customer reviews. For the positive ones, always make sure to thank the reviewer for their input. For negative reviews, always acknowledge them so that your audience can see that you care and are responsive. Next, try to take the conversation offline by directing them to a survey form, email, or phone call, depending on the nature of the complaint. For more information on how to handle negative online reviews, please visit our blog here. (link to how to handle customer complaints)

Is your website optimized?

There are several on-page SEO factors that play a role in helping or hurting your restaurant from ranking locally. Having a footer with your NAP displayed is highly recommended to make sure your contact info is consistent with your online citations. If your business has multiple locations, building a relevant landing page for each of them would be a best practice as well.

As for the specifics on your website, there are some parameters you can edit to get the most local SEO oomph. Let’s imagine that you operate Bernini’s, a fictitious Italian-style pizzeria in Hyde Park in Tampa. We recommend optimizing the following:

Page Title– This is the title of the page that the user will view on Google’s search results. In this case, we’d recommend you change it to something like, “Bernini’s Pizzeria | Authentic Italian Pizza Serving Hyde Park since 1981.” Try to summarize your business with as much information as succinctly as you can, so that the user can understand where you are and what you offer by taking a few seconds to read it.

H1 – This is the main headline of the page, and should describe what the user will find. An appropriate H1 could be, ‘Bernini serves Italian-Style Pizza in the Heart of Hyde Park.’

URL/ Slug – WordPress allows you to edit the slug of a webpage so that you can include keywords as well. You should include the name of your restaurant, in addition to your location. For example, this is the text in the address bar containing the website name, ‘www.berninisitalianpizza/tampa-pizza.’

Page Content – Here you have a blank page to tell the reader (and Google) what your restaurant is all about. Be sure to include your target location, in addition to relevant keywords. You should aim for 300-500 words here, but make sure the content is valuable to the reader.

Meta Description – Under your page title in the search results, you have a snippet of text available to describe what users will find on that given page. In December 2017, Google officially expanded its snippet length from 160 to 230 characters. In your meta description, be sure to provide a brief description of your business, location, at least one important keyword, and a call to action!

Local link building

If you ask any SEO, link building is one of the most important components of a successful SEO strategy. Link building involves acquiring links back (backlinks) to your website from high quality and relevant websites. The more links you receive from trustworthy and authoritative websites, the more trustworthy and authoritative your website will appear. Google’s (and other) search algorithms weigh backlinks very heavily when determining rankings. Since newspapers, magazines, and niche publications are typically both trustworthy and authoritative, receiving backlinks from this sort of publication can help your website rank higher for local searches. You should also reach out to bloggers and writers in your area to be featured on their local blogs and publications. Link building can be a very time consuming endeavor, but it is crucial for increasing your ranking in local search results.

Getting in a local pack can be very challenging, depending on your local competition and your digital marketing efforts to date. However, it’s not impossible. Developing a strategy to improve your restaurant’s local presence is a multi-step journey that takes time and cumulative effort. To get started on a local SEO strategy to boost your restaurant’s local visibility, contact the Tampa local SEO experts at Absolute Marketing Solutions by calling 813-908-6862. We’ll craft a unique digital marketing plan that addresses your business’ objectives and goals.

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Miné Salkin

Miné Salkin is a multimedia producer with a specialty in marketing, tech writing and digital storytelling.

5 New Years’ Resolutions Your Restaurant Should Have

Posted on December 15, 2017 by absolute.admin3

Every year, millions of Americans decide to make a list of ways to improve themselves in the new year. Whether it’s to drop a few pounds, land a dream career, or take a vacation to a bucket list destination, many people have dreams and aspirations.

As a restaurant owner, you’ve probably made a few resolutions in the past. A resolution to make more profit. A resolution to improve customer retention. A resolution to decrease employee turnover. Just like the will to lose weight, the motivation from new year’s resolution starts out strong, but can fizzle out after a few months when we go back to our normal habits and behaviors.

Sounds familiar? You’re not alone. While it’s human nature to always want to improve oneself, some goals need to be broken down into steps to be properly managed and executed.

New Year’s resolutions have a reputation for being hard to keep, but consider how successful your restaurant could be if you set achievable goals and reached them in 2018. At Absolute Marketing Solutions, we’ve worked with clients in the restaurant and hospitality industry achieve their goals that lead to revenue-boosting outcomes. Here are some New Year’s resolutions you should make for your restaurant, and how to nail them.

Improve your website

Does your restaurant order delivery or take out? If so, can guests order on your website? Over 57 percent of guests order from a restaurant online daily, weekly, or monthly. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly or responsive, then you could be sending customers to other restaurants.

Quite often, your website is the first impression that a potential customer has of your restaurant. Mouthwatering photos, detailed contact information, and a good user experience are all ingredients required to make a positive first impression. This is your best chance to encourage them to call, make a reservation, or order online.

>>Related post! To learn more about responsive web design for restaurants, visit our blog about 5 features your restaurant website must have in 2018.

Tidy up your local listings

Local listings are important for restaurant owners because listing mistakes can increase customer frustration and fewer visitors to your restaurant as they can negatively impact your local search rankings. Local listings and directory citations management can be a time-consuming process, so you may wish to enlist the help of an agency to manage it for you. For more information about restaurant listing and citation management, visit our local SEO services page and get a FREE powerlistings test!

Be a better listener

Part of creating a New Year’s resolution is to assess oneself and come to terms with your strengths and weaknesses. No matter how hard you or your staff may work at providing a world-class experience at your restaurant, not every customer will walk away satisfied. Reputation management is an ongoing process of reviewing and replying to your customers’ and critics’ likes and dislikes in a way that shows that your restaurant is a customer-centric brand. You do this by demonstrating a will to resolve problems and a desire to make the customer happy. Analyze the nature of your customers’ comments and sentiments, as it may indicate root issues that need to be addressed. If you need help putting together a reputation management strategy for your restaurant or business, we can help. Learn more about our Tampa reputation management services by visiting our page here.

Help your customers nail their resolutions

The chances are that your customers made resolutions too. Consider making changes to your menu such as offering lunch-sized portions for dinner, offering low-fat or low-carb substitutes for other menu items, and different ways to help your customers curb their caloric intake. Your customers will likely appreciate the flexibility in their ordering options, and it will motivate them to make healthier choices. If you offer smaller portions on your menu, it could also reduce the amount of food waste your establishment produces. As far as we can see, this is a win-win-win situation for everyone!

Partner with another business in your community

As always, you should aim to create meaningful partnerships with related brands in your community to increase brand awareness, and strengthen your position in your city. Let’s consider for a moment that becoming a health-focused restaurant is your business objective, and you want to partner with a local gym to offer discount and benefits for its members. You could create a campaign that rewards your customers with a discount to join that gym, and offer the gym’s patrons a discount at your establishment too. This may allow you to brand yourself as a health-focused eatery and attract a new clientele you otherwise would not have been exposed to.

Whether you need a website facelift, a local SEO audit of your directory listings, or a crash course on reputation management, your restaurant can benefit by paying closer attention to its digital presence. Make 2018 your year and take control of your restaurant’s presence online. Contact the team at Absolute Marketing Solutions today to get started!

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Miné Salkin

Miné Salkin is a multimedia producer with a specialty in marketing, tech writing and digital storytelling.

5 Must-Have Features for your Restaurant’s Website

Posted on November 8, 2017 by absolute.admin3

Restaurants pride themselves on providing a warm environment for visitors to enjoy time with their friends and family while creating meaningful memories over a good meal. While so much time and energy may be devoted to ensuring that your restaurant is pleasant and inviting and your food is of the highest quality, many businesses spend little time or effort ensuring that their restaurant website design has the same effect. Many websites are launched and then neglected, not kept up-to-date, contain superfluous content, and do not engage a visitor. In short, they are uninviting and likely provide a terrible user experience.

If you are a restaurant owner or operate one, you may not realize that your outdated website is hurting your business. Here are Absolute’s 5 Must-Haves for your restaurant website to maximize leads, build customer loyalty, and elevate your brand.

Make it easy for them to contact you

Nothing is more important than making sure your site’s visitors know how to reach you. Prominently list your name, address, and phone number (NAP) on your homepage, footer, and contact pages. As a rule of thumb, offer as many points of contact as possible so that if they search for you, they know exactly how to make a reservation, order online, or ask a question.

If you have a customer looking for your restaurant, don’t frustrate them with poor information layout so that they go somewhere else! If you have a newsletter, you can also offer an opt-in for your customers where they can sign up and collect information on future promotions. In short, make it easy for your customers to get what they’re looking for.

Show off your Menu

Ideally, your menu should be displayed in HTML format so that search engines can index your content, and users can easily read your page on various devices. However, if you are updating your menu often, it can be time-consuming to make the changes. Therefore, we see that many restaurants opt for a PDF version of their menu for the sake of simplicity.

We recommend having both. PDF’s can make the page load more slowly and may be difficult to view on smaller screens. We suggest including your menu as a PDF in case a user wants to download and print your menu for future reference. Always make sure your menu is updated to reflect price changes, the addition or removal of menu items, or any other modifications.

Make Your Website Responsive

Always consider that a significant portion of your audience may be looking for you, or viewing your website, from a mobile or tablet device. In 2015, mobile search exceeded desktop search, so if your website isn’t responsive, it will likely give a poor user experience. Not only can it negatively impact the user’s opinion of your business, but can result in penalization from Google, which gives preferences to mobile-friendly, responsive websites in search results. A study recently found that 60% of consumers will go to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience, so don’t give your potential customers a reason to visit your competitor.

Appealing Visuals

While videos can be a powerful promotional tool for your brand, having a slow loading video start up on autoplay isn’t a best practice. The same goes for background music. Nothing is more annoying than a slow page loading, followed by background music that you can’t turn off or control.

The aesthetics of websites have changed over the years, and while splash pages once created an allure of exclusivity, they won’t provide your user with any other benefit than having to click once more to enter your site.

Instead, use appealing visuals including photographs of your food, restaurant interior, seating arrangements, and visitors to entice future customers into your establishment. Your homepage is the prime opportunity to showcase the ambiance and atmosphere of your restaurant and give the user an impression of your eatery in a few fleeting moments.

Be sure to highlight special offerings, favorite menu items, chef specials, and other pictures to represent your establishment and add tremendous visual flair to your website.

Social Media, Reviews, and Testimonials

Nothing adds more credibility to your restaurant’s website than reviews from real people who have visited your establishment. Indicate your social media channels so that users can follow you, or read more about other people’s experiences. According to Brightlocal, nearly 90% of visitors trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. While there are so many channels, you may wish to choose the ones that work best for your brand. Social media can increase customer retention and advocacy, so don’t neglect to monitor those online properties and ensure that they are consistent with your website and restaurant.

Absolute Marketing Solutions is an award-winning web design company based in Tampa, Florida. We have served over 200+ clients worldwide providing digital strategies to accelerate growth and create new business opportunities. To learn more about our team, visit our page here.

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Content

Search engines, as well as humans, love quality content. With that said, having a place on your restaurant’s website, such as a blog, is an integral part of your overall digital marketing efforts. Be sure to add blog posts, news stories, awards and recognition, and other pieces of relevant information that would benefit your customers. For a free content marketing evaluation, contact the team at Absolute Marketing Solutions today.

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Miné Salkin

Miné Salkin is a multimedia producer with a specialty in marketing, tech writing and digital storytelling.