Many amateurs wonder why they need a restaurant website to flourish. Little do they know that the major source of customer flow and earnings in the 21st century is online marketing and website development.
A good business website is what everything is based on. It would soon be your place where you will be building bonds with customers and getting future clients. With a restaurant website, you get unlimited opportunities to make a constant and uninterrupted flow of customers. Thus, it is vital to invest in your restaurant website.
The Cost of a Restaurant Website
You can also read SuperbWebsiteBuilders‘ guide available online to get started. But before that, you must know the average amount you need to invest in your website.
If you are hiring any professional to create your website, then on average, it may cost you between $3,000 and $15,000. It can cost less if you are doing it on your own. Besides this, the cost of a restaurant website depends on many other factors as well. These include:
1. Platform
If you are tight on budget but have website development skills, then you can even design it for $4. The cost largely varies and mainly depends on the platform you are choosing for your website. The most popular ones and worth trying are:
- WordPress
WordPress is the most popular yet affordable one. The basic features of WordPress are free for everyone. However, its special features that include premium themes, plugins, SSL certificates, and web hosting, require a few dollars that are worth investing in. It can range from $20 to $200.
- Wix
Wix, a SaaS platform, offers HTML5 websites and mobile sites development at a reasonable price. It offers multiple packages ranging from $4 to $15 per month and a 14-day money-back guarantee in case of any dissatisfaction.
- Squarespace
Squarespace, like Wix, is a SaaS platform, which offers modern templates from $18 to $40 per month. It also includes a 14-day money-back guarantee and a free trial with 24/7 customer support.
2. Domain Name and Web Hosting
The domain name, in simple words, is the website link people use to access your site. You need to give a certain amount to the domain registrar to purchase your domain name. The charge depends upon the domain name you go for.
A web host allows your site to take space and get recognized on the internet. It is important first to determine your space needs and budget before you go buying a web host.
3. SSL Certificate Charges
You do not want your customers to freak out and get their information leaked. Since you are trying to build a restaurant website, it is crucial to invest in an SSL certificate to keep your customers’ data protected. It would encrypt all the sensitive information, including credit card details and telephone numbers.
4. Design and Accessibility
Your restaurant should be mobile as well as desktop reachable. Even though this would add to the cost, it is a one-time expense to make your website responsive that is worth it. The template of your site should be simple yet eye-catchy to let users stay on the hook. To complete the look, do not forget to mention your contact details, operational hours, and testimonials.
5. Additional Expenses
The above-mentioned features are the basics you must invest in to set a perfect restaurant website. However, with some advanced features, you can grab more customer attention and make your site known. These are:
- SEO Expenses
SEO is a basic requirement to grow and flourish your rank on the search engine. Google keeps on updating its policies, and therefore, the owner needs to keep up with the pace. Opting for some good SEO strategies would help you to improve your position among other local restaurants and increase the turnover.
SEO is not easy, and thus, you need to devote time to it to understand and update your content on and off. A smart approach is to hire an SEO expert as soon as your site goes live so that he can optimize your website and keep a check on it.
- Quality Content
Good quality and dynamic content are extremely important to give your site a boost and get it ranked. You may hire any copywriter to create an exemplary copy for your site that could clear your brand concept to the public and increase your reach.
Eye-catchy images of your restaurant decor and appealing food are a cherry on the top to pull customers to your restaurant. Other factors that you must consider are:
- Chef’s Story
One popular marketing strategy is to share the chef or the team’s story. Behind every successful restaurant, there is a great team. A smart way is to highlight your achievements and milestones with picturesque images.
If you are serving cocktails, talk about the bartender with the image of his special cocktail or chef with his famous dish.
- Reservations
People, as a matter of fact, always go for hassle-free solutions. Your website’s users should be able to make quick reservations. To do that, you should mention the addresses of all your restaurant branches along with their respective phone numbers.
That way, users would have a choice to make reservations online or on call. Also, don’t forget to mention your operational hours along with the dining services.
- Menu
Your menu should be readable and laid down in a way that users could easily differentiate between lunch deals, brunch, or happy hour. A smart way is to allow people to download the menu in pdfs as this can increase the possibility of people sharing it with their friends. There are a few apps like Menu Maker as well to help you out on
- Dining Options
If your restaurant offers private dining, then make sure to dedicate half a page to it, adding pictures to attract customers and enhance your reach.
Final Thoughts
Developing a website to boost your restaurant reputation and growth is not a piece of cake. It needs time, money, and devotion.
In a nutshell, the total cost of building a restaurant site depends on the number of features you add, the platform you choose, and most importantly, if you hire a professional or not. The site needs constant maintenance and upgrading to better communicate with people about the brand.