Does a Restaurant Need a Website?
November 21, 2009 by admin
Filed under Ask An Expert
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Atlanta Restaurant Exchange asked:
I believe that any business will benefit from having a website. I have worked with internet marketing for many years, and I have seen that people feel like a business has “validity” when they have a website. I do not do this commercially, however it is a passion and hobby of mine. I have created many websites.
One main point is that it should not cost a fortune to have a website. An excellent one page site and maybe a contact page is easy to accomplish. Microsoft Office Live www.officelive.com/ is offering a free domain and hosting for one year, as well as providing an easy way to create your own website without any experience.
Keep it simple is an adage that works well here. People need to only know the vital information about your business. IE: Cuisine, address, contact info, reviews, etc.
There are many ways to promote yourself on the internet. One example is the last restaurant that I owned. Go to google and type in: hot dog charlotte
My place is the first that comes up. City Hot Dogs, or my site www.cityhotdogs.com .. My site is still active, however it tells my friends in Charlotte that I have relocated to Atlanta!
I would be glad to assist anyone who wants to increase their presence on the internet if you currently have a site. Any GRA member is welcome to contact me, and we can meet at my office for 30 minutes and I will provide you with enough information and simple tips to get you started, at no charge! I will provide this information on a personal basis, but not publish it here, because I support the small business folks who are making their living doing this type of work while supporting the restaurant industry.
If you don’t have the time to make your own site, look at the GRA website buyers guide and you will find great resources to create a website for you, and these people can help you optimize your site to be found on the search engines. I would highly suggest that you use one of the GRA partners to do you site. The main thing that you have with these folks is personal contact.
Every day, every restaurant receives solicitation phone calls (especially during lunch hour, don’t they know they are calling a restaurant!!!) and many big companies try to sell you a site for more than 250.00 per month. Once your site is up, their job is done. Spend your money wisely, and preferably with a local designer who knows their stuff (and preferably a supporter of GRA)
So, in summary, Yes, in my experience, a website is important, however, it does not have to cost an arm and a leg!
Doug Marranci
Atlanta Restaurant Exchange
Restaurant Brokers Atlanta Georgia
We sell restaurants in Atlanta and the Atlanta Metro Area
I believe that any business will benefit from having a website. I have worked with internet marketing for many years, and I have seen that people feel like a business has “validity” when they have a website. I do not do this commercially, however it is a passion and hobby of mine. I have created many websites.
One main point is that it should not cost a fortune to have a website. An excellent one page site and maybe a contact page is easy to accomplish. Microsoft Office Live www.officelive.com/ is offering a free domain and hosting for one year, as well as providing an easy way to create your own website without any experience.
Keep it simple is an adage that works well here. People need to only know the vital information about your business. IE: Cuisine, address, contact info, reviews, etc.
There are many ways to promote yourself on the internet. One example is the last restaurant that I owned. Go to google and type in: hot dog charlotte
My place is the first that comes up. City Hot Dogs, or my site www.cityhotdogs.com .. My site is still active, however it tells my friends in Charlotte that I have relocated to Atlanta!
I would be glad to assist anyone who wants to increase their presence on the internet if you currently have a site. Any GRA member is welcome to contact me, and we can meet at my office for 30 minutes and I will provide you with enough information and simple tips to get you started, at no charge! I will provide this information on a personal basis, but not publish it here, because I support the small business folks who are making their living doing this type of work while supporting the restaurant industry.
If you don’t have the time to make your own site, look at the GRA website buyers guide and you will find great resources to create a website for you, and these people can help you optimize your site to be found on the search engines. I would highly suggest that you use one of the GRA partners to do you site. The main thing that you have with these folks is personal contact.
Every day, every restaurant receives solicitation phone calls (especially during lunch hour, don’t they know they are calling a restaurant!!!) and many big companies try to sell you a site for more than 250.00 per month. Once your site is up, their job is done. Spend your money wisely, and preferably with a local designer who knows their stuff (and preferably a supporter of GRA)
So, in summary, Yes, in my experience, a website is important, however, it does not have to cost an arm and a leg!
Doug Marranci
Atlanta Restaurant Exchange
Restaurant Brokers Atlanta Georgia
We sell restaurants in Atlanta and the Atlanta Metro Area
How to Pick a New Restaurant
Andrew Cho asked:
Trying a new restaurant is one of my favorite things to do. Many people I know, however, stick with the same places because of the familiarity factor and they think finding a new restaurant is a daunting task.
With so many choices, where do you start? Here are a few tips to help you expand your dining choices.
1. If you’re starting a restaurant search from scratch, the best way to start is to pick a kind of restaurant. Are you in the mood for pizza, Greek, Chinese, pasta, or tapas? Once you pick this decision, it’s all downhill from here.
2. Use a restaurant review site (Yelp.com, CitySearch.com, Fodors.com, and Zagat.com). These sites will list restaurants by type and offer user reviews to help make your decision.
3. Narrow the search results to account for your price range and location. Review the choices given and pick a restaurant that you think you would enjoy. If you are having a hard time narrowing down your choice to just one place, the best thing to do is just choose once and try the other choices next time!
Notes:
• You can still find some great restaurants even on a budget. Some of my best dining experiences has been at a self-serve restaurant spending $6.50 on a meal.
• Try something new! That’s the whole point of trying a new restaurant. Don’t always order the same menu item at different restaurants. Ask the server what their most popular dishes are.
• If you drink wine, ask for wine recommendations to ensure a great pairing.
Trying a new restaurant is one of my favorite things to do. Many people I know, however, stick with the same places because of the familiarity factor and they think finding a new restaurant is a daunting task.
With so many choices, where do you start? Here are a few tips to help you expand your dining choices.
1. If you’re starting a restaurant search from scratch, the best way to start is to pick a kind of restaurant. Are you in the mood for pizza, Greek, Chinese, pasta, or tapas? Once you pick this decision, it’s all downhill from here.
2. Use a restaurant review site (Yelp.com, CitySearch.com, Fodors.com, and Zagat.com). These sites will list restaurants by type and offer user reviews to help make your decision.
3. Narrow the search results to account for your price range and location. Review the choices given and pick a restaurant that you think you would enjoy. If you are having a hard time narrowing down your choice to just one place, the best thing to do is just choose once and try the other choices next time!
Notes:
• You can still find some great restaurants even on a budget. Some of my best dining experiences has been at a self-serve restaurant spending $6.50 on a meal.
• Try something new! That’s the whole point of trying a new restaurant. Don’t always order the same menu item at different restaurants. Ask the server what their most popular dishes are.
• If you drink wine, ask for wine recommendations to ensure a great pairing.
