A web presence is one important part of your marketing toolkit and how you market yourself will become more important as people cut back on spending. David Norris, chief operating officer, Livebookings Network offers top tips on how to make sure your website copy is effective.
Most restaurants these days have some kind of web presence. Diners in the 21st century are researching their social life online and will increasingly continue to do so.
One of the key features of any effective website is how well the copy describing the product(s) does its job.
A well written description can make all the difference between a visitor just ignoring what you have to offer or actually getting excited and interested.
Restaurant websites are selling a product like any other commercial website.
The product in this case is an experience and to evoke an experience requires a masterful use of language. We all know how important it is to get your language right on a menu. Well, your website is just as important.
Combining great copy with beautiful imagery is a proven formula to sell an experience. So, what top tips can a restaurateur use to get copy right?
First of all, here are some basic rules that apply to any website:
1. Keep sentences short
Short sentences are easier to digest. They require less brainpower. Your visitors are one click away from your competitors, so don't make it difficult. If your sentence can be written simply, write it simply.
2. Get the message across quickly
You can get the essence of your communication across in the first few words. Don't make someone read through a whole paragraph to get to the point - they'll won't get that far.
3. Use the words of your audience
Your vocabulary needs to use the words that your readers are familiar with. There are two good reasons for this.
One: it's easier to understand.
Two: these are the words most likely to be typed in by your visitors to Google. If you put these words on your page, your copy will already be on the way to being optimised for search engines. Use Google's keyword suggestion tool to research what words to use.
For search optimisation, be sure to mention the cuisine type (Italian, Chinese, Brasserie etc.), your location/neighbourhood, your chef's name (if he/she is well known), and of course your restaurant name.
4. Keep paragraphs short
A good example of this is the BBC news site. Each paragraph is simple, short and easy to digest. Long paragraphs are just hard work.
5. Use good grammar and spelling
It sounds simple, and it is. I don't claim to be perfect either. I do, however, see sites that lose credibility at the last hurdle with a spelling mistake.
6. Be consistent in your style
By style I mean the way in which you use numbers, abbreviations, dates and terminology. It just makes your site more coherent.
7. DON'T USE UPPER CASE
It's so much easier to read sentence case.
8. Use headings, subheadings and bullet points
This gives your article structure and makes it easy to scan read. Website visitors rarely read every word - they need to be able to scan through quickly and select what copy they feel like engaging with.
David Norris
Chief operating officer, Livebookings Network
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