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Managing any service business is a huge challenge, but running a restaurant is especially so. No one has to tell you that you need to have a website. However, given all that you have to worry about, have you truly considered all the ways in which you might maximize the benefit you receive from your Internet presence?

Cross-promotion: Use your other advertising channels to drive traffic to your restaurant website. Once your website is operational, you will have discovered that it can be an inexpensive and effective means of providing detailed information to your potential customers and your regulars. In your newspaper advertisements, make your URL (web address) prominent. You will find it considerably less expensive to provide details when you are not paying by the column inch. If you have television commercials, keep your URL visible at all times. In a radio ad campaign, grab the listeners first to get them interested, then give them an easy to remember URL twice.

Menu display: Some restaurants choose to display a sampling of their menu selections. Of course, there is no real problem with that. However web space is practically free, so why not include your entire menu. You do not want to omit someone’s favorite entree that could have brought them to your tables. Be certain that the menu pages are designed in a way that allows you to update them any time you actually change your menu. Whether you choose to include the prices will be somewhat determined by the types of diners you are hoping to attract as well as the stability of your prices. If a lot of your selections are impacted by “market prices,” then it might be better to leave all prices off.

Think about including a reservation form: You might want to add a form for requesting reservations rather than simply referring them to 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 scheduled to visit.

Build an email list: Request the email addresses 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.

Definitely encourage and display testimonials: While an enthusiastic restaurant review from the local newspaper{ or local magazine} is unbeatable publicity, most people also trust what non-journalists have to say. You might want to put these on a separate page, but additionally intersperse a few of the more interesting remarks on each page of your site.

All of us 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 dine at your establishment repeatedly, they should feel that they have an ongoing relationship with you and your business. A well designed, 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.

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