{"id":173213,"date":"2018-06-25T13:00:25","date_gmt":"2018-06-25T13:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/premium.wpmudev.org\/blog\/?p=173213"},"modified":"2018-06-25T13:31:49","modified_gmt":"2018-06-25T13:31:49","slug":"guide-to-building-restaurant-websites-in-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/guide-to-building-restaurant-websites-in-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"A Quick Guide to Building Restaurant Websites in WordPress"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was recently working on an article about merging a local brick-and-mortar presence with its digital one<\/a>. As I put together my argument, I decided to use local businesses from my area as examples in the article. However, I ran into a problem when I started looking for restaurant websites.<\/p>\n

To start, some of the restaurant websites I found were pretty outdated looking, didn\u2019t function all that well, and weren\u2019t built with WordPress. Then, there were restaurants that had no website at all.<\/p>\n

As a WordPress developer, I can understand why you might be nervous about tackling this particular niche. After all, if restaurateurs are reluctant to spend money on a website, how could this undertaking be profitable for you?<\/p>\n

The key to breaking into this niche and making it profitable for your business is in understanding this industry\u2019s pains and a restaurant\u2019s particular needs when it comes to the web. If you can master these two things, then the rest will come easily to you (since you\u2019re already designing killer websites for everyone else).<\/p>\n

In the following guide to building restaurant websites in WordPress, I\u2019m going to first explain how to pitch<\/em> a website to restaurant clients. Then, I\u2019ll give you some tips on how to quickly and profitably build one of these websites.<\/p>\n

How to Pitch a Website to Restaurant Clients<\/h2>\n

Having worked in the restaurant industry for many years, and still having contacts there, I can tell you that many restaurateurs are wary about making a real investment in a website. In their eyes, it makes more sense to set up a free Facebook business page and Google My Business account and call it a day.<\/p>\n

I get it. Profit margins are really low in the restaurant industry, so it\u2019s not like they have a lot of discretionary funds to spend. According to Toast<\/a>, profit margins can be anywhere from 0% to 15% for a restaurant (15% typically applies to the McDonald\u2019s of the world). The average profit margin, however, is between 3% and 5%. That\u2019s not great.<\/p>\n

As the cost of food and labor rise for the restaurant industry, you\u2019re going to have to find a way to paint the idea of a website in a positive light. The basic argument will be this:<\/p>\n

A website will increase brand awareness online, drive more foot traffic through your doors, and open up new opportunities for revenue.<\/b><\/p>\n

Since that statement won\u2019t be enough to convince them, you need a pitch that addresses all their concerns before they have a chance to air them.<\/p>\n

Here are the points your pitch should cover:<\/p>\n

1. Time<\/h3>\n

\u201cEveryone working in and for your restaurant is busy. If it\u2019s a matter of making the time to do it, don\u2019t worry. I will handle 95% of the project for you.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact, I\u2019ll show you part of the 5% I need from you now.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is when you\u2019ll present them with a pre-made intake form on your WordPress website. Email them the link, but walk them through it while you\u2019re talking to them. Your form should ask for things like:<\/p>\n