As a restaurant owner, you know how important it is to have a strong online presence. A website is a great start, but a landing page can take your online marketing efforts to the next level. A landing page is a single web page that appears in response to clicking on a search engine optimized search result or directed link. It can be a “static” page or series of pages on a website. Creating an effective landing page for your restaurant is key to driving more traffic, increasing brand awareness, and boosting sales. In this article, you will learn the essential elements of an impactful landing page and how to put them into action for your restaurant. With some time and effort, you can build a landing page that keeps visitors engaged and converts them into loyal customers.
Choose an Eye-Catching Headline
As a restaurant owner, creating an effective landing page is key to driving more customers to your business. A landing page is optimized to rank highly in search engines and convert visitors into customers. Here are some tips for building a winning landing page for your restaurant:
Choose an Eye-Catching Headline
The headline is the first thing visitors see, so make it compelling. Mention your restaurant name and cuisine to help visitors immediately understand what you offer. For example, “Authentic Italian Cuisine at Luigi’s Trattoria.” Keep it concise, around 6 words or less.
Share High-Quality Photos
Include photos of your food, restaurant interior, staff, and happy customers. Professional photos are best, as they make the biggest impact. Showcase your signature dishes or most popular menu items. Photos allow visitors to visualize what dining at your restaurant would be like.
Highlight Your Key Differentiators
What makes your restaurant unique? Is it a particular cuisine, cooking technique, or dining experience you offer? Call out 2-3 of your key differentiators prominently on the page to give visitors a reason to choose you over competitors. For example, “farm-to-table”, “20 craft beers on tap”, or “waterfront patio seating”.
Include a Clear Call-to-Action
Add buttons or links inviting visitors to make a reservation or order takeout/delivery. For example, “Make a Reservation Now” or “Order Online”. Place these calls-to-action prominently on your page, such as at the top and bottom. Make it as easy as possible for visitors to become customers.
With an eye-catching headline, mouth-watering photos, highlighted differentiators, and a clear call-to-action, you'll have a landing page that converts visitors into loyal customers. Be sure to also include your address, hours of operation, and contact information so visitors have everything they need to pay you a visit.
Keep Your Message Clear and Concise
As a restaurant owner, an effective landing page is key to converting visitors into customers. To create a winning landing page, keep the following points in mind:
- Focus on a single, clear message. Your landing page should convey one primary message or call-to-action to avoid confusing visitors. For a restaurant, this may be encouraging visitors to make a reservation or order takeout. Keep supporting copy concise while highlighting your message.
- Optimize for search engines and mobile devices. Use keywords related to your cuisine and location in your page title, headings, and content. Ensure your landing page is responsive so it displays well on mobile devices. This will improve your search ranking and user experience.
- Include eye-catching visuals. High-quality photos of your food, restaurant interior, and staff help bring your landing page to life. They also make your page more scannable and shareable on social media. For the best results, use authentic images of your actual restaurant.
- Provide clear calls-to-action. Tell visitors exactly what you want them to do, whether it’s making a reservation, ordering takeout, or signing up for your mailing list. Place calls-to-action prominently on your page and make them easy to spot. This could be a large button or link inviting visitors to take the desired action.
- Offer an incentive. Give visitors a reason to take action right away. This could be a discount, promotion, or special offer just for customers who book through your landing page. Incentives encourage visitors to convert before leaving your page.
By following these best practices, you can create an effective landing page that turns visitors into loyal customers. With a clear message, optimized content, visual appeal, strong calls-to-action, and incentives, your landing page will capture attention and drive the results you want.
Include Engaging Visuals
To create an engaging landing page, visual elements are key. Images, graphics, and multimedia can capture attention, convey important information, and bring life to your page.
Include High-Quality Photos
Feature professional photos of your food, staff, restaurant interior, and exterior. Select images that are bright, crisp, and appetizing. For the best results, use photos taken specifically for your website. Stock photos tend to look generic and won’t showcase what makes your restaurant unique.
Add an Eye-Catching Hero Image
A large, bold photo at the top of the page will make a strong first impression. Known as a “hero image,” this photo should highlight your restaurant’s style and atmosphere. For example, you might use an image of your dining room, an artistic shot of one of your signature dishes, or an exterior photo showing your restaurant’s signage and landscaping.
Include Graphics and Icons
Simple graphics, like charts, graphs, or icons, can convey information in a visually compelling way. For example, you might include:
- An icon or graphic representing each cuisine type you offer
- A map showing your location
- A chart highlighting key features like available seating, parking, or price range
Embed a Video (Optional)
If budget and resources allow, consider including a short video. A video can bring your story and brand to life. You might feature your executive chef describing a signature dish, highlight your restaurant’s history and mission, or show diners enjoying their experience. Keep videos under 2 minutes for the best results.
Using visuals and multimedia on your landing page helps to create an immersive experience for visitors. With engaging photos, graphics, and video, you can showcase what makes your restaurant special and leave a lasting impression. An eye-catching, image-rich landing page will capture interest, convey important details, and encourage visitors to dine with you.
Highlight Your Unique Selling Proposition
To create an effective landing page for your restaurant, you must highlight what makes your establishment unique. This is known as your unique selling proposition or USP. Your USP should convey what distinguishes you from competitors and gives customers a compelling reason to dine with you.
Focus on Your Specialty
Do you have a cuisine type you specialize in or are known for? Promote it prominently on your landing page. For example, if you are an award-winning BBQ restaurant, feature mouth-watering photos of your smoked meats and sauces. Emphasize your expertise and experience in BBQ.
Promote Your Atmosphere
If you have an upscale fine dining atmosphere or a fun, family-friendly environment, showcase it on your landing page through visuals and copy. Describe the ambiance in an appealing way. For a casual diner, you might say “Kick back in our retro diner with classic vinyl booths, neon lights and jukebox at every table.” For an upscale restaurant, “Experience a magical evening in our elegant dining room featuring chandeliers, white tablecloths, and live piano music.”
Share Your Accolades
Have you won any awards or been recognized by respected publications? Prominently display them on your landing page. Customer reviews and ratings are also powerful. Feature a few of your best reviews from sites like Yelp or TripAdvisor. These help build credibility and trust in your brand.
Offer an Incentive
Give visitors an incentive to book a reservation or order takeout/delivery from your landing page. You might offer a discount code for 10% off their first meal or a free appetizer with the purchase of two entrees. Limited-time offers create a sense of urgency to act now.
An effective landing page highlights what makes your restaurant special and gives customers compelling reasons to choose you over competitors. Focus on your unique cuisine, atmosphere, awards and incentives to make your landing page a success. With a well-optimized landing page, you'll attract more hungry customers and boost your restaurant's bottom line.
Include Credibility Builders
To build credibility and trust on your landing page, include elements that establish your expertise and authority. Some effective options include:
Testimonials
Feature quotes from satisfied customers raving about their experience at your restaurant. Keep these brief, around 2 sentences, and be sure to include the customer’s name and location. Testimonials from local influencers or media can be particularly impactful.
Awards and Recognition
If your restaurant has won any awards or been featured in media publications, display these prominently on your landing page. Simply listing the names of awards is not very compelling; include images of the actual awards or logos when possible. Mention the year received to demonstrate a proven track record of excellence.
Chef Bios and Credentials
Introduce your executive chef and highlight their culinary background, training, and experience. Any prestigious schools attended or mentors they have worked under in the past help to establish credibility. If your chef has won any notable awards or competitions, be sure to mention these as well.
High-Quality Food Photography
Professional images of your food, cocktails, and restaurant space help visitors visualize the experience of dining at your establishment. Select photos that showcase your style of cuisine and the quality of ingredients. Images should look attractive and appetizing. Include captions that provide dish names and descriptions.
Media Mentions
Has your restaurant been featured in local newspapers, magazines, TV shows, or radio programs? Provide the names of media outlets, dates of coverage, and links to view or listen to coverage when possible. You might also consider embedding video clips or audio files directly on the landing page. Media coverage, especially in well-known publications, lends credibility and social proof that your restaurant is worth visiting.
An effective landing page that converts visitors into customers must establish your credibility and expertise. By including elements like testimonials, awards, chef bios, food photography, and media mentions, you make a compelling case that your restaurant is one worth experiencing. Visitors will have confidence they will receive a high-quality meal and service, leading them to make a reservation.
Offer an Irresistible Incentive
To maximize the effectiveness of your landing page, offer visitors an irresistible incentive to take action. This could be a coupon, discount, or free item that compels them to make a purchase or reservation. Studies show that incentives can increase conversion rates by up to 100% or more.
Coupons and Discounts
Offering a coupon or discount code on your landing page gives visitors an immediate reward for signing up for your email list or booking a table. For example, you might offer “20% off your first meal” or “$10 off when you spend $30 or more.” Be sure to specify any restrictions or expiration dates for the offer.
Free Items or Gifts
Another option is offering visitors a free item or gift, such as a free appetizer or dessert, when they make a purchase over a certain amount. For example, “Free truffle fries when you spend $20 or more” or “Free slice of cheesecake with any entrée.” These types of irresistible freebies will motivate visitors to take the desired action right away.
Limited Time Offers
Creating a sense of urgency by limiting the availability of an offer is a proven way to increase conversion rates. For example, you might say the incentive is only available for the first 50 customers or the next 24 hours. This type of scarcity encourages visitors to act quickly before the opportunity is gone. You can also re-use limited time offers for return visitors to keep them engaged with your landing page.
- Use enticing visuals like photos of the free items or coupons to grab attention
- Keep the offer prominently displayed at the top of the page where visitors will see it first
- Require an email address or other information in exchange for the offer to build your contact list
- Track the success of different offers to determine which ones resonate most with your audience
An irresistible incentive, especially when combined with a sense of urgency, gives visitors a compelling reason to take action on your landing page. With some testing, you can determine the types of offers that will motivate your customers and turn more visitors into loyal guests.
Make It Mobile-Friendly
To ensure your landing page is effective, it must be optimized for mobile devices. According to Google, more than 60% of web traffic now comes from mobile searches. If your landing page is not mobile-friendly, you will miss out on a huge portion of potential customers.
Responsive design
A responsive design automatically adjusts the layout to fit the screen size of any device. This means your landing page will display properly whether viewed on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. A responsive design uses fluid grids, flexible images, and media queries to detect the screen size and orientation and adjust the layout accordingly. This provides an optimal viewing experience for all visitors, no matter what device they are using.
Tap targets
All links and buttons on your mobile landing page should have appropriately sized tap targets, at least 44 pixels by 44 pixels. If tap targets are too small, visitors will have trouble clicking them on a touchscreen. Ensure any call-to-action buttons, phone numbers, email links, and social media icons are large enough to tap easily.
Minimal scrolling
On mobile devices, minimize the need for scrolling whenever possible. Keep your landing page concise by including only essential information and a clear call to action above the fold. Additional details and content can be placed lower on the page for visitors who want to scroll. But key information and the ability to contact or visit your restaurant should be immediately visible without scrolling.
Accelerate load times
A fast loading landing page, especially on mobile, is critical. Studies show that 40% of visitors will abandon a mobile site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Compress images, minimize redirects, cache static content, and remove any unnecessary code to optimize your page speed. Faster load times will lead to higher engagement and conversion rates.
By following these best practices, you can create a mobile-friendly landing page that provides an excellent user experience for visitors on any device. An optimized, responsive design with minimal scrolling, appropriately sized tap targets, and fast load times is key to success. Your mobile customers will appreciate the effort and reward you with more clicks, calls, and reservations.
Include Social Proof
To build trust and social proof on your landing page, include reviews, testimonials, and ratings from your happy customers.
Customer Reviews and Testimonials
Feature authentic reviews and testimonials from your satisfied customers on your landing page. These help to build credibility and trust in your restaurant by showing real people vouching for their positive experiences. Some tips for including reviews:
- Ask customers to leave reviews on sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor or Google and then embed a few of the best ones on your landing page. Be sure to ask for permission first.
- Interview some of your loyal or long-time customers and ask them a few questions about what they enjoy about your restaurant. Post their responses as testimonials, including their name and photo if possible.
- Keep reviews and testimonials positive and balanced. Mention any consistent praise or highlights of the customer experience.
Star Ratings and Accolades
If your restaurant has been rated or reviewed by any food critics or publications, be sure to prominently display that on your landing page. Any awards or accolades you have won should also be featured. Some examples include:
- Your overall star rating on sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor or Zomato. The higher the better!
- Being named “Best of” or receiving “Editors’ Choice” by restaurant review platforms.
- Winning local “Best Restaurant” awards from media organizations in your city or region.
- Being featured or reviewed in national food and lifestyle publications.
Promoting your ratings, reviews and accolades helps to quickly establish your restaurant as a reputable, high-quality establishment to visitors landing on your page. The social proof provided by your happy customers and third-party experts goes a long way in convincing people to dine with you.
Keep Your Call-to-Action Prominent
As a restaurant owner creating a landing page, keeping your call-to-action prominent is key to driving conversions. Your call-to-action (CTA) is the button or link on your page that prompts visitors to take the next step, whether booking a reservation, joining your mailing list, or purchasing a gift card.
Make your CTA highly visible
Place your CTA front and center on your landing page where visitors can easily see and access it. Use a bold color and large font size to make it stand out. For the best results, position it above the fold so visitors see it as soon as they land on the page.
Keep your message clear and concise
Clearly state what action you want visitors to take, such as “Book Now” or “Make a Reservation.” Use an active verb to convey a sense of urgency. Keep your CTA message short and straightforward.
Drive visitors to take action
Use compelling copy and visuals on your landing page to motivate visitors to click your CTA. Highlight your restaurant’s best features and offerings to spark their interest. Share enticing photos of your food, cocktails, and ambiance. Offer an incentive like a discount or promotion to encourage them to act fast.
Make your CTA easy to click
Ensure your CTA is prominently linked so visitors can easily click it. The link should match the color of the CTA text for visual consistency. Check that the link works properly and directs visitors to the intended next step. For the best user experience, avoid linking to a separate page—have your CTA link trigger a modal or new section on the same page.
Test and optimize
Continuously test different versions of your CTA to determine what resonates most with your visitors. Try different messages, placements, and incentives to optimize your click-through and conversion rates. Make incremental changes and compare the performance of each version to find the winning combination for your landing page.
Keeping these best practices in mind will help you create an effective call-to-action that turns your landing page visitors into customers. Place your CTA prominently, keep your messaging clear, give visitors a reason to act now, ensure your CTA is easy to access, and test different options to optimize your results. An optimized CTA can make a big difference in your landing page’s success.
How create restaurant landing page using Unicorn Platform?
To create a winning landing page for your restaurant using Unicorn Platform, follow these steps:
Choose a template
Select one of Unicorn Platform’s pre-designed templates to build your page. Templates for restaurants include options focused on reservations, online ordering, contact forms, and more. Choose a template suited to your goals for the landing page.
Customize the template
Edit the template by adding your restaurant’s name, logo, images, and brand colors. You can also modify or reorganize page sections as needed. For example, you may want to feature your menu prominently on the page or highlight your restaurant’s story.
Add interactive elements
Include interactive widgets and embeds to engage visitors. Add a reservation widget, online ordering form, contact form, Google Maps embed showing your location, or social media feeds. These elements make it easy for people to take action right from your landing page.
Optimize for mobile
Ensure your landing page is responsive and displays well on mobile devices. Most visitors will view your page on their phones, so a mobile-optimized design is critical. Unicorn Platform’s templates are built to be fully responsive.
Promote your page
Drive traffic to your new landing page through search engine optimization, social media, email marketing, and advertising. Build links to your page and use targeted keywords related to your restaurant and location to improve search ranking. Promote the page on social platforms where your customers are active.
Analyze and improve
Review analytics for your landing page to see how visitors are interacting with it and where you can make improvements. Look at metrics like page views, time on page, and conversion rates. Make changes to the content, design, or interactive elements on your page to optimize the experience for your visitors. Continually improving your landing page will lead to more reservations, orders, and new customers for your restaurant.
Conclusion
In conclusion, creating an effective landing page for your restaurant is well worth the investment of your time and resources. By focusing on a clean design, compelling copy, high-quality images, and a clear call-to-action, you can craft a landing page that converts visitors into customers and drives more business to your restaurant. Optimizing your landing page for search engines and promoting it through social media and email marketing are also key to increasing traffic and maximizing its impact. With some strategic planning and effort, a customized landing page can become one of your most powerful marketing tools for boosting brand awareness, engaging your audience, and boosting your bottom line. The rewards of increased customer loyalty, word-of-mouth promotion, and long-term success will make all your work worthwhile.
