How to Increase Restaurant Sales Online: 14 Easy Strategies

With nearly 800,000 restaurants in America today, the competition for every dollar is fierce. Building and optimizing a website provides an additional platform to showcase your brand, engage potential customers and drive more sales.

To take your brand to the next level, I'm here to share some insider tips and tricks that fill seats, boost delivery orders and increase your sales—hitting all three of these is key to your restaurant’s growth. 

So, how do you stay one step ahead of the competition? Today, I’m going to show you 16 simple but effective strategies that you can incorporate into your day-to-day that can help increase your restaurant’s sales.

1. Improve your SEO tactics to boost search visibility  

If I had to identify the single BEST way to boost restaurant sales, I would pick search engine optimization (SEO) because it’s the most effective way to connect to people who are actively searching for what you offer. 

SEO improves your website's visibility and ranking in search engine results pages to attract more organic traffic. With 66% of guests finding new places to eat from Google searches coming from search engines like Google and Yahoo, SEO is vital. 

Here are some quick tips to help beef up your SEO game: 

• Include descriptive keywords about your restaurant: Think about what people might type into Google when they're craving a specific meal. These are your keywords. Sprinkle them naturally throughout your website's content, like in your menu descriptions, blog posts (if you have them) and even your About page.‍
• Mouthwatering meta tags: Meta tags are those little snippets of text that show up when customers search for places to eat. Make them catchy and descriptive, so when people see your restaurant's name and description in their search results, they just can't resist clicking through to your website.‍
• Optimize for local search: Make sure your restaurant’s name, address and phone number are consistent across your website, Google Business Profile and online directories. Include local keywords like your city or neighborhood to attract nearby customers.‍
• Use high-quality images with descriptive alt text: Upload appealing photos of your dishes and dining space, adding descriptive alt text like “grilled salmon with rich lemon butter sauce” to help search engines understand and boost your visibility in image searches.
• ‍Encourage customer reviews: Ask happy customers to leave positive reviews on Google, Yelp and other platforms. Responding to reviews shows you value feedback and can help you improve your local search rankings.

Following the above steps can ensure that when people are looking for a restaurant online, they find and spend their money with you. 

For more of a deep dive into SEO for restaurants, check out this video:

2. Upgrade Your website to make a memorable first impression

Your restaurant's website is the gateway to attracting more customers and getting more sales. You want it to be inviting, easy to navigate and downright irresistible to anyone who stumbles upon it. 

The best restaurant websites will typically include: 

• Individual pages that highlight popular menu items: These dedicated product pages are great for highlighting your items and can increase visibility on Google—driving more sales. 
• An infusion of their brand and personality: Adding your restaurant’s voice and unique touches can make you more memorable, leading to more customers and sales.
• Pop-up CTAs: A call to action, or CTA, is an actionable phrase like “Sign up for our rewards program today!” These are key to attracting more customer clicks on your products, which makes your restaurant more money. ‍
• Drool-worthy images: Photos break up your text, improving the user experience and encouraging them to stay on your page longer. Plus, photos of your food and space will entice people to your doors, helping to increase restaurant sales.

Sprucing up your website's design can turn hungry browsers into loyal customers. Consider using a website builder for restaurants to simplify the process and give you more time with your customers. 

3. Make sure your website loads fast 

Your website’s speed, both on desktop and mobile, is another important ranking factor for SEO. Google likes to see quick websites, and so do users. In fact, 40% of users will give up on a site if it doesn’t load within three seconds.

So, test your website speed using Google’s Page Speed Insights. Type in your site’s URL for a full report on your site’s speed and how to improve it. Some of the fixes may require the help of a web developer.

Common causes of slow load times include:

• Large, uncompressed images
• Excessive use of third-party scripts (like widgets or pop-ups)
• Poor server response times
• Unoptimized code or too many plugins

4. Offer delivery to expand your reach

Meet guests where they are by offering delivery options. Adding delivery options brings your delicious dishes straight to customers' doorsteps. It's super convenient and can really increase your restaurant food delivery sales.

Using a tool like Owner.com for delivery can help you save thousands on delivery fees by cutting out third party fees.

Make sure your website clearly showcases that you offer delivery. Put it at the top of your homepage in a banner or header, so hungry visitors see it immediately.

5. Start a loyalty program to keep customers coming back

If you want to turn your regulars into longtime fans, starting a restaurant loyalty program for your restaurant can help. Here are some tips to cook up a loyalty program that'll have diners lining up at your door: 

• Allow customers to earn points for every purchase, which they can redeem for rewards 
• Add a BOGO program where a customer can order one item and get one for free
• Start a tiered system where customers can accumulate points and unlock new levels that have increasingly more enticing rewards

6. Create engaging content  

Creating engaging content can enhance your website's visibility, attract more visitors and boost sales. I recommend taking a look at your current website and considering adding or upgrading some of these pages:

Menu 

I’m sure you already have your menu on your website. But how? If it’s a PDF, it’s time for an upgrade since reading a PDF on mobile is a pain, requiring users to pinch in and scroll around to read it. 

Include your menu directly on your website so it will be easier for website visitors to read. And it will provide valuable clues to Google indicating that you have a restaurant website.

About 

An About section on a website should introduce yourself and your restaurant’s story to your community. Provide some background about your restaurant, management, chef and menu. For example, do you have any interesting stories about why you decided to start your restaurant? Every restaurant has a story, so use the opportunity to share yours.

You could also use your About space to include some good press that you’ve received. Check out The House of Mac’s “Our Story” page for some inspiration. 

Events 

An event page on your website will provide valuable content to your readers. Post a calendar where you can list things like: 

• Special events
• Live music
• Guest chefs
• Closure dates 
• New menu or food item reveals

Contact information and reservations  

It’s important to have your contact info and reservation links front and center so customers can easily get help or additional information.  

Start with the essentials: 

• Your address
• Email address 
• Phone number
• A direct link to your reservation platform, like OpenTable or Resy.

You can also go a step further by including information about booking private events or press inquiries. A few paragraphs explaining your reservation policy can help reduce phone calls AND add content to your website.

Community involvement 

Does your restaurant support any local or national charities or causes? Why not add a few paragraphs about it to your website? 

You can explain why you chose to work with that charity, as well as how you contribute. Include a link to the charity where people can make their donations.

Information about ingredients and suppliers 

People love to know where their food is coming from. With the cry of “buy local” going up everywhere, it would be great to identify any local farms or suppliers that you work with.  

You can also educate the public about specific, unique ingredients you use. Or you can write about certain regional or unusual dishes on your menu. This is especially informative in ethnic cuisines that many Americans might not be as familiar with.

For example, if you make Colombian food, for example, you could include a page describing the variety of chiles that you use in your cooking.

7. Optimize your menu to make ordering simple and enjoyable

I’m sure you already have your menu on your website, but it may be time to optimize it. For example, PDFs are a pain to read on mobile devices, requiring users to pinch in and scroll around. 

Including your menu directly on your website makes it easier for visitors to read and indicates to Google that you have a restaurant website.

Another way to optimize your menu is to organize it clearly with categories, descriptions, and photos of popular dishes. This helps customers order faster and makes your menu more inviting and personal.

8. Use social media to share your story and attract customers

Engage with your customers on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Share photos of your delicious dishes, respond to comments and messages and encourage happy customers to leave reviews. 

Potential new customers can see this positive feedback and want to come in and try out your dishes for themselves.  Social media signals can also boost your website's SEO.

Our friends over at Somos Oaxaca do an excellent job of this on their Instagram page—they highlight many videos and photos of their food and even provide helpful information like their hours and address to make it easy for customers to find.

9. Offer upsells and addons to enhance the dining experience

Offer upsells and add-ons to your customers. Think about it — adding a side of fries or a dessert to their order can turn a good meal into a great one. Plus, it's a win-win situation — your customers get to indulge, and you get to see those sales numbers climb. So why not tempt their taste buds with some delicious extras? You'll have them coming back for more in no time. If you're looking for some add on ideas, check out the latest food trends for inspo.

So, how do you do this? Consider wrapping this into the checkout step. For example, The Sombrero Tacoria suggests “commonly paired with” items when customers checkout, enticing them to add more items to their current order and providing a prime opportunity for more sales.

Made with Owner.com.

For even more tips, check out my video on how to get more online orders for your restaurant: 

10. Try online restaurant marketing strategies 

Trying out different or new restaurant marketing strategies is like adding a dash of flavor to your dishes — it keeps things interesting and draws in new customers. You can mix things up to bolster sales by:

• Adding text and email marketing that can help remind customers of their loyalty rewards, promotions and new menu items 
• Hosting events like themed nights or live music to offer an experience and create buzz 
• Printing out flyers that advertise your website and delivery options 

11. Sell gift cards to turn guests into brand ambassadors

Selling gift cards is an excellent method for getting customers to keep spending with you. They can also serve as miniature advertisements for your business. Whether they're given as gifts or purchased for personal use, they can help let others know about your brand, which drives future sales. 

Your customers will also tend to spend more than the actual gift cards — and this can lead to a 6% increase in your sales so this is a strategy you can’t pass by. Even SushiMe Roll’n sells gift cards made with Owner.com to help boost their sales:  

12. Run a contest to boost engagement and attract new diners

Running a contest at your restaurant gets people talking and gets your restaurant's name out there. Contests are a smart marketing tactic that should help you prioritize increased sales. Plus, once they're in the door, they might just stick around to enjoy some of your dishes, boosting your sales.

A contest doesn’t have to be complicated. Check out how Metro Pizza offers its customers a chance to win loyalty points by correctly guessing the scores for the Super Bowl game. It’s a fun and easy way for customers to connect with your brand and drive sales.  

How to run a simple restaurant contest:

1. Pick a goal like increasing foot traffic, growing your social media following or promoting a new menu item.
2. Choose an enticing prize like a gift card, free meal or loyalty points.
3. Decide how people will enter, such as via an online form, in-store or via social media. Keep it simple.
4. Promote it through your website, social media, email list and in-store signage to spread the word.‍
5. Pick a winner and announce them publicly, delivering the prize to build trust and encourage future participation.

13. Reach out to local outlets to connect with the community

Does your local news ever do food features? Contact someone in their programming department to pitch a story about your restaurant! Consider reaching out to places like: 

• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Community websites

Whether it's featuring your restaurant in a local food guide, writing a glowing review or covering a special event you're hosting, getting your name out there in the local scene can attract a whole bunch of hungry customers. This is where local SEO can play in too — review and content from local outlets can help you become more seen on Google.  

14. Use influencer marketing to amplify your restaurant's voice

It's crazy how just a smartphone and some social media savvy can turn anyone into a big deal online. But you know what's even crazier? This social media marketing strategycan be a game-changer for restaurants like yours.

Picture this: You reach out to local foodies, bloggers and social media stars and offer them a free meal at your place. In return, they share their experience with their hungry followers. These influencers have serious clout with their audience, so when they give your restaurant a thumbs up, it's like hitting the jackpot.

And here's the best part: their posts and stories create a buzz that gets people talking and, more importantly, heading your way for a mouthwatering meal. 

15. Sell merchandise to promote your brand beyond the table

Consider adding some swag for your restaurant, whether it's branded t-shirts, mugs or even your signature sauces and spices. Selling merch can be a fun way to extend your restaurant's brand beyond the dining table. Customers get to take home a piece of their experience, and you get to boost your sales and spread the word about your awesome eats.

16. Partner with local businesses to cross-promote

Forming partnerships with nearby businesses can be a win-win for everyone involved, and a surprisingly effective way to boost your restaurant’s visibility and sales.

Here’s how it can work:

• Team up with nearby offices to offer lunch discounts or delivery deals to employees.
• Collaborate with local breweries, shops or event spaces for co-hosted events, cross-promotions or pop-ups.
• Get your food in unexpected places—like offering pastries at a coffee shop or snacks at a local gym.

These partnerships help you tap into another business's customer base, build credibility in your community and drive more traffic to your restaurant.

Build a website that drives restaurant sales 

By implementing these strategies and staying tuned in to your customer's needs and preferences, you're not just filling seats; you're creating memorable dining experiences that keep your establishment at the top of everyone's list — and keep them coming back for more. 

To kick off and increase restaurant sales, start by creating an easy-to-use website. With Owner.com’s customer AI-powered restaurant websites, you can increase your digital visibility and connect with customers directly rather than giving all of your sales and customer data to third-party apps.

FAQ

How do you increase restaurant sales? 

Start by getting more people in the door (or on your site) with SEO, social media and great content. Then boost your sales with upsells, delivery and loyalty rewards that keep customers coming back for more.

What makes the most profit in a restaurant?

The real money-makers are usually your drinks, sides and add-ons—especially items that cost little to make but feel like a treat to your customers. Upsell them the right way, and you’re golden.

How do I attract customers to my restaurant? 

Get noticed online with smart local SEO, mouthwatering photos and active social media. Then sweeten the deal with things like influencer visits, promos or events that give people a reason to check you out—and come back again.

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