To put your coffeehouse on the map, you’ll need to set up a coffee shop website to drive sales and build a loyal customer base.
Before starting work on your website, it’s important to hone your brand and establish an omnichannel marketing plan. A well-defined brand will help your website feel cohesive and professional, ensuring that customers recognize your coffee shop when they visit in person. Being part of a well-established coffee shop brand also improves your web site’s visibility on search engines like Google.
As part of your marketing plan, you’ll need to establish a robust social media presence and form partnerships with local businesses to raise brand awareness. Providing stellar customer service can propel word-of-mouth advertising.
Having a well-designed website is a crucial marketing component. At least 74% of restaurants have a website and 94% of these websites feature a menu, according to Touch Bistro.
Guide to Building a Website
Here are six steps you need to take to build a coffee shop website that’s effective, informative, and visually appealing:
- Pick a website platform: Start by making a list of what you want your website’s capabilities to be. Will it just provide information about your location and a menu, or do you plan to offer online ordering for pick-up? If your tech knowledge is minimal, picking a platform that’s user-friendly and tailored to a food and beverage business, such as WordPress, can be helpful.
- Design important pages: Your website architecture should include a home page, about page, menu page, and contact page at minimum. If you plan to sell coffee beans, merchandise, or gift cards online, you’ll need an e-commerce page that’s easy for customers to navigate.
- Optimize for searching: To make sure your website appears in search engine results, include location-based keywords and optimize your images. Creating a Google My Business listing will put your business on Google Maps and in local search results.
- Set up online ordering: Time-strapped customers appreciate the convenience of ordering ahead. Many foodservice establishments use third-party sites to ramp up online ordering and delivery. At least 95% of restaurants use one online ordering platform like Uber Eats or DoorDash. However, customers prefer to order through a restaurant’s website or online app, according to Deloitte. You can choose an e-commerce platform for online ordering. To resonate with customers, offer multiple payment options and a simple checkout process.
- Create engaging content: To keep customers engaged and coming back, consider adding a blog or news section to your website. You can share updates about your coffee shop, seasonal menu changes, or interesting stories about your coffee sourcing. You can also use social media to create content, and direct users back to your website (and vice versa) by promoting your social channels on your website for the latest updates.
- Ready, set, go: Before you launch your site, test it on both mobile and desktop platforms. It needs to load quickly and shouldn’t have any broken links or typos.
Join the Beans & Brews Family!
If tackling a website seems overwhelming, Beans & Brews can simplify the process. Partnering with a coffee franchise like Beans & Brews can streamline your efforts. Franchises typically offer pre-established branding guidelines and marketing tools, so you don’t have to start from scratch. The combination of our high-altitude roasted coffee and proprietary systems ensures you have the tools to build a successful coffee business. We provide marketing support, and our franchise team maintains our website and social media accounts.
Operating a proven brand also can help lower your financial risk and give you the support you need to navigate the fast-paced foodservice industry. Get started to learn more about our brand and franchise qualifications. We look forward to hearing from you!