It is quite bizarre how many restaurant websites use flash technology. It was quite clear at Restaurant08 during my panel session on the internet with chef Raymond Capaldi, Mark Armstrong from Google, Julia Topliss from Web Prophets that none of us like it (and Google has trouble finding sites with it).
And we’re not the only ones. Social media commentator Laurel Papworth hates it too and finds this quote:
“Flash-based web sites are quite possibly one of the most useful pieces of network technology around. Like heroin or microlights, they ensure that those who think it’s a good idea aren’t around to annoy us for too long.”
Nicely put.
I gather these flash sites cost aver $7,000 a year to run and market, saying nothing of the initial construction costs. But few come up at the top of Google searches and that’s the most important factor in driving traffic to your site. If you web designer advised you to go flash: shoot them
Other tips from the day:
- Personally, I hate music on sites
- Keep it really simple. Over to Laurel again and the usability guy Dr Jakob Nielsen who says:
“Instead of dawdling on websites many users want simply to reach a site quickly, complete a task and leave. Most ignore efforts to make them linger and are suspicious of promotions designed to hold their attention.”
- Join up to and use social sites such as Flickr, Youtube and Facebook.
- Link to like minded food and wine sites and get your suppliers to link to you
- Next month the iphone will change everything making mobile search for eating venues a reality
Sorry I have to go and eat a well-hung pheasant now.
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
A few other things:
List yourself on Google Maps at http://www.google.com/local/add/ – I can’t believe local businesses don’t do this, even ones that spend bucketloads on web advertising. It’s free and when people type in “your business name” and “your location” (e.g. federation square melbourne) you’ll hit the top of Google every time with a fat map square to boot, regardless of the uselessness of your website.
If you publish your menus online, do so in html (like a normal web page) not pdf and as Ed sez, for Christ’s sake, not flash. Date and archive the old ones for posterity. Google-wise, they’re surprisingly good content They’ll capture rarely searched for combinations of terms – the so-called “long tail” – and they’ll be great for a laugh in ten years time.
Good points Phil, And businesses can also publish vouchers, pictures and video on the listing. Google also has a partnership with TrueLocal (part of News Ltd). I’ve also noticed that Tripadvisor.com (as with Fed Sq) seems to have a lot of independent reviews here thanks to being the default restaurant review site on Facebook. I think when the iPhone arrives Google Maps also triangulates position to serve search results relevant to your exact location.
I think Vege2go is a great example of a really good restaurant website – it has the menu (why don’t more places do this?!) and conveys a good sense of what they are about in a simple, accessible way.
http://www.vege2go.com.au/
A good basic site Lisa. Incentives to join up (news & special offers)…why don’t more restaurants have loyalty incentives? The only thing missing is the meat!
How does a non-technical restaurant owner/manager easily and quickly manage the content of a flash site? adding specials, news etc?
I hate flash but sites with music I detest even more. Especially from really bad blogs that blare out cheesy tunes.
Veg2Go ran a great facebook advertising campaign beginning a few weeks before they opened. It was very effective web based advertising. Though unfortunately everyone who I have spoken to who has eaten there hasn’t been particularly enthusiastic about the food.
PS: The up-side of being slightly dyslexic is though I often read (and write) things the wrong way it brings unexpected amusement to my day – such as “I have to go and eat a well hung peasant now”. I hope s/he was tasty! Was that grain fed peasant or free range?
Lisa, it is a nice simple site, the type that could easly be built with one of the free blogging platforms.
Nick, Good point about the flash.
AOF, Shame the food didn’t live up to standard. I’m surprised that I didn’t type that as it’s up to my form. Free range peasant atthe seriously underrated The Point.
What about this tip Ed?
Restaurants, please update information on your websites, especially your menus for crissakes!
I cant beleive how many out of date menus appear on the websites of restaurants that want to be taken seriously. One such place has had three chefs since the one who is still credited with being in charge smiles from the webpage. Its really lazy & sloppy.
I think flash has its use, but it usually annoys the bejeezus out of me, especially when there’s any sort of noise involved. And I vote for no more references of well-hung fowl, have had some wine and the mental images being conjured are disturbing me (o_O)
Gobbler, I want to know about the people behind the restaurant. Who are they? Something interesting. Too many are anonymous as well as out of date.
Ellie, I shouldn’t mention then the coq au vin I was contemplating the other night at Gill’s Diner. It turned out it was made with chicken. The inevitable comment was made to the waiter. I was quite hungry too…
Say hi to that pheasant. While I loathe flash sites, a large number of restaurant sites don’t really need to be searchable, so the googlability issue isn’t so strong an argument. Many people go to these sites because they know what they want from them (typically location, booking or menu of a restaurant whose name they know) so the need for a random consumer finding a site by accident is relatively low. Googling the restaurant name with city usually works for me (though I’m sure there’ll be counter examples).
The primary argument has to be usability, especially for visually impaired visitors and for site owners who should be able to update content at will. Flash sucks.
The pheasant was pleased to hear you asked after him (or her). I’s like to differ. I think all businesses want to be searchable as a casual stumble from a search could win a new customer. I think with the arrival of the iphone mobile search and map search will become very important. A normal punter with friends can search pizza on the corner of Chapel St. The phone will geolocate them and serve up the top local results. Some flash sitesdo SEO well – Bottega seems to be one.
A poorly thought through website can be detrimental to business custom. In the case of restaurants they seem to fly under the radar in terms of emphasis by management resulting in sloppy sites lacking appropriate detail and functionality.
I discuss with my clients the importance of having a strategy behind their online presence, which is something that smaller businesses overlook. Once that is nailed, then the right amount of content comes easily. The look of the site comes last, responding to the strategy, content, marketing and navigation.
SEO (Search Engines Optimisation) is important to any business with a website. Making sure that venue details are correct on sites such as Miettas’, Eatability, My Restaurants and Citysearch, is equally important as they will inevitable rise to the top of search results too.
RSS feeds are usually under-utilised, in favour of spamming customers. Newsletters (Viral marketing)are more cumbersome to web savvy consumers than restaurant news and events accessed by readers.
For restaurants, ease of navigation is as important on their site as is the food porn factor. Flash sites can work but should also include some HTML content to allow for searching and tracking.
I wish all restaurant websites had maps, opening times and whether they are BYO or not. I don’t mind so much if the menu is a little out of date, but I like to look at examples menu items to see what kind of prices are charged. I agree use of Flash is usually overkill.
Flash sites need not be a problem if they are optimized correctly and built to be user friendly – most of the time they are not and restaurants really suffer from this. Seriously when choosing your web designer why would you pick someone whose OWN website doesn’t appear on the first page of (unpaid) Google listings? If they can’t get good search engine listings for their own business they’ve got no chance of getting them for their clients. Also there should be no on-going costs with a website apart from hosting and occasional maintenance. If you are paying $7k a year you are being robbed blind. End rant!
Good point.
Agreed, flash site = stupid client who agrees to buy such rubbish. And more on the social side of things. See my post ‘A social media guide for small business’ at http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/?p=1401