LFTL - Turning Your Website Into a Sales Engine with Aviva Goldfarb
In today’s hyper-competitive restaurant and small business landscape, your website is no longer just a digital brochure - it's one of your most powerful revenue-generating tools. From first impressions to actually booking a reservation or getting an online order, where your website link is placed and how your site functions, looks, and engages visitors can directly impact your bottom line.
In this issue of Lessons From the Line, we talk with Aviva Goldfarb, seasoned strategic marketer, author, and trusted advisor to countless hospitality brands, about how to transform your website into a dynamic sales engine. With practical strategies that drive real-world results, this Q&A is designed to give restaurant owners the tools they need to put their websites to work and watch the returns roll in.
Harmony: You’ve helped many restaurants understand that their websites can and should be used as sales tools. What are the most common website mistakes you see that cost businesses revenue?
Three big points:
Check links: Ahh, so many opportunities for improvement! I just started working with a fantastic high profile restaurant. When I did a marketing assessment, their link on the website to book reservations was a dead link that led nowhere - such a lost opportunity and it doesn’t reflect well on the brand to miss a glaring detail like that. So check those links and put a reminder in your calendar to recheck all links monthly.
Make it easy: Another common misfire is not having the basics on your home page, like address, phone number, and hours for each meal period. Make it easy for people to find you and know when they can visit!
Update menus: Having outdated menus, missing menus, and/or menus without pricing (Yes, that means put your happy hour, dessert, and cocktail menus up too!) is a big miss. So many people look at the menus before deciding where to eat, both for food options and pricing. Update them seasonally, at a minimum.
Harmony: What are the top three things every restaurant website must do well if the goal is to increase sales - whether online or in-person?
One of my clients said “Your website is the most important location of your business”, so treat it that way.
Make booking easy: Put your reservation link and link to order online (if applicable) in the header of your site so it’s easily visible and accessible from every page your guests might visit.
Our eyes eat first: Have high quality professional photos of your food and space to entice guests. For the restaurant photos, it’s best if they’re not showing an empty space - show happy people and a full restaurant, so web visitors can get a sense of the vibe.
Enable gift card purchases: This one is low hanging fruit but so many places miss it–have an easy to find link to purchase gift cards! People love to order gift certificates for restaurants for special occasions and last minute gifts – it’s an easy revenue generator, so make it super easy for them to do.
Harmony: Many restaurants rely heavily on third-party platforms (like delivery apps or Instagram). How should they think about balancing those with their own website?
It’s not an either or. In this challenging business, your website has to be optimized, and so do your profiles on third party platforms, especially Google My Business, but also Yelp and TripAdvisor - if you’re in an area that draws visitors!
Because these platforms invest so much in SEO (search engine optimization) it's likely that more potential guests discover you on one of these platforms than on your own site, so make sure you have good photos, menus, and an accurate and compelling description, and confirm that all the other details listed are accurate. (Please make sure you are also monitoring and responding to those guest reviews).
Tip: Do a search on a couple of different search engines, see where your restaurant comes up, and make sure those listings are correct and optimized!
Harmony: Can you talk about how website links, when placed correctly across social, email, Google, and review platforms, can increase traffic and drive more direct sales?
Owning a restaurant and making it profitable is a never-ending (addressable) challenge, and what I have found with my clients is that it’s not one thing, it’s EVERYTHING. You just can’t afford to miss the basics. Which is why it’s so important to make sure you are picking that low hanging fruit including optimizing your online presence. Not doing so is costing you sales.
Link-In-Bio: On Instagram, take the time to optimize your profile and use a link-in-bio tool with direct links to “Order,” “Reserve,” or “Book an Event”, and “Website”. When a customer can’t easily find your address, hours, menu, not just on your website, but also your Instagram profile, Yelp, and Google, you’re creating friction, and they’re likely going elsewhere.
Email marketing: Email marketing is essential - it has the best ROI, and is so often overlooked. (Yes, I know you don’t like to get too many emails, but that doesn’t mean they don’t work…) Send emails at least once a month (2 - 4 times/month is even better) and Include a clear call-to-action button (e.g., “Reserve Now” or “Place Your Order”) in every email. Email traffic converts 3–5x higher than cold traffic. Monitor results and adjust!
Harmony: What are some low-cost or no-cost updates a restaurant owner can make today that will immediately improve website performance or conversion? We love a to-do list!
Fresh look: Look at your website as if you were a potential first time customer – Is it enticing? What’s missing? Do they know what you’re about? Can they see the food and space and easily book a table or place an order?
Tip: To get some inspiration, look at the websites of 3 - 4 restaurants you admire or consider competitors to see what you might emulate.
Mobile optimization check: View your site on your phone - can you find hours, menu, and reservations in under 5 seconds? If not, fix it.
CTA: Make sure your website has a clear CTA (call to action) such as “Book a Table” or “Order Now”Do the same with your Google profile–are you treating it like a marketing page for your business?
Check links monthly: Check the links on your website and make sure they work! (Reservations, menu, online ordering). If not, you're leaving money on the table.
Harmony: If a business wants to track the ROI of their website investments, what are the most important metrics or tools to monitor?
Here's one tech tool, and one old fashioned one:
Google Analytics: When you’ve mastered the basics above, use Google Analytics monthly to track visits, user behavior, conversions, and traffic sources. You can find so many videos online that will guide you.
Ask customers: Don’t overlook talking to your customers to see where they heard about you and what brought them in, and how they decide which spots to visit–people never seem to mind sharing that information with you (especially if you thank them with a bite or a sip of something you think they’d enjoy) and you can learn a lot from those conversations. For example, Beli is really taking off in the DC area. Are your links accurate there? And when’s the last time you updated your information on your description and menu on your reservation app (i.e. Resy, OpenTable, Tock)?
Your website should be more than something you toss up when you open and never think about again - it should be a proactive member of your sales team. As Aviva makes clear, even small, strategic changes can lead to big returns when it comes to online presence and customer engagement. From simplifying user pathways to leveraging every link for conversion, turning your website into a revenue driver isn’t just possible - it's essential.
For restaurant owners looking to maximize every marketing dollar, good online optimization is one investment that pays dividends. Because in the end, profitability isn’t just about cutting costs, it’s about making your tools, your team, and your technology work smarter.
And if you’re not sure where to start? We highly recommend working with a professional — like Aviva — to conduct a website audit and provide clear, actionable steps to level up your digital presence.