Why Your Restaurant Should Take Online Table Reservations

Your restaurant's website is probably the best marketing tool that it will ever have. More and more people are using the internet to find a restaurant and book a table online. Are you are tapping into this huge and growing market? If not, you are missing out!

Your website's main purpose is to attract as many diners to your restaurant as possible, and should therefore make it easy for people to book a table. Many people like the speed and convenience of online table reservations. Being able to take bookings on your website can therefore increase the number of customers that you attract.

A poll of UK diners has shown that the majority of people prefer to book a restaurant table online, rather than by using the telephone or by other methods. When asked, diners said that main advantage is the ability to make a reservation at any time of day, and also liked the benefits of getting instant confirmation of their reservation, not getting an engaged tone or being put on hold.

Advantages of Online Table Reservations

Of course, it's not just diners who enjoy the advantages of online table reservations. How many times has your telephone rung out and not been answered because you were closed or because you were too busy? Or maybe the potential customer got an engaged tone. With online table reservations you can convert more of your website visitors into bookings by enabling every customer to reserve online at their convenience, even when you are closed!

Fact: Research indicates that 30% of online table reservations are made while the restaurant is closed.

If your restaurant already has a website you are no doubt using it to display your menus, photographs, location map and customer comments. (Need a website? Get a FREE restaurant website here.) Maximise the conversion rate of your website and increase diner satisfaction by making it as easy as possible for people to book a table.

All good online table reservation services come with an electronic table management tool. This typically replaces your paper diary and is used to manage your reservations from all sources, including telephone bookings and walk-ins. A well designed management tool will provide a graphic drag-and-drop diary helping you to maximise your booking capacity.

Here is summary of the advantages of online table reservations:

~ Increase Revenue by Improving Booking Rates
By taking online table reservations through your restaurant's website 24/7 you should increase the number of bookings that you receive.

~ Enhance Staff Efficiency
Reduce the amount of time that staff spend on the telephone by taking bookings automatically online.

~ Manage Reservations with an Electronic Diary
Use your computer to manage your table reservations from all sources. Online reservations will be automatically added to the diary.

~ Increase Customer Satisfaction
Give every customer the option to book online at his or her own convenience, 24 hours-a-day.

~ Display Customers' Special Requirements
Your staff can quickly and easily view your diary to see any dietary restrictions or other special requirements for a party.

~ Compile List of Customer Email Contacts
Generate repeat bookings by promoting your restaurant with a regular opt-in electronic newsletter. For example, use it to advertise special offers during quite periods.

Set-up online table reservations for your restaurant and never again miss an opportunity to take a booking!

Check out our Online Table Reservation Service