Followup: What People Want From Business Web Sites

Here’s a followup to my entry about what small businesses should have on their Web sites (“An Average Consumer Looks at Small Business Web Sites“). It comes by way of Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema’s column last week, and I consider it something of a validation of my previous statements:

When I invited participants of my food discussion group, Sietsema’s Table, to tell me what they most wanted from a restaurant’s Web site, I got an eyeful.

At the top of diners’ wish lists: descriptions of dress codes, driving instructions, the ability to make reservations online, current menus with up-to-date prices, Metro accessibility information, hours of operation, photos of the restaurant’s entrance and interior, and information regarding special needs. Is the site wheelchair-accessible? Are large-type menus available? Are substitutions allowed for those with allergies? As one poster pointed out, “With the right information, those who cannot be handled well will avoid the restaurant” instead of showing up and having a difficult meal, “then giving bad reviews to everyone they know. It’s in your interest to present your establishment honestly.”

Also telling is the stuff they don’t want to see: Flash, animations, and music. (Especially when the music “makes my co-workers think I’m on a porn site when I’m just trying to find a menu.”)

For my part, I did cover many of the mentioned items, but I didn’t really weigh the importance of accessibility or special-needs considerations. The quoted poster is absolutely right, especially since people with special requirements probably also participate in the relevant niche communities online, the impact of which I mentioned in my first “everbody’s a reviewer” entry.”

Another important thing to mention is the absolute necessity of keeping current and always showing the most up-to-date information. This goes for things that change rarely (phone numbers, parking info, etc.), but more crucially, for things that change frequently (like menu items). Not coincidentally, this is another strike against using an all-Flash Web site, or anything else that you can’t quickly and easily update by yourself (like PDF files of your menus).

In the case of something that changes really frequently — like daily specials — consider a blog: The new stuff is always on top, so it’s tailor-made for stuff that updates and expires quickly. Plus, if your specials are  part of a larger blog for your business, it always gives you something to write about, and you can use them as a hook to talk about other important elements of your business.

In short, for a restaurant, nothing should be stale — not even the info on the Web site.

Now, although this particular topic is pretty restaurant-centric, a lot of the basics apply to any other type of brick-and-mortar business. Have your own tips or pet peeves? Leave a comment below.