Ask An Expert: Website impact
Our website looks good but it doesn't seem to be having the desired effect of attracting new customers to the pub. What can I do to improve it?
Unfortunately, no matter how well designed your site may be, without some work on your part to promote it, it will never generate increased traffic in the pub. When people are using the internet to find a pub in your area, your site needs to appear on the first page of search results. To make this happen you should:
Ensure your 'meta tags' are appropriate. Meta tags are key words that search engines use to rank your site. You can be sneaky and enter the names of your competitors' pubs so when a potential customer searches for their site, yours could show up as a search result too.
Ensure other sites link to yours. Some search engines (including Google) count the links to, not from, your site. Approach other sites, particularly those with directories of attractions in your area, and ask them to include a link to yours.
Ensure your site gets ranked higher than others offering the same services by phrasing your content uniquely while keeping it relevant. For example, instead of saying "We offer 10 real ales" say "Our cosy, friendly pub offers 10 of the finest real ales from renowned microbrewers located all over Cambridge". The second sentence is less generic, and stuffed with key words that search engines will use to rank your site. And as a spin off, your site will show up during more diverse searches.
Paul Boggia is a self-confessed 'IT geek' and licensee of the Kingston Arms in Cambridge
