When you are just breaking into the food truck industry, the amount of worries are endless. For example, you have to be an expert when it comes to inventory, customer service, sales, social media, etc. One thing that might be forgotten altogether is starting up a food truck website.
Just because you are a small business and are just starting out, you might think a website isn’t essential to your food truck success, but that’s far from the case. There are so many benefits to starting up a website right out of the gate. This is the problem for most mobile kitchen owners who are trying to thrive in this industry — they simply don’t know what it takes to run and operate a successful business.
While you can certainly think of a food truck business as a startup, that doesn’t make it any easier to run from a business standpoint. Nonetheless, if you are planning on taking your mobile catering truck to the top of this industry, then incorporating a website should not only be a no-brainer, but a top priority.
For the most part, foodies are interested in the food you serve. With that said, everyone has a story to tell, and if your story is unique enough, then everyone is going to want to hear about it, and that is where a website comes into play.
However, not only can you have an entire page that is dedicated to your story (this is typically the “About” section), but you can also pack your website with other information on top of that. For instance, you can show off your food, but more about that later. Although you can use social media to tell your customers where your food truck is going to be next — and you absolutely should — you can also do this on your website.
Looking to start your own food truck? Prestige Food Trucks can do wonders for you in that department.
In this day and age, online marketing is a must for business owners. If you are new to the digital media age, then just take a look at what everyone seems to have in their hands everywhere they go — their smartphone. Digital marketing is in a golden period thanks to this simple fact, and food truck owners have to take advantage in every way they can.
That’s why they need to use social media networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and also why they need to make an all-star website that is an added bonus (and treat) for food lovers.
Digital marketing is so important because it works. It helps businesses get more customers, which leads to more sales. Food truck owners need to have a strong online presence as a result, and having a killer website is part of that process.
This might be a basic idea, but it’s so important for your customers. You should be, once again, marketing your food truck like no other on the Internet. In the spirit of that thinking, make sure your website has a ton of pictures of your mobile truck and the food you serve.
If your food is dripping with deliciousness — which it likely is — then you will simply gain more customers by showing off your menu and food items. People want to see what they are eating (their options, if you will) before they actually order. Since food trucks are booming, it’s becoming that much harder for customers to pick a food truck to eat at. Why not make that process easier for them by spotlighting your menu and truck?
On another note, if you can somehow incorporate videos of you actually cooking up the food, then that’s going to do wonders on your social media accounts, especially Facebook.
If you rank high on Google — which is one of the main reasons to have a great website — more eyes will see your website, which can — and should — lead to you gaining more customers. If you don’t rank high on Google, then no one is going to see your mobile kitchen when it comes to the Internet. This is why things like SEO are so important.
Being ranked high on Google could make or break your business. It doesn’t matter if you serve up the best foods in your area. That might sound a bit odd, but the Internet is so important for businesses.
Here’s the deal, so many people go online to look up restaurants nowadays. If you don’t have a website, or if your website is not up to par, then that’s going to scare customers away. Having a great website is another way to gain credibility. This is especially the case if you have testimonials and good reviews attached somewhere on your website. After all, there is a reason why so many people venture to Yelp.
Just look at it this way, if your website looks flawless, has amazing food pictures, has great reviews, etc., a customer is more likely to eat at your truck than another food truck’s website that is lacking in all of those mentioned departments. People will — and do — look up your kitchen truck before they decide to eat at it.
Looking for financing to start or grow an existing food truck? JSL Financial has you covered.
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This post was last modified on October 17, 2016
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We're currently offering food trucks free websites over at http://munch.st
Just come on over and claim your name!
Great article - Thank you Jeremy. Food trucks are mobile and so don't have a permanent store front. That's what the website brings, a stable place customers can go to find out about your food truck, food, location, story, etc. We've been working hard on providing a simple, clean interactive website for a food truck that needs something done quickly. It's specifically designed for mobile devices. All you have to do is upload your content and info, click a few buttons and you're done - about 30 minutes is all you need. Here's an example of what our platform will generate: https://foodtruck.city/OffBeatEatz. Would love to hear from you.