Your restaurant staff are more than just employees—they’re ambassadors of your brand. While your website is the hub for menus, reservations, and online orders, it won’t reach its full potential unless your team knows how to promote it effectively. Training staff to promote your restaurant website ensures diners not only enjoy their in-person experience but also stay connected online, boosting reservations, orders, and repeat visits.

Why Training Staff to Promote Your Website Matters

Extends Your Marketing Beyond Digital

Your staff are on the frontlines. Every interaction is a chance to promote your website as the go-to place for menus, reservations, or online orders.

Builds Consistency

A well-trained team delivers consistent messaging, ensuring customers know where to go online.

Increases Conversions

From table talk to receipts, promoting your website drives more diners online, where they can engage further.

Step 1: Educating Staff About the Website

Why This Step is Critical

Staff can’t promote what they don’t understand.

How to Do It

• Walk staff through the website’s key features.
• Explain online ordering, reservations, menu updates, and event listings.
• Highlight unique selling points (e.g., Rocketpages-optimized SEO).

Training Tip

Hold regular “website walkthroughs” so new updates are always clear to your team.

Step 2: Embedding Website Promotion into Daily Conversations

Example Phrases Staff Can Use

• “You can check out our full seasonal menu on our website.”
• “The easiest way to book your next table is through our website.”
• “We post our events online, so check our site for what’s coming up.”

Checklist

• ✅ Mention website for menu details
• ✅ Mention website for reservations
• ✅ Mention website for online orders

Step 3: Training Staff on Social Media Promotion

Why Social Amplifies Website Reach

Many customers follow your social accounts. Staff can encourage followers to visit the website.

How to Train

• Teach staff to share official posts linking back to the website.
• Encourage them to guide customers online when answering questions.

Example

“Thanks for following us on Instagram! If you’d like to reserve a table, head over to our website.”

Step 4: Using Physical Assets to Drive Website Visits

Tools You Can Train Staff To Share

• Business cards with the website URL
• QR codes on receipts and menus
• Posters with promotions linking to the website

Case Study: Bistro Bella

After training servers to point out QR codes on receipts, Bistro Bella saw a 40% increase in online reservation traffic.

Step 5: Incentivizing Staff to Promote the Website

Why Incentives Work

Gamifying promotion creates motivation.

How to Implement

• Reward staff for customers mentioning they booked online.
• Track referrals tied to staff recommendations.
• Celebrate milestones in staff meetings.

Step 6: Aligning Website Promotion with Customer Experience

Make It Natural

Promotion should feel like part of excellent service—not a sales pitch.

Training Tip

Role-play scenarios where staff casually mention the website.

Step 7: Avoiding Common Mistakes

Common Pitfalls

• Overloading customers with information
• Forgetting to mention the website entirely
• Promoting outdated links

Solution

Refer back to guides like The Most Common Restaurant Website Mistakes and How to Fix Them to ensure accuracy and effectiveness.

Step 8: Measuring Success

Key Metrics

• Increase in reservations through the website
• Growth in online orders
• Traffic from referral sources

Tools to Use

• Google Analytics

Step 9: Ongoing Training and Refreshers

Why Continuous Training Matters

Websites evolve—your staff’s knowledge should too.

How to Implement

• Schedule quarterly refreshers.
• Share new blog resources like How to Build a Restaurant Website That Ranks on Google.
• Update staff on new features.

Final Thoughts: Turning Your Team into Digital Ambassadors

Training staff to promote your website ensures that your marketing doesn’t stop at digital campaigns. It extends into every customer interaction, reinforcing your website as the hub of your restaurant’s digital presence. By combining consistent training, natural promotion, and the right tools, your team becomes an extension of your online strategy.

Ready to empower your staff and maximize your website’s potential? Build and optimize your restaurant website today with Rocketpages.