Your sports bar’s website is a first impression to guests, so it needs be easy to read, easy to navigate, and have all the info a guest could possibly be seeking for. And the data shows this.
More than a third of consumers (35%) say that a restaurant’s website influences their decision to visit or order delivery/takeout. And the vast majority (85%) say that information they’re looking for needs to be easy to find.
You can’t just use a basic website template, throw up your logo and a few details and call it a day. Your sports bar’s website needs to ben an extension of your physical location and offer (or display) everything your actual business can give guests and fans.
Let’s look at some sports bar website essentials.
The Basics
It may seem obvious (at least we hope so!) but your website needs foundational basic information. This should include:
- Your sports bar name and logo
- Your address (or addresses, if you have multiple locations)
- Your hours of operation
- Contact information (phone and email)
- Links to your socials
Your Sports Bar’s Menu
Every sports bar and restaurant website needs to have their menu online. The listing can be as simple as text on the landing page, a downloadable PDF of your printed menu, or something more interactive. Regardless, your guests should know what food you have to offer.
If you have special Game Day menus, make sure that information is readily available, too. Let them know exactly when that menu is in affect.
And don’t forget about drinks! Somethings a thorough drink menu can get those sports and beer enthusiasts through the door. List what you have on tap, in cans/bottles, and any seasonals or specials.
If you have mocktails or non-alcoholic beverages, list those as well! They’re growing in popularity, especially among younger consumers.
Your TV Game Schedule
The number one reason sports fans visit sports bars is to watch sports! So, make sure your guests know exactly what you are putting on your TVs.
You can do this easily with the SportsTV Guide: Web Widget and API. Just copy a simple piece of code and drop it into your website’s landing page. It’ll automatically bring in game information based on your STVG profile and account. This means it’ll only show the games that are available to you through your TV content providers. It updates automatically, so once you have it on your site, you can put your focus on other important business matters.
If you’re more tech savvy, you can use the API to create a custom-looking web widget instead, perfectly branded to your sports bar.
Best of all, the STVG Web Widget is free with your STVG subscription.
An Event Page
This can be as simple as using the STVG Web Widget to display your game TV schedule on your website. If your location is hosting special viewing parties, this is a good place to list that information. Use eye catching photos, videos, and graphics (if you can) to call attention to the event.
If your sports bar does more than just show sports – such as trivia nights, karaoke nights, esports tournaments, bonsai tree trimming events, etc. – it’s good to have that info on your website so visitors know. They won’t show up if they don’t know about it after all.
Make sure all the pertinent info is listed – who, when, cost, and a descriptor of what to expect.
Newsletter Sign Up Form
Email is still one of your best marketing tools, but you do need to grow your list. An easy, passive way of doing this is having a simple newsletter signup form on your website. You can call it out as a button on your menu or have it coded into your site’s footer.
If you want to spice things up, you can offer guests a discount on their first/next visit in exchange for signing up for your newsletter. Make sure that discount is emailed to them to the address they list; that way you know you’re getting a real, proper email address.
An About Page
Often overlooked, but this page is where your sports bar’s personality can really shine. Don’t just list when the business was founded and who operates it. Show and tell guests who you are. Weave in the history of your sports bar and get folks engaged.
If your sports bar has been operating for a long while, show off some old photos or videos. Talk about what’s changed over the years, why you love sports, and how your sports bar is different than the others.
This is a great opportunity to become more than just a business to visitors. Your sports bar becomes a personality, a group of people to visit, and enjoy sports with.
Reservation Link
Taking a reservation isn’t common across all sports bars. But if your sports bar does, make sure the link is easy to find. This can be as simple as a link in your top menu or highlighted as a menu button.
Using reservation platforms that easily embed on your website is ideal, so visitors never leave your website. However, if your reservation system sends folks to a third-party site, make sure it’s branded to your business as best you can.
Online Ordering
Similarly, make sure if you take online orders and deliveries, that finding those pages (or apps) is simple. Many of the top third-party delivery apps can integrate their platform onto your sport bar’s website, making this process relatively painless.
If you do everything in-house, make sure you have an easy way of taking those online orders or, if not, list contact info so people can call in their order.
Gallery
One of the best ways to get folks excited about visiting your sports bar is showing off just how much fun fans have visiting you. Many sports bars have a gallery page to do just this.
Show off your best photos and videos of fans enjoying games at your bar. Show folks celebrating, eating and drinking, laughing, and having fun. Lean into the FOMO. And if you can, get professional photographers and videographers to do a lot of that heavy lifting. The quality of the media you’ll get is well worth the cost.
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