Monitoring Website Traffic to Boost Restaurant Conversions

Thousands of people read about your oyok fan online, yet your booking page remains eerily quiet. That’s where monitoring website traffic with Google Analytics comes into play. By tracking Key Events, you can identify diners who are genuinely ready to spend. Several activities can serve as Key Events, such as which menu page links they click or whether they tap the Book Now button.

Google Analytics can be your friendly and nosy assistant nudging you: “Ma’am, that guest is about to reserve a table!”

Today, I’ll guide you step by step to transform those online footsteps into actual diners and measurable revenue.

Define Conversion and Track Key Events

Imagine a family of eight browsing your table booking page and tapping “Book Now”. That’s a conversion in action.

Indeed, you’ve already noticed that Google Analytics captures countless activities, such as page views, scrolling behaviour, clicks, and so on. But not every action matters, doesn’t it? There’s a term named Key Events, which spotlights the crucial steps that indicate a visitor is likely to convert.

Google Tag Manager is another tool that enables this. Once you set it up, it automatically reports those actions to Google Analytics.

Here’s how to set these Events up using Google Tag Manager:

1. Install Google Tag Manager on your website
2. Create a new Tag labelled “visit_booking_page” (just an example)
3. In Tag Configuration, select Google Analytics: GA4 Event
4. Enter the Measurement ID of your Google Analytics
5. Type “visit_booking_page” as the Event Name
6. Under Triggering, click “+” to add a new Trigger
7. Name it “Trigger – Booking Page Clicked” (also example)
8. Select Click > Just Links > Some Link Clicks
9. Choose Click URL as the variable
10. Type “contains” and input your Booking Page URL (e.g., https://yourrestaurant.com/booking)
11. Click Save the Trigger, then Save the Tag

In Google Analytics:

1. Go to Admin > Property Settings > Data Display > Events
2. Within two days, “visit_booking_page” will appear under Recent Events
3. Click the star next to it to mark it as a Key Event

Now, whenever a guest visits your Booking Page (from any Article Pages or even Home Page), you instantly know they’re a serious contender for a table. No guessing, just actionable insights.

Monitor Leads and Payment Intentions

Picture someone fills out your booking form, but you only notice two days later. By then, they’re relishing another restaurant’s curry, which greets them faster. Heartbreaking, right?

Tracking payment intentions eliminates this risk. Every click on “BOOK” or “RESERVE NOW” signals a lead shouting, “I’m ready to dine. Act fast!”

Your role is to capture them before they wander elsewhere.

Set up in Google Tag Manager:

1. Create a new Tag, e.g named “booking_table”
2. Select Google Analytics: GA4 Event
3. Enter your Measurement ID
4. Type “booking_table” as the Event Name
5. Under Triggering, click “+” to create a new Trigger
6. Name it, e.g “Trigger – Booking Action”
7. Select User Engagement > Form Submission
8. Set it to fire on Some Forms
9. Choose Click Text as the variable
10. Select “contains” and enter BOOK
11. Save the Trigger, then save the Tag

Every time someone taps that BOOK button, you know they’re ready to convert. This setup reduces manual monitoring and saves operational costs. And it prevents revenue from slipping through the cracks.

Set Notifications and Collaborate Strategically

Knowing how Google Analytics can give notifications by phone can make you ditch your laptop. The mobile app can notify your phone whenever a serious booking is made. It’s like having a tiny, tireless maître d’ on call.

This is how to set it in the Google Analytics mobile app:

1. Open the app and tap Insights
2. Tap Manage, then +
3. Choose Custom Insight
4. Set Evaluation Frequency to Hourly
5. Apply a segment: Platform includes web
6. Select Key Events as the Metric
7. Choose Is greater than or equal to as the Condition
8. Enter 1 in the Value field
9. Name it, e.g “New Booking Alert”
10. Enable Push Notifications
11. Tap Create
12. Your phone now chirps: “[Your Restaurant Name] – GA4 New Booking Alert”

Act fast, and tentative clicks will transform into confirmed reservations. Quick responses will increase revenue and demonstrate to guests that you care.

I’ve got an insider tip for you. Pair your Google Analytics with a savvy content strategist.

In my view, content strategy is just as important as the analytics itself. A beautifully set up GA account won’t help if your posts don’t lead readers to take action. That’s why a strategist will ask, “Why are 2,000 people reading your oyok fan story, but only 12 reaching your booking page?”

This strategist will also suggest you to insert a call-to-action inside high-traffic posts. Such as “Craving our signature oyok fan? Reserve your table now.”

Don’t be surprised if your reservations surge by this skilled strategist, because she usually can do this:

• Configure GA and Tag Manager
• Help you set up push alerts in your phone
• Strategically link popular posts to revenue-driving pages
• Crafting content from visitor questions like “Do you take group reservations?” or “Can we customise the menu?”

A data-driven content strategy can transform casual visitors into paying customers, boosting revenue while minimising wasted effort.

Want to turn website visits into actual diners instead of just clicks? Visit my profile, Page of Vicky Laurentina, and let’s convert your traffic into delicious revenue.

Vicky Laurentina

I am a blogger who love making content about planning and optimizing contents. Follow me in my Linked In and Instagram below.