The world turns to the internet for information on virtually every topic today, from finding a restaurant to buying a car. Any company ignoring the web to fulfill customer orders, or that does not incorporate the internet into their marketing efforts, is losing customers to their competitors. Restaurant owners and the restaurant industry should not be asking why they should be using the internet and web-based marketing - they should be asking how the web can them get more business and put more plates on the table in front of happy diners.

Savvy restaurateurs recognize that we live in an information age. Virtually every business around them has at least a barebones web site with a description of the company and the products or services it provides. At a bare minimum, restaurants today must follow suit, and provide for web-based marketing, either with a stand-alone website, or by becoming listed on a portal for restaurants in their location. Restaurateurs need not become internet gurus to accomplish either of these goals, but they must know their menu and their target audience, and be able to summarize their offerings in 25 words or less to grab the attention of today's internet-driven economy.

Many restaurants provide for pick-up and delivery service, and higher-end restaurants take reservations to keep their tables filled (and overbooked for those no-shows). Web-based applications, in which the customer can not only view a restaurant's menu, but place their order, pay for it, and arrange for delivery can be an expensive proposition for the sole proprietor interested in the quality of his food and service versus learning the technology this would take.

Many restaurants are offering online reservation systems, with confirmations sent by email and automated telephone calls. This frees up the maitre'd from handling telephone calls while greeting and seating the customers actually at the restaurant. While the virtual diner is important, the one actually sitting with fork in-hand is the one in which a restaurateur must focus his attention, to make the experience as pleasant as possible. The person at the front desk needs to be ready to work with the customers in front of them, and not worrying about grabbing the phone, and irritating those customers.

Entrepreneurs who are versed in web-based applications are opening up shop around the country aimed squarely at the restaurant industry. In small and large cities, these companies are providing

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