Before you actually start building your restaurant website, it’s important to know what information you need to include and the best way to convey your message.
Here are the top 10 elements of great restaurants websites:
- Essential Information: Your address, business hours, phone number, and any other relevant contact information should all be up to date and easy to find on your website homepage.
- Social Media Links: Make it easy for your guests to follow you on social media by embedding links to your social media profiles directly on your website.
- Your Menu: 93% of people view menus online prior to dining out. Build a proper HTML version of your menu – not just a PDF – that’s easy to navigate and includes the most up-to-date information. And if your dine-in menu differs from your takeout and delivery offerings, make sure you include links to both your online restaurant menus.
- Online Ordering Buttons: 63% of consumers prefer to order directly from the restaurant so make it easy for customers to place an order from your website by including buttons for your direct online ordering system. You should also include links to any third-party delivery platforms you use, such as Uber Eats and Door Dash.
- Gift Cards and Merchandise: Drive additional revenue for your business by allowing customers to purchase gift cards and other merchandise directly from your site.
- Loyalty Program Information: If you offer a restaurant loyalty program, include all the relevant information about the rewards program and allow customers to sign up directly on your website.
- Email Sign-Up Forms: Even if you don’t have a loyalty program, collecting customer emails is a great way to stay in touch with your guests. Begin growing your email list by including an email subscriber form on your website.
- High-Quality Photos: Include enticing, high-quality photos on your restaurant website to whet your customer’s appetite and let them know what to expect from your menu. One study found that just looking at pictures of food may be enough to trigger the hormone that causes hunger, so don’t underestimate the power of professional food photography.
- Your Story: Provide more information about your restaurant’s history and brand by including an “About Us” or an “Our Story” page.
- Mobile Optimized: In the U.S. alone, 72% of online searches for restaurants take place on mobile devices. Make sure customers can easily navigate your restaurant website on their smartphone by making sure your site is optimized for mobile.