Restaurant Website Design — What Every Independent Operator Needs to Know
I look at restaurant websites constantly. Good ones and bad ones. And when I look at a restaurant website that is actually working, the first thing I notice is the hero section. That is the part of the website that loads immediately when someone arrives on the page. And for most restaurants, that is the only part of the website that matters.
85% of web visitors only visit the homepage. And a large portion of those people only view the first part of the page before they decide whether to stay or leave. That single fact should shape every decision you make about restaurant website design.
What the Hero Section of Your Restaurant Website Must Include
Good restaurant website design puts your three most important revenue drivers in the hero section immediately visible without scrolling. The first is a call now button. The second is an order online button. The third is a catering link.
Call now and order online are immediate. Someone is hungry right now and they want to act. The catering link is a longer term relationship builder. People plan catering weeks or months in advance. But they discover the option when they are hungry and on your site right now. They try your food, love it, and remember you when little Johnny's graduation party needs to be planned. That is the strategic reason catering belongs in the hero, not buried in the footer.
The best restaurant website design also includes a video in the hero section. Not an empty restaurant video. A video with people in it. There is an almost self fulfilling prophecy at work here: show an empty restaurant and the restaurant feels empty. Show a full room and the restaurant feels like the kind of place people want to be. If a video is not possible, a photo of your staff with the food achieves something almost as powerful. A guest walks in and says hey I recognize you from the website. The relationship has already started before they sat down.
Mobile Optimization Is Not Optional
80% of web viewers are on their mobile device. If your restaurant web design only works on desktop, you are only reaching 20% of your potential visitors. Every single change you make to your website needs to be checked on mobile immediately. No side scrolling. Clear up and down navigation. Buttons large enough to tap without zooming. This is the most important thing you can do for your restaurant website design and the most commonly neglected.
As we explored in our post on how a simple website can boost your restaurant's brand, the bar for a functional restaurant website is lower than most owners think. Simple done correctly beats complex done poorly every time.
The Menu Needs to Be Organized Not Just Present
The second most important element after the hero section is the menu. And the menu needs to be organized by category, not presented as one long scroll. Lunch, dinner, cocktails, desserts should all be separate navigable sections. Someone coming to your site to look at the cocktail menu does not need to scroll through the entire dinner menu to find it. Someone on their lunch break does not need to see the dinner specials.
This organization is not just good user experience. It is good restaurant SEO. Google tracks how long visitors stay on your site and whether they find what they are looking for. An organized, navigable menu keeps people on the site longer and signals to Google that your site is useful. We covered this connection in detail in our post on how to get your restaurant listed on Google and boost your SEO.
The Phone Number Needs to Be Everywhere
A call button at the top of every single page. Not just the homepage. The cocktail menu page. The catering page. The about us page. Wherever a guest is on your site, they should be able to call you in one tap. This is one of the simplest and most overlooked elements of effective restaurant web design, and it directly affects how many phone calls your website generates.
At 5 Loaves Restaurant Consulting, restaurant website design is one of our core services for independent operators. We build sites that are built to convert visitors into guests, not just to look impressive in a portfolio.
Contact 5 Loaves Restaurant Consulting for a free consultation about your restaurant website design.
