Your restaurant website is sometimes the first thing that potential diners will see, long before they step into your restaurant. It’s important to make sure that it be warm and inviting, as well as informative. Let’s take a look at how to create a restaurant website that connects with your audience and gets real results.

But first, let’s look at why a restaurant website is an important tool for your business.

Why You Need a Restaurant Website

To do business as a restaurant on any scale in this day and age, you need a restaurant website.

And that’s not just our opinion.

Consider a few statistics…

And that’s just a sampling of the statistics that are out there — all pointing very strongly to the need for restaurants to have a website. Without it, you are most likely losing business.

But not all websites are created equally.

Let’s look at how to create a restaurant website that works for your business or even how to update your website to make it more user-friendly.

How to Create a Restaurant Website That Gets Results

1. Use Pictures

Humans are visual creatures. One study showed that 80% of people remember what they see, as opposed to only 20% who remember what they read. So if you want people to remember your restaurant, use visuals on your website.

What kinds of visuals should you use?

Food photos are a big one. After all, that’s the reason why people are there in the first place. You can probably do this yourself, especially if you have a high-resolution camera or a cell phone that takes good pictures. But if you find your photos lacking in any way, there’s nothing wrong with hiring a professional food photographer to help you out.

And while you’re at it, showcase your restaurant’s atmosphere with shots of the restaurant itself. This will help visitors connect more with your restaurant before even stepping foot inside.

Related Content: 8 Restaurant Menu Design Tips That Will Help You Stand Out

2. Choose Your Colors Carefully

The colors on your website can excite and draw in your audience in very subtle ways.

Take the time to choose your website’s color palette. You can build this color palette quite simply by going off of a few key photos you plan to use.

And I have a little trick to share with you, as well…

First, upload your photos to a color picker website to see what HTML colors are most dominant. Then, use those colors on a site like Coolors.co to see which colors best compliment your photos. Then use those colors throughout your website to make it feel more harmonious and cohesive.

3. Pick Out Good Fonts

Choose fonts that match your restaurant’s atmosphere and are easy to read. If you choose a super fancy, scrolling font, people are going to immediately think that your restaurant is top-tier and fancy — which, if that’s not the case, can cause a lot of confusion. 

Fonts like Arial and Calibri are the most legible, so consider using fonts like these for any long blocks of text. Otherwise, your readers might move on to a website that is easier to read.

4. Leverage Online Ordering

Remember the statistic we quoted above — digital ordering and delivery has grown by 300% faster than dine-in traffic over the past few years.

Wrap your mind around that statistic for a moment — 300%!

This is a sign of the times we’re living in. And it’s not just because of the pandemic. This is a trend that we started seeing long before the pandemic and it’s most likely going to continue.

How can you adapt to this trend?

Use online ordering on your website.

It’s probably a lot easier than you think — for instance, you can check out how DevourNow’s online ordering system works. With a system like this, you can get an easy-to-use online ordering button right on your website in no time.

5. Make It Mobile-Friendly

This is an important key to remember for your restaurant website. After all, 52.2% of all website traffic is generated on mobile phones. That’s an awfully large percentage of people you’d be missing out on by not having a mobile-friendly website.

So whether you do your website yourself or hire someone to create it for you, make sure to check it out on a tablet and smartphone. Make sure that everything is proportionate, clear, and that it’s easy to navigate through the entire site.

6. Highlight Your Menu

Your menu is probably one of the main reasons people visit your site. They want to get an idea of what you serve or perhaps they’re even looking to see if you have a specific dish.

Whatever the case, make your menu easy to find and easy to navigate through.

Link to your menu directly from your main menu. On your menu itself, make it easy for them to navigate to the different sections, such as drinks, appetizers, entrees, and desserts. You don’t want to make them scroll endlessly through your menu to find what they need.

Also, make your menu clearly legible, with descriptions for every dish.

Now It’s Your Turn

So there you have it — those are our recommendations for how to create a brilliant restaurant website.

Now that you understand how to create a restaurant website that is both attractive and functional, it’s time to take an honest look at your website. Look for ways that you can update and change it.

Please feel free to leave any questions or remarks in the comments below — we always love hearing from you!