5 Best Practices for Restaurant Websites

Building a website requires some patience and dedication, but once you get it off the ground, the end results can be tremendous.

Here, we outline some essential tactics and best practices to use when it comes to building and maintaining your restaurant website.

1. Include Quality Photography

As we’ve written about, quality photography is one of the most important aspects of a good restaurant website. Including poor photographs, or no photos at all, is a missed opportunity to show off your principal product: the food.

Spending a little extra time to build a collection of high-quality food photos will serve you far better in the long run.

2. Ditch the Downloadable Menu

Plain and simple: your menu needs to have a dedicated page within your website that visitors can navigate to. Gone are the days of forcing visitors to download PDF versions of the menu, especially with the increased use of mobile devices for web browsing.

3. Optimize for Mobile

Creating a crisp, clean mobile version (and don’t forget tablets) will mean the difference between a good site and a great one. Extra points if your sites include responsive design.

4. Simplicity is Key

Adding too much to your website’s design can bring down the value of both the site and your restaurant in the end. Keep it simple, straightforward and informative without being overwhelming.

5. Include Online Ordering

Adding an online ordering option to your site, like GrubHub, not only adds a level of convenience to your business, but opens you up to a whole new population of diners who may not have the time or ability to come to your actual location. This will help put you ahead of the curve when it comes to providing a full-service dining experience.

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethhoffman/2013/05/31/4-more-amazing-food-websites-and-why-they-and-others-should-team-up/

http://www.eatthelove.com/2011/11/food-blogging-101-how-to-start/

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/restaurant_website

http://webdesignledger.com/inspiration/40-tasty-restaurant-websites-to-inspire-you