What a restaurant website needs (and what to skip)

The first screen: open today, where, and one main button

Show today’s hours, your address with a map link and a tap-to-call number on the first screen. Then pick one main action that matches how you serve people: reserve a table, order for pickup, or call.

Skip what slows a phone down: autoplay videos, huge sliders and pop-ups that cover the menu. Someone standing on the sidewalk deciding where to eat won’t wait for them.

Put the menu on the page, not in a PDF

A PDF menu is hard to read on a phone: people pinch, zoom and give up. A menu written as text on the page is easier to read, quicker to update and lets you link straight to brunch, drinks or desserts.

• Include prices, or say clearly when something is market price.
• Mark dietary options such as vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free, and explain how guests can ask about allergies.
• Date seasonal menus, and remove dishes you no longer serve.

Link the reservation and ordering systems you already use

Use the reservation or ordering service you already run, and link to it from every page. If you take bookings only by phone, say so and make the number tappable.

On Google, you can add booking and food ordering links to your Business Profile: on Google Search under Booking, Food ordering or Pickup and delivery, and on Google Maps through Edit profile. Google allows up to ten links per type and lets you mark one as your preferred link, so customers see your own ordering page first.

Show real food and the room

Use your own photos: a few signature dishes, the dining room at the time of day people visit, and the entrance from the street so first-timers can find you. Real photos set honest expectations; stock photos of someone else’s food do the opposite.

Add the extras people actually ask about

Only add what you really offer, and give each one a clear next step.

• Private dining, events and catering, with a short enquiry form.
• Gift cards, if you sell them online.
• Parking, accessibility, outdoor seating and whether you welcome kids or dogs.
• Your story in a few sentences: who cooks, where the food comes from, how long you’ve been there.

Make your Google profile match your website

Many diners never open your website: they decide from your Google listing. Food and drink businesses can use Google’s menu editor to add items with descriptions and prices, or add a menu link or upload a menu photo or PDF. Google says menu changes can take 24 to 48 hours to appear.

Keep your hours identical on your site and on Google, and set Special hours before holidays. Google suggests confirming holiday hours even when they match your usual schedule.

An example first screen

From Olive & Ash, a fictional restaurant concept on our Work page. Swap in your own hours, dishes and buttons.