5 Things Every Restaurant Website Needs

You'd be surprised how many restaurant websites are missing the basics. People visit your website for one reason: to decide if they're going to eat at your restaurant. If they can't find what they need in 10 seconds, they're gone. Here are the five things every restaurant website needs.

1. Your menu — and make it readable

This is the number one thing people come to your website for. Not a PDF that's impossible to read on a phone. Not a photo of a chalkboard. A clean, text-based menu that loads instantly and is easy to scroll through on any device. If you only fix one thing on your website, fix your menu.

2. Hours and location

Sounds obvious, but you'd be amazed how many restaurant websites bury this information or don't include it at all. Your hours and address should be visible within seconds of landing on your site. Bonus points if you embed a Google Map so people can tap and get directions.

3. Mobile-first design

Over 75% of restaurant website visits come from phones. If your website doesn't look great and load fast on mobile, most of your visitors are having a bad experience. This isn't a nice-to-have — it's the default. Design for the phone first, desktop second.

4. Online ordering or reservations

If you offer takeout, delivery, or reservations, your website should make it dead simple to do that. A prominent button that says "Order Online" or "Book a Table" — not buried in a sub-menu three clicks deep. Every extra click you add is a customer you lose.

5. Photos that make people hungry

Good food photography sells. You don't need a professional shoot — even well-lit phone photos of your best dishes work. Show the food, show the space, show the vibe. People eat with their eyes first, and your website is your chance to make them hungry before they walk through the door.