How to Make a Restaurant Website (In 10 Simple Steps)
Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2024 5:25 am
In today’s world, the restaurant industry is a big deal. Currently, there are over 15 million restaurants worldwide, and many more food enthusiasts dream of having their own restaurant one day.
There are many aspects of your physical location that will determine your success. However, if you want to grow your audience and tap into the younger demographics, you need to have a professional restaurant website.
Need convincing? Consider the following data:
90% of visitors research a restaurant online before actually going to the location
94% of diners research a restaurant’s reviews online before going.
77% of consumers will visit a restaurant’s website before dining in or taking out food.
Of course, you can rely on online delivery platforms and call it a day. But when it comes to online orders, patrons are more likely to use a restaurant’s website than a third-party website. Plus, who’d want to pay 15 to 30% commissions on every single transaction?
That said, knowing you need a restaurant website is one thing — understanding how to set it up is another.
In this guide, we’ll share straightforward, whatsapp number database actionable steps you can take to build your own restaurant website and start getting orders within a few days.
How to create a restaurant website
Select a domain name and web hosting solutions
Design your logo
Pick a website builder and start designing your website
Install the necessary plugins
Choose your fonts
Get your local SEO right
Make sure your site is fast
Make it easy to use
Make online ordering and reservations easy
Promote your restaurant website
1. Select a domain name and web hosting solution
The same way your restaurant has a physical address so that customers can find you, a domain name is the online address for your website.
A domain name is simply a website address that contains your website name and domain name extension.
Domain name along with detailed information on each compontent.
Explaining the different parts of your website URL address – protocol, subdomain, domain name, top-level domain. Source: Moz
Similarly, a web host is like the building that houses your restaurant. It takes all the documents, settings, and configurations of your website and makes them accessible on the internet.
The best domain name and web host add professional credibility, provide visibility for your brand, and make it easier (and faster) for visitors to access your business website.
When choosing your web host, one important factor to consider is speed. According to Akamai, 40% of consumers will leave a website if it fails to load within three seconds.
You’ll also want to pay attention to the features they offer and ensure that they match your brand values and goals for setting up your restaurant website.
Do you want customers to make reservations on your website?
Are you planning to have options for online ordering?
What sections do you need on each page?
All this should be considered before deciding on your web hosting company.
The most trusted and popular hosting companies for restaurant websites include:
Hostgator
Hostinger
Blue Host
Pro tip: Before signing up for one of these hosting solutions, consider which website builder you will use to develop your web pages. The chances are your tool of choice will already have fast hosting or a direct integration with one of the top providers. GetResponse Website Builder, for example, comes with a built-in hosting solution. It also takes care of connecting or registering a new domain for you.
How should you select a domain name? Think of what you want your restaurant to be known as and go from there.
Also, most restaurant domain names end with .com, but you can use other domain extensions as well. If you missed the opportunity to register your website with .com, you could go for .restaurant (e.g., “martyspizza.restaurant”) to make your website memorable.
Just make sure you’re using short URLs to help your audience quickly understand your restaurant website and boost your ranking on search engine results.
2. Design your logo
Did you know that It takes 0.05 seconds for users to get an impression of a website? Those few short moments are a potential customer’s first interaction with your brand.
You need to capture their attention to make them stick around and navigate to the “money page” — menu and order page.
One of the smart ways to do this is with a clear and compelling brand logo.
Nielsen Norman Group explains three primary purposes that logos serve on a website:
They remind your visitors of their current location.
They help users easily navigate to your homepage. (Most websites don’t have a “home” button in their navigation.)
They act as a tool for brand recognition.
A good logo helps you connect with your target customers and makes it easier for them to remember you. With the right one in place, you can reinforce your brand’s identity and values.
The goal is to create a logo that is both unique and compelling. You can use services such as Fiverr, Looka, or Tailor Brands to create an attractive brand logo in minutes.
Once you have created a high-quality logo, you need to ensure that it is visible on your restaurant website (including the favicon) and maintains a clear appearance on all devices.
There are numerous positions to place your logo, but the traditional above-the-fold approach is most common and recommended — the top section of a web page is the first thing visitors will see when they land on your website.
There are many aspects of your physical location that will determine your success. However, if you want to grow your audience and tap into the younger demographics, you need to have a professional restaurant website.
Need convincing? Consider the following data:
90% of visitors research a restaurant online before actually going to the location
94% of diners research a restaurant’s reviews online before going.
77% of consumers will visit a restaurant’s website before dining in or taking out food.
Of course, you can rely on online delivery platforms and call it a day. But when it comes to online orders, patrons are more likely to use a restaurant’s website than a third-party website. Plus, who’d want to pay 15 to 30% commissions on every single transaction?
That said, knowing you need a restaurant website is one thing — understanding how to set it up is another.
In this guide, we’ll share straightforward, whatsapp number database actionable steps you can take to build your own restaurant website and start getting orders within a few days.
How to create a restaurant website
Select a domain name and web hosting solutions
Design your logo
Pick a website builder and start designing your website
Install the necessary plugins
Choose your fonts
Get your local SEO right
Make sure your site is fast
Make it easy to use
Make online ordering and reservations easy
Promote your restaurant website
1. Select a domain name and web hosting solution
The same way your restaurant has a physical address so that customers can find you, a domain name is the online address for your website.
A domain name is simply a website address that contains your website name and domain name extension.
Domain name along with detailed information on each compontent.
Explaining the different parts of your website URL address – protocol, subdomain, domain name, top-level domain. Source: Moz
Similarly, a web host is like the building that houses your restaurant. It takes all the documents, settings, and configurations of your website and makes them accessible on the internet.
The best domain name and web host add professional credibility, provide visibility for your brand, and make it easier (and faster) for visitors to access your business website.
When choosing your web host, one important factor to consider is speed. According to Akamai, 40% of consumers will leave a website if it fails to load within three seconds.
You’ll also want to pay attention to the features they offer and ensure that they match your brand values and goals for setting up your restaurant website.
Do you want customers to make reservations on your website?
Are you planning to have options for online ordering?
What sections do you need on each page?
All this should be considered before deciding on your web hosting company.
The most trusted and popular hosting companies for restaurant websites include:
Hostgator
Hostinger
Blue Host
Pro tip: Before signing up for one of these hosting solutions, consider which website builder you will use to develop your web pages. The chances are your tool of choice will already have fast hosting or a direct integration with one of the top providers. GetResponse Website Builder, for example, comes with a built-in hosting solution. It also takes care of connecting or registering a new domain for you.
How should you select a domain name? Think of what you want your restaurant to be known as and go from there.
Also, most restaurant domain names end with .com, but you can use other domain extensions as well. If you missed the opportunity to register your website with .com, you could go for .restaurant (e.g., “martyspizza.restaurant”) to make your website memorable.
Just make sure you’re using short URLs to help your audience quickly understand your restaurant website and boost your ranking on search engine results.
2. Design your logo
Did you know that It takes 0.05 seconds for users to get an impression of a website? Those few short moments are a potential customer’s first interaction with your brand.
You need to capture their attention to make them stick around and navigate to the “money page” — menu and order page.
One of the smart ways to do this is with a clear and compelling brand logo.
Nielsen Norman Group explains three primary purposes that logos serve on a website:
They remind your visitors of their current location.
They help users easily navigate to your homepage. (Most websites don’t have a “home” button in their navigation.)
They act as a tool for brand recognition.
A good logo helps you connect with your target customers and makes it easier for them to remember you. With the right one in place, you can reinforce your brand’s identity and values.
The goal is to create a logo that is both unique and compelling. You can use services such as Fiverr, Looka, or Tailor Brands to create an attractive brand logo in minutes.
Once you have created a high-quality logo, you need to ensure that it is visible on your restaurant website (including the favicon) and maintains a clear appearance on all devices.
There are numerous positions to place your logo, but the traditional above-the-fold approach is most common and recommended — the top section of a web page is the first thing visitors will see when they land on your website.