As someone who grew up in the restaurant industry, I know firsthand the importance of a strong digital presence, especially post-pandemic. In fact, designing a restaurant website and great SEO can be the difference between thousands of dollars in more sales every day.
My parents’ family restaurant is proof of that. When restaurants closed during the first wave of the pandemic, we were worried because all businesses were shut down and we still had to pay the bills. Thankfully, after a few months, we were able to re-open for take-out. To let people know, I improved our online presence, specifically our restaurant website, our small business’ SEO, and running local ads to let people know we were back in business.
During the first month running, we were out beating our competitors (4-5 Chinese restaurants in the area) and earned back the 3 months we were closed. The secret? We made our online ordering system and user experience to make online orders smooth.
As a women-led, Asian-led, and Hispanic-led digital marketing agency with over 10 years of experience, Slam has helped numerous restaurant clients improve their online visibility and make big money. Check out our small business website design & SEO package here.
In this article, we'll be diving into the process of designing a restaurant website, from the best restaurant web design examples to local SEO tips for small businesses and restaurants. So if you're a restaurant owner looking to attract more hungry customers through your website, or if you're just curious about restaurant website design, stick around for some mouth-watering insights!
Planning Your Restaurant Website Design & Development
To start designing your restaurant website is easy. To get started, follow these steps:
- Start with the basics: What is the goal of your website? Are you looking to increase online orders, showcase your menu, or simply provide information about your restaurant? Defining your website's call-to-actions will help guide the design process.
- Set-up a sitemap: A sitemap shows an outline of the pages you want to create for your restaurant website. It’ll give you or your team an idea on the structure of your site.
- Create a brand that stands out: Your website should reflect your restaurants’ values and philosophy. Colors, as you can imagine, matter in how you make someone feel. Make sure your website design is consistent with your brand identity.
- Focus on user experience: Make it easy for your customers to find what they need – don’t overload them with info. A well-designed restaurant website should be easy to navigate.
- Prioritize restaurant mobile design: The majority of your traffic is coming from mobile devices, so people will be checking you out from their phones.
- Showcase your restaurant menu: The best advice here is to ensure your menu is accessible with one click. People will try to find it as they land on your site, especially if they’ve never heard of you. Add images to make your customers hungry!
- Don't forget about local SEO: Most new customers will come from SEO, even more than social media. Ensure to add keywords to your site and local information to improve your chances! We’ll dive deeper here too.
By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to designing a beautiful restaurant website that drives more orders and helps your business grow. Let’s dive into it!
How to Design a Restaurant Website Like a Pro
If you’re looking for a full guide on creating a restaurant website, check out ours here!
If you don’t want to read the full article, below is the TLDR.
Restaurant Website Sitemap Sample
Your sitemap will look like something like this:
- Homepage
- About
- Menu
- Contact
- Order (if applicable)
- Reservations (if applicable)
- Locations (if applicable)
Once that’s ready, you’d jump into picking a color palette and font! If you already have a logo, this might make it easier and faster, because you can use the colors from it and pair it with a font that fits the vibe.
Picking a Color Palette for Your Restaurant Website
Picking the right colors and fonts for your restaurant website is like choosing the perfect spices and seasonings for a delicious meal. Just as the right combination of flavors can make your taste buds dance, the right combination of colors and fonts can make your website design pop and stand out from the crowd!
When choosing your color palette, think about the atmosphere and vibe you want to create for your restaurant.
Are you going for a cozy and intimate feel, or a modern and trendy look?
Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow can create a welcoming and inviting atmosphere, while cooler colors like blue and green can give off a more calming and serene vibe. And don't forget about neutrals like black, white, and gray - they can add a touch of elegance and sophistication to your design.
When it comes to fonts, think about the personality and voice of your restaurant. Are you a casual and laid-back spot, or a fine dining establishment? Sans-serif fonts like Arial and Helvetica can give off a more modern and sleek feel, while serif fonts like Times New Roman and Georgia can add a touch of elegance and sophistication.
And don't forget about fonts for a more playful and whimsical touch! To help you choose the perfect colors and fonts for your restaurant website, there are plenty of free resources available online.
For colors, use Coolors. It'll help you explore trending palettes, make a palette, and generate one for you. You can also try Canva or Adobe Color.
For free fonts, you can use Google Fonts or Font Squirrel!
So have fun experimenting and finding the perfect combination of colors and fonts that will make your restaurant website sizzle!
Restaurant Website Ideas: Structure & Design
Now that you've got the basics covered, let’s go over a sample structure for your homepage! Here’s a restaurant homepage structure sample:
- Hero (H1) with sub-text and a call-to-action to order, view the menu, or make reservations
- Sub-section (H2) showing the menu with a call-to-action. Include sub-text and H3s if you have sections under
- Sub-section (H2) showing who you are with a call-to-action to learn more. Include sub-text and H3s if you have sections under
- Sub-section (H2) showing a section that is relevant to you (FAQ, Contact, Reservations)
- Footer: social, contact information, links from your navigation
For the design, here’s an example of a restaurant website we made for a Vietnamese restaurant:
As you see, we design this restaurant website to entice the user to order directly from their website and avoid third parties, and use colors to show the freshness and how yummy the food is!
Restaurant Website Design Ideas & Sample
With all of our learnings, we’ve designed a template that fits all your needs. All you gotta do is insert the colors you want, add some pics, and your info!
The template is visually fun, and optimized for SEO from day one, so it will help you stand out from the competition. It includes multiple sections
- Home: This section will feature your restaurant's unique story, brand, and style. It will entice users to explore your website further and make a reservation or order food directly from your site.
- Menu: This section will showcase your mouth-watering dishes and drinks. With enticing descriptions and high-quality images, your customers will be excited to order directly from you!
- Locations: This section will help your customers easily find and visit your restaurant. It will include your address, hours of operation, and any special instructions or directions.
- Order: This section will allow your customers to conveniently place their orders directly from your website. By eliminating the need for third-party ordering platforms, you can increase your revenue and customer loyalty.
- Reserve: This section will allow your customers to make reservations online. With a user-friendly reservation system, you can manage your bookings more efficiently and improve your customer experience.
- Contact: This section will provide your customers with a quick and easy way to get in touch with you.
- Cater: This section will showcase your catering services and provide information about how to book them.
If you’d like to buy and download our template for $79, check out our brand new restaurant website template today!
Now that you have some examples to design your restaurant website, you’re ready to add copy and optimize your site for SEO! We’ll share some tips in the next section.
Importance of SEO When Designing a Restaurant Website
When designing your restaurant website, it's essential to keep local SEO top of mind.
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your website and online presence to attract more local customers to your restaurant. Essentially, it helps your restaurant show up higher in search engine results (Google, Bing) when people in your local area search for keywords related to your restaurant or the type of food you serve.
With millions of websites on the internet, it's easy for your website to get lost in the crowd. By optimizing your website for SEO from day one, you can improve your chances of being found by potential customers who are searching for restaurants like yours. Here are some tips:
- Conduct keyword research: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify the most relevant and popular keywords related to your restaurant. Incorporate these keywords into your website's content, meta tags, and URLs. If you don’t know what these SEO terms are, download our guide.
- Optimize your content: Ensure your website's content is high-quality, relevant, and informative. Use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to structure your content and include your target keywords naturally throughout your text.
- Optimize your meta tags: Your website's title tag and meta description are crucial for SEO. These tags provide search engines with a brief overview of your website's content. Ensure your title tag includes your target keywords and is no more than 60 characters. Your meta description should be no more than 160 characters and provide a compelling summary of your website's content.
- Utilize Google Search Console to monitor your website's performance, identify technical issues, and optimize your website's visibility on Google search.
- Create and maintain a Google Business Profile to improve your online presence and visibility in local search results. This will allow you to manage your business information, interact with customers, and track your performance on Google Maps and Search.
If you want to read more tips on SEO for small businesses, take a look at the resources below:
Hiring a Restaurant Website Designer
If you're feeling overwhelmed with the idea of designing your restaurant website and optimizing it for SEO, don't worry - you're not alone. We’d be happy to help!
At Slam, we’re a certified website design agency for restaurants and small businesses! By working with us, you'll have access to a dedicated team who will take the time to understand your business, your goals, and your unique vision. We'll collaborate with you to create a website that not only looks great but also drives traffic, leads, and revenue for your restaurant.
Alternatively, if you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, we also offer a pre-designed website template that you can customize to fit your brand and style. Whichever option you choose, our goal is to help you create a website that makes a lasting impression on your customers and helps you stand out in the crowded restaurant industry.
If you're interested in learning more about our services or purchasing our template, contact us! Or fill out the form below.
