Restaurant Website Design: How to Turn Your Website Into Your Best Marketing Tool (And Stop Losing Customers to DoorDash)
The restaurant industry faces a critical challenge: expensive delivery platforms are eating into profits while many restaurants still have outdated, slow websites that fail to attract local customers. While platforms like DoorDash and UberEats charge 20-30% commission fees, a professional, fast-loading website can help restaurants get found by local customers and present their business professionally online.
Most restaurant websites suffer from basic problems that drive potential customers away: slow loading speeds, poor mobile experience, and unprofessional appearance. When someone searches for “restaurants near me” on their phone, these issues can mean the difference between gaining a new customer or losing them to a competitor.
Why Most Restaurant Websites Fail
1. Slow Loading Speeds Kill Conversions
Restaurant websites are typically loaded with high-resolution food photos that haven’t been properly optimized. Website speed is critical for all businesses, but especially for restaurants where customers are often hungry and impatient.
Common speed problems include:
- Unoptimized food photos that take forever to load
- Bloated template code from page builders
- Too many plugins slowing down the site
- Poor hosting that can’t handle traffic spikes
When a restaurant website takes more than 3 seconds to load, potential customers will simply click back and choose a competitor.
2. Poor Mobile Experience
With 78% of restaurant searches happening on mobile devices, most restaurant websites provide terrible mobile experiences:
- Tiny text that’s impossible to read
- Menus that don’t work on smartphones
- Contact information that’s hard to find
- No click-to-call functionality
- Slow loading on mobile connections
3. Unprofessional Appearance
Many restaurants use cheap template websites that make them look unprofessional compared to competitors. Generic designs, stock photos, and cookie-cutter layouts don’t help restaurants stand out in a crowded market.
4. Poor Local SEO
Most restaurant websites aren’t optimized for local search, missing opportunities when people search for “restaurants near me” or “best pizza in [city].” Without proper local SEO optimization, potential customers can’t find your restaurant online.
What Makes a Professional Restaurant Website
1. Lightning-Fast Loading Speed
A professional restaurant website should load in under 2 seconds, even with beautiful food photography. This requires:
- Properly optimized images that maintain quality while reducing file size
- Clean, efficient code without unnecessary bloat
- Fast hosting that can handle traffic
- Mobile optimization for smartphone users
2. Mobile-First Design
Since most restaurant searches happen on mobile, your website must be designed for smartphones first:
- Large, easy-to-tap buttons for phone calls and directions
- Readable text without zooming
- Fast navigation to key information like menu, hours, and location
- Quick access to contact information
3. Professional Presentation
Your website should reflect the quality of your restaurant:
- Professional food photography that makes dishes look appetizing
- Clean, modern design that matches your restaurant’s atmosphere
- Easy-to-read menus with current pricing
- Clear contact information and location details
4. Local Search Optimization
Your website needs to be optimized for local searches:
- Google Business Profile integration with consistent information
- Location-specific content about your neighborhood and community
- Proper schema markup to help search engines understand your business
- Local keywords that people use when searching for restaurants
Essential Pages Every Restaurant Website Needs
1. Homepage That Converts
Your homepage should immediately tell visitors:
- What type of restaurant you are
- Where you’re located
- How to contact you
- What makes you special
2. Menu Page
Your online menu should be:
- Easy to read on all devices
- Current and accurate with real pricing
- Well-organized by categories
- Mobile-friendly for smartphone viewing
3. Location and Hours
Make it easy for customers to find and visit you:
- Clear address and directions
- Current hours including holidays
- Parking information
- Contact details
4. About Page
Tell your story and what makes your restaurant special:
- Your restaurant’s history and philosophy
- What makes you different from competitors
- Your team and their expertise
- Your commitment to quality
Local SEO for Restaurants
Getting found in local search results is crucial for restaurants. When people search for “restaurants near me” or “best Italian food in [city],” you want to appear prominently.
Key Local SEO Strategies
Google Business Profile: Keep your profile updated with current hours, photos, and information. Respond to reviews professionally.
Consistent Information: Make sure your name, address, and phone number are identical across your website and all online directories.
Local Content: Write about your neighborhood, local events you participate in, and community involvement.
Customer Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and respond to all feedback professionally.
Targeting the Right Keywords
Focus on searches people actually use:
- “[Cuisine type] restaurant near me”
- “Best [food type] in [city]”
- “Restaurant delivery [area]”
- “[Restaurant name] menu”
- “[Restaurant name] hours”
The Platform Dependency Problem
Many restaurants have become overly dependent on delivery platforms that charge high commission fees:
- DoorDash charges 15-30% commission per order
- UberEats takes 15-30% plus additional fees
- Grubhub charges similar rates with various fee structures
While these platforms can provide visibility, they also:
- Take a large percentage of each order
- Control the customer relationship
- Can change fees or policies at any time
- Make you compete directly with other restaurants
A professional website helps reduce this dependency by:
- Getting you found in local search results
- Presenting your restaurant professionally
- Providing a place to link to your preferred ordering method
- Building your brand independently of platforms
What Hermes Web Agency Provides for Restaurants
At Hermes Web Agency, we specialize in building fast, professional websites that help restaurants get found online and present their business effectively.
The Hermes PageSpeed Guarantee™
We guarantee your restaurant website will achieve a 90+ Google PageSpeed score, ensuring it loads quickly for hungry customers browsing on their phones.
The Hermes Geo-Guarantee™
We won’t work with competing restaurants within 25 miles of your location, ensuring your digital advantage remains exclusive in your local market.
What We Build for Restaurants
Fast, Professional Websites: Hand-coded sites that load quickly and look professional on all devices.
Mobile-First Design: Websites designed specifically for smartphone users who are searching for restaurants.
Local SEO Optimization: Help you get found when people search for restaurants in your area.
Professional Food Photography Integration: Properly optimize your food photos for fast loading while maintaining visual appeal.
Menu Display: Clean, easy-to-read menu presentation that works on all devices.
Contact Information: Make it easy for customers to find your location, hours, and contact details.
What We Don’t Do
We focus on building fast, professional websites. We don’t provide:
- Custom online ordering systems
- POS integration
- Payment processing
- Email marketing platforms
- CRM systems
However, we can link your website to existing ordering platforms you may already use, such as your current online ordering system or delivery platforms.
Investment in Your Restaurant’s Online Presence
A professional website is an investment in your restaurant’s long-term success. While delivery platforms charge ongoing commission fees, a well-built website:
- Works 24/7 to attract new customers
- Builds your brand independently of platforms
- Gets you found in local search results
- Presents your restaurant professionally
- Provides long-term value without ongoing fees
Typical Restaurant Website Investment
- Professional website development: One-time investment
- Annual hosting and maintenance: Minimal ongoing costs
- Long-term value: Continues working to attract customers
Compare this to ongoing platform fees that can cost thousands per month with no long-term asset building.
Getting Started: Your Restaurant’s Digital Foundation
The restaurants that succeed online are those that invest in professional websites while their competitors rely on outdated template sites or depend entirely on expensive delivery platforms.
Key Considerations
- Speed matters: Restaurant customers are often hungry and impatient
- Mobile-first: Most searches happen on smartphones
- Local focus: People search for nearby restaurants
- Professional presentation: Your website reflects your restaurant’s quality
Next Steps
If your restaurant currently has a slow, outdated website or relies too heavily on expensive delivery platforms, consider investing in a professional website that:
- Loads quickly on all devices
- Gets found in local search results
- Presents your restaurant professionally
- Provides long-term marketing value
Conclusion
Your restaurant’s website should be a marketing tool that works 24/7 to attract local customers and present your business professionally. While delivery platforms will likely remain part of the restaurant landscape, reducing dependency on them through better online presence makes good business sense.
A fast, professional website helps you get found when people search for restaurants in your area, presents your business professionally, and provides a foundation for long-term growth without ongoing commission fees.
Ready to build a fast, professional website that helps your restaurant get found by local customers? Contact us today for a free consultation and discover how we can help your restaurant succeed online.
