10 Reasons Why Restaurant Websites Suck

Heads up, restaurateurs.  You may have the most innovative restaurant concept at the moment but your fifteen minutes of fame may tick faster than expected if your website sucks.

The Internet has made a spoiled, lazy lot out of us.  When we need to know something, we google it (or bing it depending on your age bracket).  We make no move without searching relevant keywords, looking up some articles, checking out reviews and yes…we still check out message boards.  We even create threads and sub-topics to get the information that we want: Is it worth the money?  Is it worth the effort?  Is it a value?  Should I even bother? Sometimes we may even check out your website.  Sadly we know that 99% of all restaurant websites are crap.  I can name names.

It takes more than listing an address, contact information and a map to make a website effective. I am not going to tell you what makes a restaurant website appealing other than the sensible components and information any potential customer will look for.

You run a business.   Be professional. Don’t let your niece Soula design your website just because she took a Photoshop class in community college. If your website has any of the below features, get rid of them. They are the reason your restaurant website sucks:

10. Annoying Music

Sometimes we plan our dates discretely, the last thing we need is elevator music surprisingly blasting from our computer’s built-in speakers.  Hence, what counts as “annoying” music?  What about a nice steakhouse playing some corny cowboy country music?  Or a romantic French restaurant continuously airing Kenny G’s “Silhouette”? Just leave the music off your site. And please, if you do decide to put music on your site, do not load the page at full volume.  The last thing we want co-workers to find out is the weekend plan to have a Japanese dinner Saturday night while some screechy pop music plays in the background.

9. Homepage does not have any information

Maybe your restaurant’s concept is “mystery”, but the last thing we need is to go through the mysterious adventure of finding out where on earth your restaurant is located, what kind of food is served, what time the restaurant opens and closes, how to get in touch with your and how much will I need to spend. It is still important to convey at least the potential damage to the wallet may incur.  Are you  aware of those movies where customers who are unable to pay the bill end up in the kitchen washing dishes?  We don’t want to go through that. (And yes, that screen shot is from a real restaurant landing page).

8. Not offering additional services, i.e. delivery, online ordering, etc.

One thing we expect from the interweb these days: everything.  I do not want to call your restaurant, be placed on hold, speak to someone I don’t understand. A successful restaurant website is more than just a hub of information, pictures, and testimonials. Add features such as online ordering and online reservations.  If your site cannot handle these features and can only add an online form, make sure you have someone to answer these inquiries. I am lazy and if you want my business, you have to do some of the work for me.

7. No images or bad images

Your restaurant might look interesting on the outside, but people eat inside your restaurant and would like to know what it looks like.  This is particularly crucial to those who plan important events like a first date, an engagement or a simple dinner with family.  I want to be aware of the spatial experience.  Trust me, many people make their restaurant choices on the look of the restaurant.  Your webpage can be a great portal where you can showcase your restaurant — neat, clean, tables, attractive and worthy of my visit.

6. Menu has not been updated for years

The main problem of business sites is that many of them think that once the site is up, things will move on their own.  What your niece uploaded to your site two years ago is probably no longer relevant.  The menu is a critical component in any restaurant website and it is important to constantly update it based on the new specials and dishes that had to be taken out of the service.  If you don’t do this, many customers may assume they can order a particular dish because it is on the menu online.  You certainly do not want to get on the wrong foot with a customer by informing him or her that the menu on the website was two years old, right? Keep everything on the same page (appetizers, main courses, desserts, etc…) and please, no flash or PDF menus.

5. No links to social media

Another sign of a restaurant that is up to the times.  Restaurants need to have a strong social media presence in order to be successful.  Restaurants these days have their Facebook and Twitter accounts, some even blog on a regular basis.  Make sure to link to your social media outlets on your home page. Offer incentives to your potential clients for following you in said outlets. Utilize these FREE tools to bring your clients back. If you are not ready to embrace social media, you should consider getting out of the game.

4. Menus that do not display pricing

Customers who are in for white truffle risotto or bottles of Petrus may not care. Most customers who find menu prices online will be grateful.  Don’t be elusive and deny us the information on the pricing of your dishes.  How hard can it be?  Just copy and paste the menu file. Do not PDF it. Do not put it in as flash. Just display it on the page.

3. Homepage is not compatible with smart phones

Here is something you should know: people on the go check information online most of the time. Since they are on the go, they carry smartphones.  What does this mean?  It is a bother for smartphone users to go through every web page just so they can click on the contact information. Please spare us the hassle and have the basic information (address, telephone number, reservation email address) on the homepage.  Spend a few bucks and have your page optimized so I can view it on my iPhone. And please make sure that the information can be easily copy/pasted.  I already told you I was lazy.

2. No links to reviews

Reviews should be part of the restaurant’s marketing strategy.  And since there are tons of foodies and bloggers out there making their opinions heard, it is likely that there is at least one person who has reviewed you. Your restaurant’s marketing campaign should make it easy for customers to find reviews.  Show them off proudly like medals. And if you don’t have any good reviews…you may want to think about starting a new business.

1. Do not Flash It!

Flash websites are the worst in the planet. They will kill your SEO, so websites with those negative reviews will come up before your website does. Flash is slow to load so your bounce rate will be high. Flash is not friendly on mobile platforms like iPhones, so people looking for you on their phones will not be able to access your information. This is a sample of why I hate flash on restaurant websites. I just want to know where you are located, I don’t want to watch your online commercial or listen to your favorite song.  An information-packed, well-designed HTML website works just fine.  We want information and insight. Keep it simple, make us happy.

In the comments below list a few other items that didn’t make the list or better yet just list a few junky restaurant websites.