Introduction: Why Restaurant Website Design Matters More Than Ever
In today’s digital-first world, your restaurant’s website is often the first taste customers get of your brand. Long before they walk through your doors or place an order, they’re judging your credibility, menu quality, and overall experience from your online presence.
A professional and user-friendly restaurant website design is no longer optional. It boosts bookings, drives online orders, and establishes legitimacy. In fact, one study found that 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive.
Diners are also far more likely to trust a restaurant that has a clean, modern website compared to one that relies only on social media pages.
In this blog, we’ll walk through practical restaurant website design tips that help you attract more diners, build trust, and convert visitors into paying customers. We’ll also explore how simple tools—like adding a reservation widget or online ordering system—can take your site to the next level.
Why Restaurant Website Design Matters for Bookings and Orders
Customers Research Restaurants Online Before Visiting
Before choosing where to eat, most people will look up your restaurant online. According to OpenTable, 93% of people view menus online before dining out. If your site is outdated, hard to navigate, or nonexistent, you could be losing valuable customers to competitors with stronger websites.
A Website Builds Credibility and Legitimacy
A polished, well-structured website signals professionalism. Customers trust businesses that take the time to present themselves online with clear menus, contact information, and booking options.
Restaurants that only rely on third-party delivery apps or aggregator platforms often look less established. Having your own website makes your restaurant look credible, in control, and worth visiting.
It’s a Direct Sales Channel
A good restaurant website design isn’t just about aesthetics—it directly impacts your bottom line. By optimizing your site, you can encourage more reservations, capture online orders, and reduce reliance on commission-heavy delivery platforms.
According to Towards FnB, the online food delivery segment is projected to reach USD 715.89 billion in revenue by 2034. Owning your online ordering channel means you can capture a bigger slice of this market without paying steep commissions.
Core Elements of an Effective Restaurant Website Design
Designing a great restaurant website requires more than uploading your menu and phone number. Here are the essential elements every restaurant website should include:
1. Mobile Responsiveness
Most people browse restaurant websites on their phones. In fact, mobile devices make up 60% of web traffic globally. If your site doesn’t adapt to mobile, you risk frustrating potential customers.
2. Fast Loading Speeds
Speed matters. Google research shows that 53% of users will abandon a mobile site if it takes longer than three seconds to load. Compress images, use lightweight code, and invest in reliable hosting to keep your site fast.
3. Clear Navigation
Visitors shouldn’t have to hunt for your menu, hours, or location. Create a simple navigation bar with clear labels like “Menu,” “Book a Table,” “Order Online,” and “Contact.”
4. High-Quality Visuals
Your food sells your brand. Invest in professional photography that showcases dishes, ambiance, and staff. Not only does this improve conversions, but it also enhances your brand identity and social sharing.
5. SEO Best Practices
A website that looks great but can’t be found is a missed opportunity. Use descriptive meta titles, alt text for images, and structured data to improve your visibility. For example, adding schema markup for restaurants can help search engines display your business hours and ratings in search results.
Restaurant Website Design Tips to Boost Bookings
Make Reservations Effortless
Diners should be able to book a table in just a few clicks. Embedding a reservation tool directly on your website reduces friction and increases confirmed bookings.
With klikit Reservations, restaurants can easily add a booking widget to their site. This gives customers a seamless experience (no phone calls, no third-party apps) and helps restaurants keep everything organized in one dashboard.
Place CTAs Strategically
Your “Book a Table Now” button should appear above the fold and repeat throughout your website, especially near the menu and homepage hero section.
Showcase Social Proof
Feature customer reviews, press mentions, or testimonials near your booking section. According to a research by BrightLocal in 2020, 87% of consumers read online reviews before choosing a local business .
Add Incentives
Consider adding small perks like “Reserve now for a free appetizer” or “Book your table today to lock in happy hour specials.” This sense of urgency drives conversions.
Restaurant Website Design Tips to Boost Online Orders
Highlight the “Order Online” Button
Don’t hide your ordering feature in a menu dropdown. A bold, well-placed “Order Online” button on your homepage ensures customers can find it immediately.
Keep the Menu Updated
Few things frustrate customers more than outdated prices or unavailable dishes. Use a system that lets you update your menu in real time.
Promote Bestsellers and Deals
Highlight fan favorites or bundle deals directly on your website. This nudges customers toward higher-value purchases.
Optimize for Local SEO
Add keywords like “best pizza delivery in [City]” or “sushi near [Neighborhood].” Optimizing your site for search engines ensures that when hungry customers look for restaurants nearby, your website shows up first. A well-structured restaurant website design paired with SEO best practices helps you capture more local traffic and convert online searches into real orders.
How to Level Up Your Restaurant Website with klikit Webshop
One of the smartest ways to enhance your restaurant website design is to embed klikit Webshop directly onto your site. Unlike relying only on third-party delivery apps, klikit Webshop gives you a customizable, lower-fee way to manage online orders right from your own digital storefront.
Seamless User Experience
With klikit Webshop, customers can browse your menu and place an order without ever leaving your website. The entire process feels smooth, branded, and professional—keeping your diners engaged with your restaurant instead of getting distracted by competitor listings on aggregator apps.
Integration with Your Dashboard
All orders made through klikit Webshop flow straight into your klikit dashboard. That means no juggling multiple tablets or accounts—just a single, streamlined system that connects to the rest of your operations.
Lower Fees than Third-Party Apps
Third-party delivery apps can take hefty commission fees per order. klikit Webshop offers restaurants a more sustainable alternative with lower fees, so you keep more of your revenue while still offering your guests the convenience of online ordering.
Build Credibility and Trust
Having your own ordering system on your website signals legitimacy. Customers are more confident ordering from an official, professional-looking site powered by klikit Webshop, compared to relying solely on external links or apps.
By integrating klikit Webshop into your restaurant website, you not only create a better customer experience but also strengthen your brand, improve efficiency, and maximize profits.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Restaurant Website Design
Even small mistakes can cost you bookings and orders. Watch out for these pitfalls:
- Hard-to-find contact info – Always list phone, email, and address clearly.
- Overcomplicated menus – Avoid PDFs that require downloads; opt for simple web menus.
- No mobile optimization – A site that only looks good on desktop loses mobile users.
- Weak or missing CTAs – Guide your visitors toward booking or ordering.
- Outdated design – A stale-looking site undermines credibility and makes your restaurant seem neglected.
Final Checklist: Restaurant Website Design That Works
Here’s a quick checklist to keep in mind:
- Mobile-friendly design
- Fast loading speeds
- Clear navigation and CTAs
- Professional food photography
- Integrated booking tool (e.g., klikit Reservations)
- Embedded ordering system (e.g., klikit Webshop)
- SEO optimization with local keywords
- Visible contact details and reviews
Conclusion: Turn Your Restaurant Website Into a Sales Engine
Your restaurant’s website is more than just a digital brochure—it’s your most valuable sales tool. With the right restaurant website design, you can build trust, boost bookings, and drive more online orders.
Start with the basics: fast speeds, mobile optimization, clear navigation, and strong visuals. Then, take it further by embedding reservation and ordering widgets that simplify the customer journey and save you money on commissions.
If you’re ready to streamline both dine-in and online sales, explore how klikit can help you offer a seamless customer experience while keeping operations efficient.
