Website for Restaurants: What Your Business Needs Online
Why Your Restaurant Needs a Professional Website
80% of guests research a restaurant online before making a reservation. They look for menus, opening hours, photos of the ambiance — and if they can't find them, they go to the competition.
A Facebook page or Google Business listing alone isn't enough. You need a website that you control, that reflects your brand and that gets found on Google.
The Numbers Speak for Themselves
- 70% of guests prefer to reserve online rather than by phone
- 90% read online reviews before visiting a restaurant
- Restaurants with a complete Google profile and website receive 2x more reservations
- 46% of all Google searches have a local intent — "restaurant near me" is one of the most common search terms
If you don't convince online, you lose guests to the competition. A professional website isn't a luxury — it's your digital storefront.
What a Restaurant Website Must Have
Not every website is the same. A restaurant website has specific requirements that a generic template doesn't cover.
Online Reservation
First things first: Your guests want to book online — not call, not email. Systems like Resmio, Foratable or Google Reserve can be embedded directly into your website. The reservation button must be prominently visible — ideally in the navigation and as a sticky button on mobile.
Digital Menu
No PDF downloads. A digital HTML menu is SEO-friendly, mobile-optimized and always up to date. Google can read and index the content — a PDF can't. Divide the menu into categories (starters, main courses, desserts, drinks) and show prices.
Opening Hours and Location
Sounds basic, but many restaurants get it wrong: Opening hours must be immediately visible — not hidden on a subpage. An embedded Google Map shows the location and makes navigation easy. Don't forget to maintain holiday opening hours.
High-Quality Photos
People eat with their eyes — digitally too. Professional photos of dishes, ambiance and team make the difference between "sounds good" and "I want to go there." Invest in a food photographer or use good natural light.
Instagram Feed
An embedded Instagram feed shows current dishes, events and your venue's atmosphere. This creates authenticity and keeps the website automatically fresh — without you having to create extra content.
Online Reservations: How to Implement Them Right
Online reservation is the heart of every restaurant website. Implemented correctly, it reduces no-shows, relieves your team and improves the guest experience.
The Best Tools for Swiss Restaurants
Resmio
Foratable
Google Reserve
TheFork
Best Practices
- Reservation button in the navigation — not after scrolling three times
- Mobile-optimized: 60%+ of reservations come from smartphones
- Confirmation email sent automatically
- Reminder 24h before the appointment (reduces no-shows by up to 30%)
- Table size and special requests collected (allergies, high chair, terrace)
- Sync opening hours with booking calendar — nothing is more annoying than a booking on a closed day
Common Mistakes with Restaurant Websites
1. Menu Only as PDF
PDFs are not indexable, not mobile-friendly and cumbersome to update. Every time a price changes, you need to create and upload a new PDF. An HTML menu is the better solution — for you and your guests.
2. No Mobile Optimization
Most guests search on their smartphone. If your website doesn't work on mobile — too small text, horizontal scrolling, slow loading times — you lose potential visitors in seconds.
3. Outdated Information
Nothing destroys trust faster than wrong opening hours or a menu from last year. Keep your website up to date — or have someone do it for you.
4. No Local SEO
You have a beautiful website, but nobody finds it? Without Local SEO you're invisible. Optimize your Google Business Profile, use local keywords, collect reviews — that's essential.
5. Too Slow Loading Time
Large, uncompressed images are the most common performance killer. Optimize your images (WebP format, max 200KB) and use lazy loading. A website that takes longer than 3 seconds to load loses 53% of mobile visitors.
How Much Does a Restaurant Website Cost?
The cost depends on scope. Here are our options at Bare Creative:
WaaS Basic
WaaS Standard
Webdesign Starter
Webdesign Professional
Not sure which package suits your restaurant? Check out our WaaS model — the smart alternative for restaurants on a budget.
What's Included in All Packages?
- Hosting and SSL certificate
- Responsive design (mobile + desktop)
- Contact form
- Google Maps integration
- Basic SEO (meta titles, descriptions, alt texts)
- Monthly maintenance and security updates
Larger packages include online reservation, Instagram integration, advanced SEO optimization and custom features.
Learn more about general website costs in our detailed cost guide.
Checklist: Restaurant Website
- Online reservation system integrated and prominently visible
- Digital menu in HTML (no PDF) with prices and categories
- Opening hours and location immediately visible (Google Maps embedded)
- Professional photos of dishes, ambiance and team
- Mobile-optimized with fast loading time (under 3 seconds)
- Local SEO set up (Google Business Profile, local keywords, reviews)
- Instagram feed embedded for current content
- Contact details and phone number as click-to-call
- Special requests and allergies queryable in the reservation form
- Regular updates of menu and events
Your Next Step
Your restaurant deserves a website that convinces guests — not just informs them. Whether you're just starting out or finally want to professionalize your existing website: We'll help you with that.
View web design packages | Discover WaaS model | Free initial consultation
Want to know first what makes a good website? Or learn how to best plan the website creation process? Read up — we're ready when you are.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Webdesign
The most important answers about Webdesign and what you should know.
A professional restaurant website at Bare Creative costs between CHF 1,750 (WaaS Basic) and CHF 10,000 (Webdesign Professional). Most restaurants start with WaaS Standard at CHF 3,000 one-time plus CHF 75 monthly — including hosting, updates and support.
Yes, absolutely. 70% of restaurant guests prefer to book online. Systems like Resmio, Foratable or Google Reserve can be easily integrated into your website and simultaneously reduce phone workload.
Through Local SEO: An optimized Google Business Profile, local keywords like 'restaurant Zurich' on your website, consistent NAP data in directories and positive Google reviews. This gets you into the Local Pack — the map view for local searches.
Yes. With a CMS you can update menus, opening hours, events and images yourself. With WaaS, we can also handle this for you — content changes are included in the monthly package.
A WaaS website is online in 2–3 weeks. A custom web design project takes 4–8 weeks — depending on scope and feedback rounds.
For small venues with standard requirements, a customized template (WaaS) is sufficient. If you have an upscale restaurant with its own branding and special requirements, a custom design is worth it — it sets you apart from the competition.
Ready for the next step?
Let's build a website together that doesn't just look great — but also performs.