Why is this so often the case?

Given I spend a lot of time looking at them – either for work or for research & planning our next meal over on Newcastle Eats, I think I’ve seen the full spectrum of restaurant websites now. From the dismal, single page calamities that show you styled food photos but don’t tell you where the bloody restaurant is, to all singing and dancing over-complicated affairs with the life story of the assistant sommelier.

Look, maybe your website as complex or as beautiful as you want.

My issue is that so, so, so, fucking many of them don’t do the basics.

I get the feeling restaurant owners get sold something that ‘looks’ great on paper – you’ll have seen it. Video banner, perhaps showing the chefs saucing some plate. Yay. Or a time-lapse of a busy service. Good for you. It might break the scroll. It might even (even if’s an old one) be built with the now-defunct Flash. But so rarely, so they do the only things we need from them.

I blame web designers – selling pretty pictures and not giving two flying fucks about functionality. It’s easy to pull the wool over a busy chef/owner’s eyes. They don’t know any better. But you should be selling in your expertise. The website should be driving visits, sales, revenue, and restaurant advocates. Not a barrier, and potential put-off and lost customer.

It’s simple. If your restaurant doesn’t do these three critical things, I think it’s a failure. I’m not going to your Instagram page, or your Google My Business to guess at these things.

OPENING TIMES

If I make the journey to your restaurant, are you actually going to be open?

If it’s that funky time between Christmas and New Year, are you going to be open on a Tuesday 27th December at 9PM? Google tries its best for these, but it’s never ideal. Gonna be arsey about kitchen closing? That’s fine, just tell me about it.

CONTACT DETAILS

This one is simple, right?

I don’t give a shit about your Facebook feed integration. Or your desperate push to get me signed up to your email list. Or your 12 days of Christmas promotion 🤮

Just give me a phone number. Despite the rise of OpenTable and the like, the best way to get in touch with any restaurant at a given time is still the old blower. I want to see this in the header if possible. And clickable on mobile. If not in the header, it must be in the footer. On every page. No ifs or buts about it. Website design is a tradeoff between form and function, and you can’t ignore this one.

‘We don’t accept reservations’, well that’s another rant entirely…

MENU

Finally, and most importantly for me, just put your fucking menu on the website.

I don’t even care if it’s last season’s menu, and you don’t have any of those dishes available any more (though that is disappointing). Give me an indication of what kind of food you’re putting out – is it a minimal and mysterious case of ‘carrot textures 8.5’ or ‘Hedley Hill rack of lamb with chargrilled Wye Valley asparagus tips, and buttery mash £15.50’.

Give me an indication of whether I’m gonna need to do some more research, and how much choice there is. Even moreso in today’s climate, win some woke points and point out all of your allowance (special menus?) for dietary requirements.

And use an old or sample menu if you must – though of course a daily menu signifies real class – but please get the price of dishes correct. “It’s only £1 extra” might make a difference to a customer who is giving a gift voucher, or has elected to pay cash, or any other reason. Does it have to be a PDF? That’s fine – how about adding some social sharing links or similar so I can send it to my dining partner? It’s 2020, if it hasn’t been seen in the WhatsApp group beforehand, are we even going?

I’m not at all a believer in ‘the customer is always right’, but there’s no negotiation on the above – surely?