Restaurant website basics
Building your restaurant's website: the essentials
SmoothEat editorial team
Someone looking for a restaurant wants to know within seconds what you serve, where you are, whether you are open and how to order. A good site answers those questions plainly, and tells search engines the same thing.
1. A readable menu, as text
Publish your menu as real text with prices, not as an image or a scanned PDF. Text reads well on mobile and Google can index it. Group by category, show sizes and extras, and flag allergens when you can.
2. Address, phone and opening hours
These three details should appear on every page or one click away. They must match your Google listing exactly: any mismatch confuses search engines and customers.
3. A button to order, visible at once
A restaurant's main action is ordering or booking. Put a clear button at the top of the page, on mobile and desktop. State the available modes: dine-in, takeaway, delivery.
4. Real photos of your dishes and your room
Generic stock photos do not build trust. A few sharp photos of your dishes taken in daylight beat a blurry gallery. Give them descriptive alt text.
5. Reviews and news
Show your customers' reviews and post your specials or holiday hours. A site that moves reassures visitors and gives Google a reason to come back.
6. Legal pages
Legal notice, terms of sale and a privacy policy are required for a site that takes orders. SmoothEat generates these pages from your restaurant's details.
7. A domain name of your own
An address like your-restaurant.com is easier to remember, print and share. With SmoothEat's Pro plan you connect your own domain and the security certificate is handled automatically.
- Create your site for free with the Free plan.
- Enter your menu, opening hours and address.
- Add your photos and choose the layout and colours.
- Share the address with your regular customers.