7 Signs Your Restaurant’s Website Could Use a Upgrade

Written by Justine Nightingale
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 05:00am CDT

When was the last time you really looked at your restaurant? It’s time.

You have a restaurant website. It has photos on it, and it includes an online menu. Your restaurant website works for what you need. Or does it?

If your website is more than three-five years old, it’s time to take a long hard look at the customer experience. While it is important that your website works for what you need, it’s even more important for it to work for what your customers need.

In this article, we look at seven sings your restaurant’s website could use an upgrade.

#1: Your Restaurant Website is Slow

A restaurant website renovation is a must have if your website is slow. In fact, slow loading times can ruin even the most perfectly appointed website.

Your website absolutely must load in fewer than five seconds. If it doesn’t, it’s time for an upgrade.

Why are slow websites bad for business? First, Google doesn’t like slow websites. Second, your site visitors don’t have a lot of patience, and they’ll bounce off in just a few seconds. In fact, research by Google found that 53% of mobile website visitors leave if a webpage doesn’t load within three seconds.

Upgrading your website, compressing your images, and hosting videos on YouTube or Vimeo can really help speed up your website.

#2: Your Website Isn’t Optimized for Mobile

It is well past time for your website to be optimized for mobile. If it’s not, you need to move quickly to upgrade your restaurant website.

It’s imperative that your website work equally well on smartphones, tablets, desktops, and laptops.

More than 80% of users are searching for restaurants on their phones. So, if yours isn’t optimized, and people have to pinch and move around on their phones, you are going to lose customers.

If your site isn’t optimized, that generally means you need a brand new website.

#3: Your Website Content is Out of Date

If it’s been several years since you’ve added content of any kind including text, video, and images, it’s time for an upgrade.

You’ll find that your website ranks better on Google searches if your content gets updated regularly.

What’s more when you change out content such as calls to action and imagery, you’ll entice repeat customers. This in turn builds trust and encourages loyalty.

Don’t forget your essential information. For example, are your hours up to date? When was the last time you wrote a blog? Do you still offer all the menu items listed? Do you have any that aren’t on there?

Also, when was the last time you optimized your website for search engine optimization (SEO)? If it’s been a while, an upgrade is in line.

Update your website with fresh content, and you’ll find you get more traffic, and your current customers will keep on coming back.

#4: Your Website Customer Experience is Off

Do you know what the user experience is like on your website? Have you tested any of the features lately? Have you had friends or family test it?

What are your customers telling you about your website?

Things to look for when it comes to the overall website’s user experience include ease of navigation, valuable content, easy purchase choices.

If you think the customer experience on your website is subpar, it’s time for an upgrade.

It’s important your user experience is top notch. This helps keep visitors on your website, it provides them with the best possible customer service, and ultimately it improves your revenue.

Make sure your website is optimized for mobile to increase traffic.

#5: Your Restaurant Website has a High Bounce Rate

Your website’s bounce rate is an important metric. This is the percentage of website visitors who leave your website after looking at only one page. If your bounce rate is too high, your website may not be easy to navigate, it may be too slow, or it may not be enticing.

High bounce rates mean it’s time to upgrade your website. What is a high bounce rate?

According to one study on bounce rates:

• A great bounce rate is between 26-40%.
• If your bounce rate is between 41-55%, your website is average.
• Yet, if your bounce rate is 56-70% it’s high. You do want to be careful here, though, and dive into your analytics. You may find a good reason for it.
• If your bounce rate is over 70%, it’s way too high.

So, if your bounce rate is 50%, that means that half of every 100 website visitors is leaving your website after visiting just one page.

Whether or not you decide to upgrade your website because of your bounce rate depends on your goals. For some restaurants, they will upgrade to improve from a 27% bounce rate to a 15% bounce rate. Others want to move from 70% to 45%.

Whatever your goals, take a long look at your analytics and create a strategy for improvement.

#6: Your Website is Hard to Navigate

Your website navigation is vital to a good user experience.

To decide if your navigation needs improvement, take a stroll through your website. Click every link in your navigation. Make sure they all work. Ensure that the links are intuitive. (tweet this)

Are they named appropriately? Are the most important things to users easy to get to in one step?

Your website users’ satisfaction depends on your navigation. It’s time to upgrade if it’s not easy to navigate.

#7: Your Website Isn’t Generating Orders

Finally, if your website isn’t generating online orders, your website needs an upgrade.

It must be easy for customers to place online orders or make reservations. It must also be simple for them to find your location and your hours.

In addition, if you aren’t getting traffic, leads, or people joining your email list, you need a refresh.

Final Thoughts on Your Restaurant Website

As a restaurant owner, you know that good customer service begins with your website since it’s often the first place people go to learn about your restaurant.

Your website brings customers into your restaurant. It helps people place online orders and make reservations.

Yet, if your website isn’t operating at an elevated level, it’s not going to do any of those things.

Upgrade your restaurant website, and you’ll soon find a better user experience for website visitors and increased revenue for your restaurant. (tweet this)

At Restaurant Engine, not only do we create great, responsive websites, but you can count on us to create a website that integrates seamless online ordering. Let us help you with your upgrade! Ready to take the plunge and create a new website? Get your free website consultation today!

Images: Igor Miske and Igor Miske on Unsplash