Websites
How To Declutter Your Restaurant Website
March 17, 2017
5 things your website doesn’t need
Spring is here, and with it comes spring cleaning—now is the time to fine-tune your website and remove any unnecessary information that’s cluttering it up. Your website is the place guests go to find important information like your location, phone number, menu, and reservation information. In the past, we’ve talked about ways to make sure your website has all of this crucial information, so now we want to highlight a few of the things your website doesn’t need. Remember, a streamlined website lets your visitors access information easily, reduces load times, and generally makes a better impression on guests. Here’s what to look out for.
Ditch the PDF Menus
Not only do PDF menus lead to poor SEO results for your site, but your guests don’t like PDF menus because it’s a hassle for them to download a file just to view your offerings. The slow load time for most PDFs—particularly on mobile devices—makes for a poor visitor experience overall. With BentoBox, you can use HTML menus instead, which allows you to change and update menus quickly and painlessly.
Get Rid Of Reviews
Pause and ask yourself what reviews from TripAdvisor and similar sites are adding to your website. Reviews come with both positive and negative perspectives, and on your own site, there shouldn’t be anything negative about your restaurant. If guests want to see reviews of your restaurant, they can look elsewhere. Your website's purpose is to let your brand and story shine—don't let reviews distract people from that.
And Twitter, For That Matter
Likewise, if guests want to see your latest Tweets, they will go to your Twitter page. Having this feed on your website just makes it look crowded.
The Bonnie's website is simple, yet beautiful. It shows that less is more for a restaurant website.
Say Goodbye To Flash Player
Some websites use Flash to display animations and photo slideshows. But most mobile devices can’t display Flash content, and search engines aren’t able to read the text on a Flash site. In other words, you can’t see a Flash site on your cell phone, and Google will see your website as a single page with no content, so you’ll rank lower on search results.
Beyond that, consider the cost of maintaining a Flash website. Every time you want to update your menu, make an announcement or promote a special event, you’ll need to go back and hire a Flash designer to make the update every single time. Non-Flash, CMS (content management system) powered websites like the ones we offer give you the power to update your website easily without having to pay someone every time you want to change the wine list.
Part Ways With Fancy Fonts
Fonts that are different colors and sizes might look fun, but they’re really difficult to read. Guests come to your website seeking information—make it as easy as possible for them to find it with clean typography. You can purchase fonts online if you want it to be unique, but just make sure it’s clear and easy to read. Guests shouldn’t have to search too hard to find the basics.
Need help decluttering or not sure if your restaurant’s website has some of this stuff? Ask us for a free website evaluation to help get you started.
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