I've looked at a lot of restaurant and café websites across the West Midlands over the years - from places in Wolverhampton's city centre to little independents in Cannock and Stourbridge. And most of them make the same handful of mistakes. Not because the owners don't care, but because nobody told them what actually matters.
This guide is the straight answer to that.
The mistakes I see over and over again
Before we get into what a good restaurant site needs, let's clear out what's holding most of them back.
PDF menus. I cannot stress this enough: do not put your menu in a PDF. A PDF won't load properly on a phone, it's impossible to read without zooming and scrolling, and Google can't read it properly either - which means your dishes and cuisine type aren't helping you rank in local searches. Write your menu in plain HTML text on the page. It's better for customers and better for search engines.
No mobile version. Most people searching for somewhere to eat in Birmingham or Wolverhampton are doing it on their phone, often while they're already out. If your site doesn't work properly on mobile - tiny text, buttons that don't tap, photos that take forever to load - those people are gone within three seconds. Gone to the place down the road that has a decent site.
Outdated opening hours. This one actually damages trust. Someone drives across from Walsall, checks your website for your Sunday hours, and arrives to find you're closed. They won't come back, and they'll probably leave a grumpy review. Keeping your opening hours current is one of the simplest, highest-value things you can do.
No address or a buried address. Your full address - including postcode - should be on your homepage and on a dedicated contact page. Don't make people hunt for it. They won't.
What a good restaurant website actually needs
1. Your key information above the fold
When someone lands on your homepage, within the first screenful they should be able to see: the name of your restaurant, what kind of food you serve, where you are, and whether you're currently open. That's it. Clear, fast, no clutter.
2. A proper, readable menu
Written out on the page. Sections for starters, mains, desserts, drinks - whatever fits your setup. Include prices. If you have allergen information or options for dietary requirements, note them clearly. People planning a meal out often need to check for someone in their group who's vegetarian, vegan, or has an allergy. Make it easy for them and you'll win the booking.
3. Good photos
You don't need a professional shoot - though it helps - but you do need photos that make the food and the space look appealing. A few decent shots taken in good natural light are miles better than blurry images from five years ago or, worse, stock photos that have nothing to do with your actual food. People eat with their eyes before they even walk in.
4. A booking link or phone number - prominent
Whatever your preferred booking method, it needs to be obvious. A big "Book a Table" button near the top of the page. If you use an online booking system like OpenTable or ResDiary, link to it directly. If you prefer the phone, make the number large and tappable on mobile. Don't make people search for how to give you their money.
5. Opening hours and address, clearly displayed
Put these on the homepage. Put them in the footer. Put them on the contact page. Somewhere in here, embed a Google Map too - it reassures people who don't know the area and makes navigation dead easy for someone visiting Cannock or heading into Birmingham from out of town.
6. A sentence or two about who you are
People like eating at places with a bit of personality. A short "about us" section - even just a paragraph - goes a long way. Where did you come from? What's your style? Are you family-run? Have you been in Wolverhampton for twenty years? Say so. It builds warmth and trust in a way that a plain menu list never can.
A quick checklist
- Menu written in HTML on the page (no PDF)
- Mobile-friendly design that loads quickly
- Opening hours that are actually up to date
- Full address with postcode, and an embedded map
- Clear booking button or prominent phone number
- Real photos of your food and space
- A short "about" section with some personality
- Contact details in the footer on every page
One more thing
If you're running a restaurant or café in the West Midlands and you're relying entirely on Facebook and TripAdvisor to be found online, you're handing control of your business to someone else's platform. Those platforms change their algorithms, start charging more for visibility, or just get less popular over time. Your own website is yours. It doesn't disappear. It doesn't get suspended. And it will keep working for you long after the social media landscape has shifted again.
A clean, honest, well-built restaurant website isn't a luxury in 2026. It's just part of being open for business.
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