Think back to your last outstanding Calgary restaurant experience. Maybe you were out with friends, relaxing after a long work week. The service was excellent, and your server took the time to highlight what truly made this place special.
Perhaps when you were seated, they introduced themselves and immediately made you feel welcome and comfortable. Recommending their favorite cocktail, they described it so well that you just had to give it a try.
Soon a round of hand-crafted drinks arrived, perfectly balanced and bright with quality ingredients like fresh basil and locally-produced spirits. Conversation bloomed around the table, with everyone laughing and having a lovely time.
Your server returned, with suggestions of appetizers to kick off the meal. Again, you felt comfortable trying their suggestion, because they spoke with such confidence and made the ingredients sound perfectly irresistible! Entrees and maybe even desserts followed, each course better than the last.
Experiences like this are what every diner is hoping for when they choose to visit a restaurant. But how do restaurants showcase this potential experience before their patrons even walk through their doors?
Ideally, they’ve taken the time to create a beautiful and engaging website, offering customers a preview of what they can look forward to at their establishment. A quality website shows that they’re proud to show off their Calgary restaurant in all its gleaming style, and allows customers a fun and engaging space to gather information.
Your potential customers will use your website to decide whether they want to enjoy a meal at your restaurant—which is why your Calgary restaurant web design is so important! We’d love to share some of our restaurant web design tips with you, so you can make sure that your website stokes cravings and looks literally good enough to eat.
Coordinating Color Combinations: Build Better Branding
Consistency and continuity matter. Have you ever looked at a restaurant’s menu and noticed that they didn’t really have a specialty? Maybe their menu was so large that it was chaotic, or they were offering so many types of cuisine that it led you to question whether their ingredients could possibly be fresh enough.
When you’re shaping your Calgary restaurant web design, you want to emphasize to potential customers that your restaurant has an incredible atmosphere and delicious food. You’ll want to create a color scheme that highlights and supports the type of environment and food that you specialize in.
It’s common for restaurants to use neutral color schemes that help images of their dining area and menu items to stand out. Since you want these areas to stand out, don’t distract with overly vibrant color schemes. However, if your brand is bright and colorful, it could be appropriate to make an exception to this rule.
You want visitors to your website to feel like you’re experts on the type of cuisine you specialize in. Highlighting your style and signature dishes in a way that makes them stand out and look mouthwatering is a must. Then, you’re creating trust and extending an invitation for potential customers to come give your restaurant a try.
Professional Photography: Our #1 Calgary Restaurant Web Design Tip
You may have heard it said that people eat first with their eyes. In the context of a restaurant, this means that plating and presentation of the food is just as important as how the meal will taste. Imagine a chef plating a meal, cleaning up any excess that has dripped on the side of the plate, then thoughtfully placing a garnish on the dish.
Just like that chef took care to ensure that his recipes were presented as beautifully as possible, you’ll want to take the time to make your Calgary restaurant web design look its best. Professional photography can be a great way to show off your restaurant and menu. Just remember, many of your potential customers will choose whether or not to visit your restaurant based on the photos you use.
When you choose to work with a professional photographer, they’ll help you create images that truly show your restaurant in the best light. Pictures that show a welcoming, clean environment help potential customers imagine themselves in your restaurant, ready to enjoy one of your wonderful meals. High-quality images are a proven way to create engagement and connection with your customers.
Previously, we’ve written about how important professional photos are. This couldn’t be more applicable to a restaurant website. If hiring a professional photographer isn’t in your budget, check out Pexels and Unsplash. Both websites are a great place to find photos that are royalty and copyright free.
Welcome in: Landing Pages That Open Doors
You want your customers to feel comfortable and welcome when they first step through the door of your restaurant—so take the time to make sure they feel the same when they visit your website!
Your website’s main page will be the first glimpse potential customers get of your restaurant. When you make sure your Calgary restaurant web design is clean and fast to load, it welcomes people in. It also encourages them to take a look around.
When your website is fast to load and cleanly designed, these impressions of quality transfer to how potential customers perceive your restaurant. They’ll get a sense that you provide prompt service and be more likely to feel like your restaurant is also clean and tidy.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure that your website is clean and tidy. Give good hints of what your restaurant has to offer, but avoid overwhelming clutter. Successful pages greet customers warmly, and invite them in to see more with engaging photos and text.
What’s on the Menu?
Your menu is the main thing customers will want to see when they visit your website! They’re likely wanting to see whether they’ll want to come eat at your restaurant. Having a clean, simple set of menu pages is best. This allows visitors to easily navigate what you have to offer. When it’s simple to browse a menu on a restaurant’s website, it goes a long way.
Not only does it establish your credibility and show that you care, but it also makes it simple and fun to see what your restaurant is proud to serve. When customers see that it’s easy to browse your menu, it again contributes to the sense that they’ll have a positive dining experience when they pay you a visit.
Your goal is to make it easy for your customers to easily see all of your amazing menu items. Some businesses have individual pages for different types of items, while others sort with on-screen interactive page elements. Whatever style of menu you choose to use, make sure that it’s intuitive, easy to navigate, and helps your menu shine.
Conclusion
Empty tables don’t pay the bills, as every restaurant owner knows. Attracting customers is truly crucial for business success. In the restaurant industry, competition is fierce and the margin for error is small.
Your customers will notice when your Calgary restaurant web design is as carefully composed as your meals. Creating a simple and intuitive website will help encourage potential customers to choose you over the other local restaurant they’ve been meaning to try.
Helping your customers explore what you have to offer by giving them a website they’ll love is a worthwhile investment. Show your website visitors why they’ll love your restaurant—we think you’ll love the boost it’ll give you business!
Why Choose Clio for your Restaurant Web Design
Clio Websites is a full service website design company in Calgary, Alberta. We’ve got vast experience in responsive website design, website maintenance, WordPress development and support, and online marketing.
Clio offers free consultations to help you get started. We’re always available, and happy to answer any questions you may have—please contact us to find out more.
Previously, we’ve worked with a variety of Calgary restaurants to help them promote their location, atmosphere and food. If you’re looking for help launching your new website, or improving your current Calgary restaurant web design, get in touch today!
Calgary Restaurant Web Design FAQs
1. Why is web design important for Calgary restaurants?
Your website is often a customer’s first impression of your restaurant. A well-designed website reflects your atmosphere, highlights your food, and builds trust—all before a guest ever walks through your door. Great Calgary restaurant web design helps turn clicks into reservations.
2. What should every restaurant website in Calgary include?
At minimum: a clean, mobile-friendly design, professional photos of your dishes and space, an easily accessible menu, clear contact info, and links to your social media. Bonus points for online booking or ordering options
3. How does professional photography impact restaurant websites?
Photos are everything. Strong imagery makes your food look irresistible and helps potential guests picture themselves dining with you. It’s one of the most effective ways to bring your Calgary restaurant web design to life.
4. How does Calgary restaurant web design affect customer decisions?
If your website is cluttered, slow to load, or hard to navigate, customers may assume your restaurant experience will be the same. On the flip side, a smooth, engaging site builds confidence and increases the chance of a visit.
5. Should I include my full menu on the website?
Absolutely. People often check the menu before deciding where to eat. Make sure yours is easy to read and mobile-friendly. Interactive or PDF-free options work best for today’s on-the-go customers.
6. Can web design help my restaurant show up on Google?
Yes! Smart Calgary restaurant web design incorporates SEO best practices, like fast load times, keyword-rich content, and responsive layouts—all of which help your site rank higher in local search results.
7. What can Clio do to help my Calgary restaurant website succeed?
Clio Websites specializes in Calgary restaurant web design that’s beautiful, functional, and optimized to attract local diners. From strategy to build to launch, we help your site work as hard as you do. Contact us today if you’d like to see how we can help!
