189 million!

That’s the count of results I get when I Google “restaurant web design”—ouch! So how are you supposed to decide on the best web design firm with that many options to choose from?

We’re going to outline some important factors you should consider before hiring a company to design your restaurant site—or perhaps deciding to make your own.

Which Method Works best for Your Restaurant

First let’s look at the options you have when shopping for a web design for your eatery.

Can you tell good restaurant web design from bad? I bet you know a poorly designed site when you see one, but have you ever wondered why some sites are engaging and others leave you cold?

In our series on 21st century website design for restaurants we’re going to take the mystery out of what it takes to make a website awesome!

It Starts with the Menu

Designing a website for your restaurant is a lot like creating your menu. It takes careful planning and execution to get it just right! Like your menu, impressive web design is a pinch of art and a dash of science. Throw in a whole lot of knowledge, love, and creative work and you have a winning design!

Going green doesn’t have to be hard, intimidating, or expensive! In fact, you can make a difference by implementing small changes to the way you shop for food for your restaurant.

Locally Grown Sustains Your Restaurant

Buying produce and meat from farmers in your area significantly reduces your restaurant’s impact on the environment. Why? Because shipping ingredients, across the globe or even across the state requires large amounts of petroleum based products (oil & gas), and produces toxic air pollution from vehicle emissions. Partnering with food producers in your area reduces this negative environmental impact.

There is a wealth of other benefits to buying local. You lose less food to spoilage because fresh picked fruits and vegetables last longer than ones that have been shipped. They are more nutritious since produce starts to lose healthy nutrients from the moment it’s picked. Your purchasing dollars are contributing to the economic health of your local community, and that creates more jobs for your friends and neighbors.

Buying Seasonal is Better Eats

Did you know that some produce that is labeled as “fresh” is actually stored for months after harvest? I don’t know about you, but I was shocked (and grossed out) when I found out that apples are refrigerated and dipped in chemicals so they can be stored for up to 10-months after being picked!

Green is Sustainable
I think it’s important that we define what it means when we say, “going green” just so we’re all on the same page. Going green means creating a restaurant that minimizes the negative impact on the environment. You’ll often also hear this referred to as environmentally sustainable.

Sustainable Restaurants have a Competitive Advantage
People love supporting eco-friendly companies, and being truly green can give you a competitive advantage over rival restaurants. I say, “Truly green” because there are unscrupulous food-service businesses that advertise themselves as being sustainable when they really aren’t. In my opinion, these restaurants are doing a disservice to their patrons, and eventually the customers will catch on and abandon them for honest eateries that care about the environment.

Everyone on planet earth, since the dawn of time have had at least one thing in common – WE LOVE FOOD!! Fast forward to present day and we still love food! And restaurants are more than glad to help us satisfy our taste buds. Restaurants, facing evermore competition have a challenge on their hands. As a restaurant owner you have to ask yourself “how do I entice restaurant patrons if they’ve never been to my restaurant?” One proven way is to have an outstanding web design for your restaurant. These 31 example and ideas help showcase what modern day restaurants are doing to generate more business. No matter how large or small their market may be.

A Website is your Virtual Front of the House

A website is the virtual front of the house for your restaurant. It’s where 21st century customers go to check out your eatery. Potential clients will read your menu; see pictures of your amazing food, friendly staff, or hip décor, and map your location so they can find your restaurant.

The restaurant business seems to be changing and evolving at a dizzying pace. Diners have become food and tech savvy, and dare I say uber picky about where they eat? Websites like Yelp and Foursquare have turned everyone into a food critic.

So how is a busy restaurateur supposed to keep up with all of the changes, and still focus most of their time and energy on running their restaurant? One way is to take a peek into restaurant trends, and choose the trends that fit your establishment’s style. Now I’m not saying you should shift your business model to become “trendy”, but if you don’t know what’s available, and why it’s important, it’s hard to plan for future success. To make it a bit easier, below are 7 of the most important things restaurant owners should know.