First impressions are incredibly important. As web visitors get to know your business, your website can act as a potential customer’s first impression of your business. So, making sure that your website stands out is essential in attracting new and engaging with existing customers. There are certain elements that every establishment should consider when creating a website that best represents them. Below, we highlight five key elements that make an effective and successful website design. 

1. User-Friendly Layout and Overall Look

A user’s experience should be a top priority when designing your new website. Making sure that your visitors can navigate your website easily will allow them to access the information they are looking for faster and will also leave a good impression of your business. 

If your website does not have an easy-to-follow layout, then visitors are more likely to leave your website well before they could engage with it–which will also affect your overall presence on search engines, like Google. 

Additionally, an impactful first impression will be made if you have an attractive design that aligns with your establishment’s brand. Having an aesthetically pleasing design can help your business come across as trustworthy and professional. Without it, you can easily turn away a lot of visitors before they even have a chance to get to know you.

2. Color Palette and Font Consistent with Your Brand

Slogans, logos, and other imagery play a significant role in consumers recognizing your brand. But, guess what? Consistent color palettes and fonts do the same! Take the Coca-Cola logo for example. The signature bright red and white colors, along with the script font, all help consumers recognize the brand and remember it. 

Making sure that you utilize  your brand’s colors and fonts in your website design will help your site’s visitors recognize your brand. Colors and fonts also affect the tone of your website, which affects how customers view your business. If you want your business to come across as trustworthy, or dependable, you might want to use warm colors with a more modern font. Or,  if you want to come across as professional, you might choose to use neutral colors and a font that looks clean and readable.

3. Simple Navigation

A simple, clear navigation menu will help your website visitors engage with your website. Your navigation should direct your visitors to more information about your business, whether it is your restaurant’s menu, a gallery of photos of your storefront, or a preview of your products. 

If you do not make your site’s navigation clear and easy to use, you limit your visitors from exploring your website and learning more about you. However, a website that involves a lot of clicks to get to other areas of the site or has an excessive amount of pages may turn away visitors as well. 

4. Content

Without content, how are your visitors going to understand your story and your establishment’s brand messaging? Visitors to your website expect to see valuable information about your establishment itself, whether it be your hours, your mission, or your products. 

And, content comes in various forms. Make sure to include photos, videos, and blogs to inform your visitors about who you are as a business. Your content represents who you are as a brand, your messaging, and your personality, so try to incorporate it into your design in the best possible way so your customers can understand who you are.

5. Mobile Friendly

In 2021, it was found that approximately 54.4 percent of website traffic came from mobile devices, excluding tablets. This is a little over half of website traffic overall, and it will most likely increase in the coming years. Many browse the internet on their smartphones for the majority of the day, so you should ensure that your website design is mobile-friendly for these users.

Having a mobile-friendly website design means that it is responsive and can adapt to various types of screen sizes. Ensuring that your website is responsive on a mobile device also ensures that your website’s visitors will stay on your website longer. 

Ready to Get Started on Your Restaurant’s Website Design?

If you have any questions about these key elements or feel that your current web design is lacking any of them, let us help you get up to speed. Contact our website design experts today to discuss your goals.