You know what’s frustrating for most restaurant owners?
Having to depend on delivery apps that take 30% of your sales — just because your website doesn’t bring in enough direct orders.
You’ve already done the hard part: building your brand, perfecting your recipes, and creating an experience people love. But if your website isn’t doing its job, you’re basically renting your customers from third-party platforms.
Good news: creating a restaurant website that sells isn’t rocket science anymore. With tools like RAY, you can launch a beautiful, mobile-ready website that includes your menu, online orders, reservations, loyalty program, and even your WhatsApp agent — all designed to convert visitors into paying customers.
This guide will show you step by step how to create a restaurant website that attracts more customers, increases your online orders, and helps you keep your profits where they belong — in your pocket.
Key Takeaways
- Use a restaurant-specific website builder to launch quickly and connect your menu, delivery, and loyalty — no code needed.
- Add direct ordering and rewards to your site to turn one-time guests into loyal, repeat customers.
- Promote your website using Google, social media, and WhatsApp to reduce dependency on apps and grow your direct sales.
1. Use a Restaurant Website Builder That Does the Heavy Lifting
Let’s be real — building from scratch is exhausting. Picking domains, dealing with hosting, templates, SEO, and mobile optimization can drain weeks of your time.
That’s why a restaurant website builder like RAY changes everything. It’s built specifically for restaurants, meaning every page and feature is optimized for food, orders, and sales — not just pretty design.
With RAY, you can:
- Add your menu in minutes and sync it across your website, online orders, and loyalty system.
- Offer pickup and delivery directly from your own website.
- Activate a built-in loyalty program that rewards customers automatically.
- Launch in English and Spanish with one click.
- Use your WhatsApp Agent to answer questions, send menus, and take orders automatically.
Unlike generic builders like Wix or Squarespace, RAY helps you sell, not just “look good.”
“In less than a week, we replaced our old website and tripled online orders — all without paying delivery commissions.”
— Craft Key Biscayne team
Pro Tip: Don’t waste hours choosing templates. Start with one made for restaurants — it’s already optimized to convert hungry visitors into paying customers.
2. Optimize Your Website for Local SEO
Having a beautiful site is great — but if no one finds it, it’s useless. That’s where SEO (Search Engine Optimization) comes in.
SEO helps hungry customers discover your restaurant when they search things like “best tacos near me” or “Italian delivery Miami.”
Here’s how to make your restaurant visible on Google:
Use relevant keywords
Include what you serve and where you serve it in your page titles and text. Example:
“Temple Craft Wynwood – Craft Beer & Brunch in Miami”
Create dedicated pages for your menu items
Having individual pages for popular dishes helps you rank for more keywords (e.g., /menu/burgers or /menu/sushi).
Add structured data
RAY automatically includes restaurant schema markup — helping Google display your hours, location, and menu directly in search results.
Connect your Google Business Profile
This is a must. Sync your restaurant info and make sure your website URL appears in your listing.
Pro Tip: 70% of customers discover restaurants on Google before anywhere else. Make sure the first thing they find is your own website — not a delivery app.
3. Turn Your Menu Into a Sales Machine
Your menu isn’t just a list of dishes — it’s your best salesperson. But if it’s buried in a downloadable PDF, you’re losing customers fast.
A great online menu should be:
- Mobile-friendly — readable in one scroll without zooming or pinching.
- Visual — with appetizing photos for your top sellers.
- Smart — use upsells and combo suggestions (“Add fries for $3!”).
- Accessible — all text should be real HTML, not just images or PDFs.
With RAY, you can edit your menu anytime, mark items as sold out, and highlight specials instantly.
For example, Temple Craft uses RAY’s digital menu system to show daily specials that automatically update from their POS. Guests can order directly online or via WhatsApp — no third-party fees, no confusion.
Pro Tip: Every menu section is a conversion opportunity. Use mouthwatering photos and short, sensory descriptions (e.g., “crispy”, “wood-fired”, “handmade”).
4. Add Online Ordering and Loyalty to Boost Repeat Sales
Here’s where most restaurants lose money: third-party delivery apps. They charge up to 30% per order and keep all the customer data — making it nearly impossible to build loyalty.
With RAY, you can take back control by enabling:
- Direct online orders — via your website, QR codes, or WhatsApp.
- Pickup and delivery — with integrated delivery networks, no commissions.
- Loyalty program — guests earn points automatically and redeem them online.
Example:
- 100 points for signing up
- 10 points per $1 spent
- Rewards redeemable for discounts or free food
The best part? Your customer database grows with every order, so you can remarket directly to loyal guests — not rely on apps.
Pro Tip: Combine loyalty with your email or WhatsApp campaigns. “Earn double points this week” is one of the best reactivation hooks out there.
5. Tell Your Story and Build a Connection
People connect with stories — not logos. Your “About” page is your chance to tell guests why your restaurant exists and what makes it special.
Answer these simple questions to write your story:
- Why did you start this restaurant?
- What inspires your menu?
- What’s your mission or values?
- What’s your favorite dish?
Example:
“At Craft, we wanted to bring people together around good food, good coffee, and good vibes. Every dish is made with local ingredients, and every cup tells a story.”
Adding your story increases trust and makes your brand memorable — especially for new visitors discovering you online for the first time.
Pro Tip: End your story page with a CTA — “Reserve your table” or “Order online now.” Emotional connection → action → sale.
6. Use High-Quality Images and Reviews
Food is visual — and your photos are your first impression.
Invest in professional pictures of:
- Your best dishes
- Your interior and team
- Happy customers and events
Then, add reviews and testimonials to your homepage or a dedicated section. 94% of diners check reviews before visiting a restaurant.
You can manually embed your best Google or Yelp reviews, or let RAY’s widget automatically pull your latest 5-star ones.
Pro Tip: Always add ALT text to images. It improves SEO and accessibility — a small detail that helps more people (and search engines) understand your content.
7. Promote Your Website Everywhere
Once your site is live, it’s time to get the word out.
Here’s how to promote it like a pro:
- Add QR codes to your menus, bags, and tables that link directly to your website or online ordering.
- Share your website on Instagram, Facebook, and Google Maps.
- Update your Google Business and Yelp profiles with your new link.
- Include your URL in your email signature and gift cards.
- Send a WhatsApp broadcast or email campaign announcing your new site.
RAY includes analytics dashboards so you can track:
- Website visits
- Online orders
- Returning customers
- Conversion rates
Pro Tip: Ask your regulars for feedback after launch. They’ll tell you what works and what’s missing faster than any analytics tool.
8. Keep It Fresh and Relevant
Your restaurant evolves — your website should too.
Update it frequently with:
- Seasonal menus
- Upcoming events
- New promotions
- Fresh images or press mentions
The more active your site, the higher your SEO ranking and customer engagement. Think of your website as your digital storefront — clean, updated, and always open for business.
Your Website Is Your New Front Door
Your restaurant’s website isn’t just a digital menu anymore. It’s your most powerful sales channel — where new guests discover you, place their first order, and become loyal customers.
With RAY, you don’t need to be a tech expert or hire a web developer. You just need your story, your photos, and your food. RAY takes care of the rest — SEO, online orders, loyalty, and automation — all in one place.
✅ Build your website.
✅ Get direct orders.
✅ Keep your profits.
Start your free website today and turn your visitors into loyal customers — with RAY.
