Know What to Expect When Hiring a Restaurant Website Team
Hiring a team to build your restaurant’s website can feel like a leap of faith—especially if you’ve been burned by slow timelines, vague proposals, or sites that look pretty but don’t bring in traffic. Want a final product that attracts guests and grows your business? Then it’s critical to understand what your web team should bring to the table—and what your role is in making the partnership successful.
Here’s how to approach this process with clarity and control, so you get more than just a website. You get results.
Start with Strategy, Not Just Design
Don’t just hire someone to “build a restaurant website.” Hire a team that asks about your restaurant’s goals, customer base, and long-term vision before they even talk about templates or typography. If your web team doesn’t begin by learning your business inside and out, they’re not positioned to create a site that supports your revenue, reputation, or reservations.
Make sure they talk to you about:
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Who is your ideal customer?
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What actions do you want site visitors to take (reservations, catering orders, email sign-ups)
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How the site will integrate with your systems (POS, online ordering, third-party delivery, etc.)
This is where strategy drives design. Without it, you’re just guessing, and guessing rarely converts.
Clarify What You’re Getting and What It Will Do
Your proposal shouldn’t just say “custom website.” Insist on a breakdown of what’s included—number of pages, SEO setup, mobile responsiveness, ADA compliance, site speed optimization, integrations, and whether they’ll help you with content like menus, photography, or copywriting.
Push for answers on:
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Timeline: How long will each phase take? What’s your role in keeping things moving?
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Revisions: How many rounds are included? What happens if you need extra changes?
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Ownership: Who owns the domain and site after launch? (Hint: you should.)
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Ongoing support: Will they host and maintain the site, or hand you the keys and disappear?
Expect Accountability, Not Just Creativity
The right team won’t ghost you after a kickoff call. They’ll provide a project timeline, check-in milestones, and clear deliverables—because process is what keeps creativity on track. If they can’t tell you how they’ll keep the project moving or how they handle delays, that’s a red flag.
Hold them to:
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Regular updates (weekly or biweekly check-ins)
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Clear project management (bonus points for using tools like Trello, Asana, or ClickUp)
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Fast, clear communication (you shouldn’t wait days for an email response)
Ask About Performance, Not Just Aesthetics
Your restaurant’s website is more than a digital menu—it’s a tool for attracting and converting customers. Ask your web team how they’ll optimize for:
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SEO (Are they targeting the right local keywords?)
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Speed (Will your site load in under 3 seconds?)
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Mobile (Over 70% of visitors will be on phones)
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Conversion (Are call-to-action buttons visible and effective?)
Design matters—but not at the expense of function. Make sure your team designs for real-world users, not just design award judges.
Define Success—and How You’ll Measure It
Before you build your restaurant website, before the first wireframe is even sketched, define what a successful website means for your business. Is it more reservations? Fewer phone calls because your online menu is clearer? Better visibility in local search results?
Ask your team how success will be measured—and how you’ll know if the site is working six weeks, six months, or a year from now. If they can’t explain this clearly, you’re not hiring a partner—you’re hiring a project.
Bottom Line: Great Websites Start with Great Expectations
Your restaurant’s website is a 24/7 marketing engine, not a digital business card. If you want it to bring in customers, not just compliments, start by hiring a team that treats your business like a business. Expect strategy. Expect accountability. Get results.
And remember: you’re not just buying a website. You’re investing in a tool that can fill seats, build loyalty, and grow your bottom line. Hire like it.
