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Why are restaurant websites so awful? Because of restaurant culture.

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Re: Why are restaurant websites so awful? Because of restaurant culture.

#91

Post by corin_ »

brudgers wrote: post #71
6ren wrote: post #8

Counterpoint: do restaurant customers (i.e. ordinary people) also think these websites are awful? When I see a website like that, I just think "it's not targeting me". Also, I've actually given up on all websites of non-internet companies, including big retailers. It's just too tedious to find information, too slow loading. Their mobile sites often load quicker. but have even less info. You're better off ringing them…

I think restaurant customers find restaurant websites, largely irrelevant. Who the hell picks a restaurant by conducting a websearch to compare features as if entrees were laptops? I'm sure someone does, but most people pick a restaurant because they have been there and know what they are in for, or because someone they know has been there and recommended it.

Actually I know quite a few people who do that, myself included. Sure, past experience and advice from friends plays a big part, but even then I'll google for the menu in advance, pretty much just to get a feel for the place.

Also, if you or anyone you know is the slightest bit fussy when it comes to food, it's worth knowing in advance. For example I love pretentious restaurants where what the food looks like on the plate is important. My dad, on the other hand, doesn't - he wants basic food that tastes good, and plenty of it (admitedly I enjoy that too..), not original creations in small portions. He wants chips, not dauphinoise potatoes.

My sister on the other hand doesn't care about the type of cooking, but is very fussy on what she wants to eat in a restaurant. There are literally a few dishes she wants to eat, most of which are likely to be found in grill restaurants, pub restaurants, etc. So, whenever I'm eating with either of them, it's good to be able to look up the type of food available.

edit: Oh, and another case - when you need a restaurant and neither you nor people you know have any experience to base your choice on. What harm is there in taking a look at menus and trying to guess which you will like more. Maybe you'll still pick a bad one, but at least you tried not to.

Re: Why are restaurant websites so awful? Because of restaurant culture.

#92

Post by Apple-Guy »

skrebbel wrote: post #83

I can't relate to this at all. Restaurants in my area have crappy sites, but none of them annoying in ways this article describes. They're just a bit old, or the text is too small, or the pictures are ugly. You know, the usual. Is this SF local news? If so, why is it on HN?

Have you ever tried to access a site on the go using a smart phone?

Re: Why are restaurant websites so awful? Because of restaurant culture.

#93

Post by jordanlev »

callmeed wrote: post #18

My next startup is targeting this problem. I'm pitching it as "About.me for restaurants" ... a single-page, instant setup site that has location/hours/menu/contact info. I'm planning on posting it to HN for review in a few days. If anyone wants a peak now, drop me an email.

Sounds like this: http://www.letseat.at/ (not that it should dissuade you from doing it yourself)

Re: Why are restaurant websites so awful? Because of restaurant culture.

#94

Post by jordanlev »

tibbon wrote: post #58

I was talking to a local business owner who runs a new Takoyaki place in town. I mentioned he didn't have a website. We had a good conversation about it, and he was hoping to get one up but wasn't quite sure what he needed. He's a young guy a pretty savvy overall, having acquired around 4,000 Likes on Facebook and frequently updating it. I told him (and he seemed to agree) that he needed a simple website that was the…

Might want to have a look at http://www.letseat.at/

Re: Why are restaurant websites so awful? Because of restaurant culture.

#95

Post by jrockway »

tibbon wrote: post #57
jrockway wrote: post #6

Restaurants have websites? I just use Google Places or Yelp. Not only do I get the hours of operation, a rough idea of the price, and a phone number without even clicking, I also get reviews. Who would even think to look for a restaurant's own page?

One problem here is that these things often change and no one on Yelp will notice in a smaller community. Maybe they aren't open Monday anymore. Maybe they moved.

That's what the phone number is for. Nobody remembers to update their own websites either.

Re: Why are restaurant websites so awful? Because of restaurant culture.

#96

Post by robbie7 »

We're going to make a CMS that focuses on the activities of local businesses. Our first focus is gonna be restaurants, cause indeed most of their website suck. So we're gonna give them the opportunity to be able to update their website via our CMS, their clients are gonna be able to order food online, order a table online (we still have to checkout opentable first tho, anyone know any other services like them?), the restaurant holder can easily edit their meu pages via a editor, upload images of their meals, divide the menu in appetisers etc, and ofcourse other pages like opening hours, contact page, album, ...

What do you guys think about this? Other local companies we're gonna focus on are hotels, sportclubs, hairdresser, beautsaloon, garage, ...

Re: Why are restaurant websites so awful? Because of restaurant culture.

#97

Post by encoderer »

jdminhbg wrote: post #59
encoderer wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another reason certainly is a lack of resources (cash) to commit to the project. Sure, an established, profitable restaurant should have no trouble funding a modest, tidy, professionally built site. But the truth is, most restaurants youre visiting aren't "established" and "profitable."

The restaurant website topic comes up frequently, and this is a frequent response. But there are two reasons it's clearly wrong: 1) Restaurants could jam their hours and menu onto a free theme for much less money than they spend getting a bespoke Flash monstrosity and be vastly more usable, yet do the latter anyway. 2) There are lots of cash-strapped small businesses around that don't have as uniformly unusable websi…

I work for a startup that sells to restaurants. This -- the money issue -- is what the sales guys who go into these places every day have told me when I asked them why they think the websites suck.

I trust their judgment, so we can just agree to disagree on this I suppose.

Re: Why are restaurant websites so awful? Because of restaurant culture.

#98

Post by jodrellblank »

jcnnghm wrote: post #70
ZoFreX wrote: post #2

As someone who has built a fair few restaurant sites, there are lots of reasons. If a web design agency builds a site that doesn't work on the iPhone or iPad, which are both now considered critical to restaurant marketing, they get to charge extra for creating an iOS specific version, or an app, or whatever. If you create one site that works great on everything, you make less money. Restaurants are also sometimes run…

I have about 120 paying restaurant customers, and I couldn't agree more about the PDF menu. You could give them the slickest, easiest interface in the world, and they'll never use it. They don't have time. The PDF menu already looks good, they already put a ton of time into it to get it exactly right, and they don't want to duplicate that effort. Restaurant menus are meticulously laid out and a lot of effort is put i…

The good restaurants don't need a website, they have a two hour wait every time it isn't raining, and the restaurants that do need a good website have no money.

If a website was essential, it would be worth borrowing to get one made.

Is it not, or are they unable?

Re: Why are restaurant websites so awful? Because of restaurant culture.

#99

Post by [deleted] »

jcnnghm wrote: post #70
ZoFreX wrote: post #2

As someone who has built a fair few restaurant sites, there are lots of reasons. If a web design agency builds a site that doesn't work on the iPhone or iPad, which are both now considered critical to restaurant marketing, they get to charge extra for creating an iOS specific version, or an app, or whatever. If you create one site that works great on everything, you make less money. Restaurants are also sometimes run…

I have about 120 paying restaurant customers, and I couldn't agree more about the PDF menu. You could give them the slickest, easiest interface in the world, and they'll never use it. They don't have time. The PDF menu already looks good, they already put a ton of time into it to get it exactly right, and they don't want to duplicate that effort. Restaurant menus are meticulously laid out and a lot of effort is put i…

[deleted]

Re: Why are restaurant websites so awful? Because of restaurant culture.

#100

Post by ZoFreX »

mwexler wrote: post #38
ZoFreX wrote: post #2

As someone who has built a fair few restaurant sites, there are lots of reasons. If a web design agency builds a site that doesn't work on the iPhone or iPad, which are both now considered critical to restaurant marketing, they get to charge extra for creating an iOS specific version, or an app, or whatever. If you create one site that works great on everything, you make less money. Restaurants are also sometimes run…

>A lot of low-end websites are still in that quagmire, but the meat of it is that you don't need to visit the website for most of these businesses but for restaurants the web has become critical, so you notice it more. Ummm... isn't that all the more reason to make sure it's accessible on a mobile, is enticing to the user with relevant content, and assists them in making a sale (reservation) with ease?

Yes, but a business barely ticking over can't afford to drop 10k on a website to draw in what, 10% more people? How long will that take to break-even? (And of course if you're running at a loss instead of a profit, the answer is never)
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