Cafe website: what yours needs

Think about the questions you get asked at the counter and by message:

• Are you open now? Today's hours, plus bank holidays and seasonal changes.
• What's on the menu, and how much is it? Including breakfast times and when the kitchen closes.
• Can I eat here if I'm vegan, coeliac or allergic to nuts?
• Are dogs allowed? Is there space for a pushchair or wheelchair? Where do I park?
• Can I book a table, or order ahead?

A good cafe website answers all of these without anyone needing to ring.

A small cafe can fit all of this on one well-built page. What matters is that each answer is easy to find on a phone.

Put the menu in text. A photo of a chalkboard or a PDF is hard to read on a phone. Typed text with prices also makes changes quick.

You have to give customers information about the 14 allergens in the food you serve. For food that isn't prepacked, the official allergen guidance for food businesses says you can provide it "by any means", such as on a menu, a chalkboard or verbally with a written notice. Written information supported by a conversation works best for customers.

Two cases matter for your website:

• If you take orders online or by phone, allergen information must be given at two stages: before the purchase is completed (on the website or by phone), and when the food is delivered (stickers, an enclosed menu, or by phone).
• If you wrap your own sandwiches, salads or cakes to sell from the counter, these are "prepacked for direct sale" and need a label with a full ingredients list and the allergens emphasised.

On the website, a line on your menu page such as "Please ask us about allergens before you order" plus clear markers (V, VG, GF) is a sensible start. Don't promise something is allergen-free unless you're sure, and update the menu when recipes change.

In England you don't have to display your rating, but you're encouraged to. In Wales and Northern Ireland you must display it at the premises (GOV.UK). Scotland has its own scheme, so check with your council there. Customers can look up any cafe's rating on the FSA ratings site.

If you're proud of a 5, show it online. The FSA's guidance on displaying your rating online says to:

• put it where customers will readily see it, such as the website header or the menu
• show it before the point where a customer chooses food or places an order
• use only your current rating

The FSA offers a code you can add to your site that updates automatically if your rating changes, which saves you from showing an old one by mistake.

Wrong hours lose customers. The usual problem is that the website says one thing, Google says another and Facebook a third.

• Keep your hours on your Google Business Profile up to date. Google lets you set special hours for bank holidays and events without changing your normal hours.
• Food and drink businesses can add menu items and prices to their Google profile, or link to the menu on your website (Google).
• When hours change, update the website, Google and social media on the same day.

Use your own photos: the room, the counter, a few dishes, the outside so people recognise it. Take them in daylight on a phone, and update them each season. Stock photos of coffee look like every other cafe.

Not every cafe needs online booking. If you take walk-ins only, say so ("No bookings, just come in"). If you do take bookings for groups, afternoon tea or events, a booking link saves you phone calls during the lunch rush. If you take orders online, the allergen rule above applies.

If you're opening soon in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you must register as a food business with your council at least 28 days before you start trading (GOV.UK). In Scotland, ask your council. It's worth getting the website and Google profile ready at the same time, so people can find you on opening day.

For costs, see how much a website costs in the UK. If you're not sure you need one yet, read do I need a website.

We design and set up websites for small businesses, including cafes, with your menu, hours and contact details clear on a phone. We can also look after the site once it's live, even if we didn't build it.

• Website design for small businesses
• Website maintenance