Why restaurants need a custom built website: benefits, costs & roi
A custom-built website gives restaurants total control over branding, functionality and customer experience. It improves conversions, builds loyalty, and reduces dependency on third-party platforms. Despite a higher initial cost, it delivers long-term savings and increased revenue by offering personalised online ordering, better visibility, and full ownership of customer data.
Table of Contents
1. What Is a Custom Built Website for Restaurants and Why It Matters
A custom-built website is designed specifically for a restaurant's needs. It reflects the brand identity, supports personalised features, and helps businesses adapt to local customer preferences. Unlike one-size-fits-all templates, these websites can be fully tailored to match how you operate, take orders and market to your audience. For restaurants in the UK and Ireland, where customer loyalty and user experience are critical, a unique site helps you stand out in an increasingly competitive online space.
2. Key Benefits of a Custom Restaurant Website
Complete Control Over Brand and Experience
With a custom website, you choose how your business looks and operates online. From typography and colours to customer journey and content layout, every aspect is tailored to your exact needs. Services like Flipdish offer fully branded websites that go beyond simple styling and support your long-term growth strategy.
Direct Ordering and Customer Retention
Avoid high commission fees by allowing customers to order directly through your own platform. Direct ordering supports loyalty and gives you access to customer insights. According to Flipdish, many restaurants see an increase in repeat orders once they move to direct channels.
Built-In Analytics and Reporting
Custom websites can integrate with reporting tools that show order trends, customer behaviours and seasonal patterns. These insights allow you to make smarter decisions and tailor marketing strategies based on real data.
Better Performance and SEO
Custom websites are optimised for speed, mobile use and search visibility. Unlike drag-and-drop builders, a bespoke site is engineered to load quickly and meet performance standards. This not only helps with user satisfaction but also boosts search engine rankings.
Adaptable and Scalable
You can add features, connect to delivery providers, or integrate with your POS as your business grows. This flexibility is especially useful if you expand to multiple locations or want to offer new services like click and collect or online bookings.
3. Cost and ROI Explained
Initial Investment
Custom-built websites can start from £1,500 and go beyond £10,000 depending on complexity. The cost includes design, development, content setup, and integrations. For restaurant-specific features like online ordering and multi-location management, expect to be at the higher end of the scale. However, you can opt for Flipdish's all in one restaurant management solutions and get it for a fraction of it's cost!
Monthly Maintenance
Ongoing costs may include hosting, SSL certificates, CMS updates and technical support. These can range from £100 to £300 per month depending on your provider and setup.
Long-Term Value
Restaurants using custom websites with integrated ordering have seen up to 25 percent increase in online sales. You also save on third-party commission fees, which can be as high as 30 percent per order. By owning your data and building direct relationships, you improve margins and boost retention.
Real-World ROI
A custom-built website tailored to restaurant needs offers clear and measurable returns. Across the UK and Ireland, hospitality businesses are seeing revenue growth, better retention and lower reliance on third-party platforms after moving to a direct ordering model.
Take Cojean, a fast-casual restaurant chain that implemented Flipdish’s custom website and mobile app solutions. Within just two days of launching, they quadrupled their order volume. Soon after, online delivery and collection accounted for over 10 percent of their total turnover, all processed through their own branded website and app. This not only improved sales but also allowed them to avoid costly aggregator fees.
Owning your website also unlocks deeper customer insights. With access to first-party data like order preferences and peak hours, restaurant owners can launch targeted offers, track conversions accurately and build tailored loyalty campaigns. This level of insight is not possible when relying on external marketplaces.
While a custom website may come with a higher setup cost, the long-term value far outweighs the expense. You gain control over your brand, increase margins through direct sales, and create stronger customer relationships that result in more frequent, higher-value orders.
4. Essential Features Your Restaurant Website Should Include
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Integrated Online Ordering
Allow customers to order directly from your site and pay online, without redirection. -
Mobile Friendly Layout
With most orders coming from mobile devices, responsive design is essential. -
SEO and Local Search Optimisation
Built-in features like structured data, metadata and fast page speeds help your site appear in Google searches. -
Real-Time Menu Management
Update prices, photos, and availability instantly across devices. -
Secure Checkout and Payment Gateway
Use secure, PCI-compliant systems with Apple Pay, Google Pay or card payments. -
Loyalty and CRM Features
Build repeat business through personalised offers, birthday rewards and email campaigns. -
Booking and Click and Collect Tools
Let customers schedule reservations or pre-order and pick up with minimal wait times. -
Analytics Dashboard
Track user behaviour, page views, and sales trends in a single place. -
Social Media Integration
Link your website to your Instagram or TikTok feed for extra engagement and fresh content.
5. Why Now Is the Right Time to Invest
Customer expectations are higher than ever. They want smooth, branded, trustworthy online experiences, especially when placing food orders. A templated solution might get you online fast, but it won’t scale, convert or engage like a custom-built website. If you want more control, stronger revenue and fewer fees, this is the smartest digital move you can make.
Partner with Flipdish to create a powerful custom website for your restaurant and deliver an experience your customers will return to time and again.
FAQs
Q1: Is a custom-built website worth the cost for smaller restaurants?
Yes. Smaller venues benefit even more from increased margins, direct orders and brand consistency. It levels the playing field with larger chains.
Q2: How long does it take to build a custom website?
Typically, four to twelve weeks depending on features and the number of revisions.
Q3: Can I update my own site or will I need a developer?
With platforms like Flipdish, updates are user-friendly. You can edit menus, hours and content without needing technical help.
