8 Calls to Action for Restaurant Websites
Use these primary and secondary calls to action (CTAs) on your restaurant website to increase conversions.
Action verbs and brevity create the most effective calls to action.
A call to action (CTA) is usually a button that starts with an action verb, but could also be a hyperlink or text that’s located in prominent locations on your website. It prompts users to take action.
Most website audits that I conduct are missing calls to action above the fold and sometimes there’s not even a single call to action on the homepage. To generate more leads and convert visitors into customers and customers into advocates, you need a primary call to action (e.g. Make Reservation) and several secondary calls to action (e.g. Learn More, See Menu) on your restaurant website. Otherwise, visitors won’t understand how to accomplish user goals.
In this post, I’m going to share 8 calls to action for restaurant websites.
1. Make Reservation
Taka Sushi and Passion uses Make Reservation for the primary CTA in the navigation bar as well as the top, middle and bottom of the page. Since users often need to encounter CTAs several times (i.e. The Rule of 7) before completing a task, the repetition of this CTA makes it effortless to know what to do.
Make Reservation CTAs
- Book Now
- Book Online
- Book Table
- Find Table
- Reserve Lunch/Dinner
- Reserve Now
- Reserve Table
2. Order Online
Red Lobster’s primary CTA is to Order Now. Adding Now after CTAs utilizes urgency to entice users to take immediate action.
Order Online CTAs
- Order Lunch/Dinner
- Order Now
- Order Pickup
- Order Takeout
- Place Order
3. Learn More
Learn More CTAs prompt users to learn more about your restaurant. These are often the most common types of calls to action because they provide a variety of secondary options for users who aren’t ready to become a customer just yet.
In the example above, 18 Seminole Italian Bistro uses a Learn More CTA to View Menu. This CTA is better than Learn More because it’s specific. The user knows what they’re going to learn about — the menu.
Learn More CTAs
- Discover How/Why
- Explore [Topic]
- Learn About [Topic]
- Learn How
- See How it Works
- See/View Details
- See/View Features
- See/View Map
- See/View Menu
- See/View Specials
- See/View Tour
- See/View Wines/Beers
- Take Tour
- Tour [Topic]
- Watch Video
- Watch [Topic]
- Why [Restaurant’s Name]
4. Find Location
For restaurants that have multiple locations like Gusto, it’s common to have a Find Location CTA. While Gusto’s CTA is very clear, the yellow button would stand out more if the background image were a darker shade. Light colors don’t contrast well against other light colors.
Find Location CTAs
- Find Closest Location
- Find Your Location
- Find a Location
- Find My [Restaurant’s Name]
- Get Directions
- See/View Locations
- Select Location
5. Contact Us
Contact Us CTAs convey a restaurant is ready, willing and capable of answering questions. Farm Burger’s catering page achieves this with a clear CTA that leads users to a contact form — not a linked email address. Always avoid linking your email address because it increases spam, you can’t ask specific questions and sent emails can’t lead to thank-you pages (where you can add more CTAs 😉).
Alternative CTAs
- Call Now
- Contact [Person’s Name]
- Contact [Restaurant’s Name]
- Inquire About Private Dining
6. Sign Up
Outback Steakhouse knows that Join Newsletter isn’t persuasive enough anymore. Instead, they incentivize users to Sign Up for Offers and Rewards and receive 50% off every fourth visit. Offering something of immediate value brings new customers to their restaurant and keeps current customers loyal.
Sign Up CTAs
- Join Community
- Join Newsletter
- Send Me Discounts
- Sign Me Up
- Sign Up Now
- Sign Up and Save
- Subscribe Now
- Subscribe to Our Newsletter
7. Join Now
If your restaurant has a loyalty program, you’ll want to encourage users to join. The Starbucks Rewards’ program uses a Join Now CTA. I like how they employ two CTAs for this on each side of the page, but they don’t pop off the page like they should. If the buttons were larger and in all caps, it would be more obvious where users should click.
Join Now CTAs
- Become a Member
- Enroll Now
- Join Free
- Join Now
- Join [Program’s Name]
- Register Now
8. Shop Store
Restaurants that sell gift cards or merchandise use calls to action like The Melting Pot’s Shop Now CTA.
You may also notice the primary CTA — Book A Table — follows the user scrolling the page. This is another effective way to keep your primary CTA front and center.
Shop Store CTAs
- Buy Gift Card
- Buy Merchandise
- Purchase Gift Card
- Shop Gifts
- Shop Merchandise
- Shop Now
- Shop Online
- Shop Our Store
- Shop [Restaurant Store’s Name]
Final Thoughts
You just learned 8 calls to action for restaurant websites. Start converting visitors into customers and customers into advocates by using calls to action like these on your website.
