Seven Website Mistakes That Cost Pubs Bookings

Pub Advice

A pub website does not need to be fancy to work well. It needs to answer the questions customers ask before they visit, book or enquire.

1. Hiding the menu

Food is one of the main reasons people check a pub website. If the menu is buried in a PDF, hidden behind a tiny link or missing completely, customers may leave before they understand the offer. A menu page should be obvious from the homepage and easy to read on a phone.

If your menu changes often, keep the page simple and update it regularly. Include food times, Sunday lunch details, children’s options, vegetarian choices and any booking notes. A customer should not need to zoom in on a blurry image to decide whether to visit.

2. Unclear booking routes

Some pubs use online booking, some use phone calls and some prefer email or social messages. Any of those can work, but the route must be clear. If your site says “book now” in one place and “call us” somewhere else, customers may hesitate.

Use one main booking call to action. Repeat it on the homepage, menu page, event pages and contact page. If bookings are not needed for some services but essential for others, explain that simply.

3. Old opening hours

Incorrect hours are one of the quickest ways to lose trust. Check the website against Google, Facebook and any booking platform. Pay extra attention to bank holidays, kitchen times, seasonal hours and private-event closures.

Customers often search while already deciding where to go. If they see conflicting hours, they may choose a safer option. Make hours visible and keep them consistent.

4. Weak mobile layout

Many pub decisions happen on a phone. Large desktop images, tiny text, cramped buttons or menus that do not open properly can quietly cost bookings. Test your site on a real phone, not only inside the website editor.

Look for the basics: can you tap the menu, read the food page, use the booking button, find the address and email the pub without pinching or scrolling sideways?

5. Missing event information

Events need more than a poster image. Add date, time, price if relevant, whether booking is needed, food availability and who the event suits. Quiz nights, live music, football, comedy and seasonal events all benefit from a clear page or section.

If events repeat weekly, create a permanent page rather than starting from scratch each time. Then use social media to send people back to the reliable details.

6. No function or room detail

Private hire, rooms and accommodation can be valuable, but many pub websites mention them only in passing. If you offer functions, parties, meetings, wakes, rooms or garden hire, give customers a dedicated section with capacity, photos, food options and enquiry details.

You do not need to list every possible package. Give enough information for a customer to feel confident making the first enquiry.

7. No next step

Every important page should have a next step. On a menu page, that might be booking a table. On an events page, it might be reserving a place. On a function page, it might be sending an enquiry. Without a clear next step, the site becomes a brochure rather than a booking tool.

Small changes can make a big difference to clarity: repeat the contact details, add a button after important sections and make sure links go to live pages rather than old placeholders.

Turn the idea into a simple weekly routine

The practical value comes from making this advice part of the normal rhythm of the pub. Choose one owner for the task, decide when it will be checked, and keep the next action small enough that it can happen during a busy trading week. A landlord does not need a complicated campaign plan for every improvement. In many cases, the useful first step is making the information clearer and easier for customers to act on.

A sensible weekly routine might include checking the website for out-of-date details, confirming the next event or food message, updating Google Business Profile, and giving staff one clear line they can repeat to customers. If the pub uses Facebook or Instagram, the post should point people towards a real next step: book, call, enquire, check the menu or read the event details.

It also helps to keep a short note of what customers ask about. If several people ask the same question, that question probably belongs on the website. If people are unsure about bookings, food times, parking, children, dogs, private hire, live sport or allergens, make the answer easier to find before the next promotion. Small clarity improvements can make the pub feel more organised without changing the character of the place.

Finally, review the result without overcomplicating it. Look at enquiries, bookings, phone calls, staff comments and customer feedback. The aim is not to chase every online trend. It is to make the pub easier to choose, easier to contact and easier to remember when customers are deciding where to spend their next evening out.

Where possible, keep the language close to how customers actually speak. A useful pub website or promotion should feel direct, local and easy to trust. That means fewer vague slogans and more practical details: what is on, when it happens, who it suits, how to book and what customers should do next.

This article provides general business and marketing information for independent pubs. It is not legal, financial, licensing or tax advice.