Shops, cafés and venues Untested
What untested means
Worked out from research and real briefs. No site has been built from it yet, so treat it as reasoning to check, not a tested template.
For places people visit during opening hours, like cafés, restaurants, shops, salons and bars.
For example: café, restaurant, bakery, bar, barber or salon
Plan a site like this Answer a few questions about your business. The pages and sections redraw, and you can download the plan.
Pages your website might need
Start here
Optional pages
Example copy is for a made-up business.
On a phone · First screen: open now, the action and the address. Most venue visits start on a phone, nearby.
On a phone · The address opens the map app: link it, don’t embed a map (NN/g).
Home
“Open now? What’s on? Where? How do I book or order?”
Sections, top to bottom
Select a section to see what to write and why.
What this is
- What to write
- What you serve + when, then what to come in for + how to book or order
- Why it works
- A nearby visitor is deciding where to go right now. What you serve and when you’re open answers that in one glance; a mood line doesn’t.
- Example
- “Café by day. Small plates and wine at night.” Then: “Breakfast and lunch from early; book a table for the evening.”
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Use the words your customers use for their problem, not your trade’s terms.
- If you’re local, name the town or area. It’s part of the answer.
- Put one honest specific in the supporting line, like a fixed call-out price or a reply time you actually keep.
- Common mistake
- An adjective line (“Quality. Trusted. Local.”) instead of what you do and where. People scanning want the noun.
Open now
- What to write
- Today’s status + regular hours + holidays and what to do when closed
- Why it works
- Tells people whether they can come or call right now, and what to do when you’re closed.
- Example
- “Open now · closes 11pm. Kitchen closes at 10. Closed Mondays in January.”
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Write hours as text, not inside an image or PDF.
- Post holiday and seasonal changes before they happen.
- Say what to do when you’re closed: an out-of-hours number or online booking.
- Common mistake
- Hours only inside a photo of the door sign or a PDF menu.
Main action
- What to write
- Book or order + for when, with deposit, group size or order cut-off
- Why it works
- People booking a table or ordering ahead want it done in one step. Naming the time and any deposit up front avoids a booking that falls through later.
- Example
- “Book a table for tonight”, with “Groups of 8+ pay a deposit” beside it.
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Name the action and what follows it. “Call now, an engineer answers” says more than “Contact us”.
- Offer the action you can really take today. A booking button with no free slots costs you trust.
- Put the fee, deposit or reply time next to the button, not in small print.
- Common mistake
- A button after every section, each with a different verb. Pick one main action per page.
On today
- What to write
- What’s on today, dated + item + price + how to get it
- Why it works
- Shows what’s available right now, so a nearby visitor has a reason to come in or order today.
- Example
- “Tuesday 14 October: pumpkin soup £—, lamb flatbread £—.”
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Date it, so people can trust it’s current.
- Keep it to what’s on, the price and how to get it.
- Only include it if someone will update it.
- Common mistake
- An undated “today” block that’s weeks out of date.
How to find us
- What to write
- Address as text + a landmark people recognize + parking, transport, access
- Why it works
- Gets people to your door: the address as text, how to get there and a link that opens in their map app.
- Example
- “14 Mill Street, next to the clock tower. Bus 12 stops outside; one step at the door.”
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Write the address as text, so it can be copied and opened in a map app.
- Add a landmark line where street names aren’t enough.
- Mention parking, public transport and step-free access.
- Common mistake
- An embedded map with no address to copy.
Prices
- What to write
- Dish or service + price + allergens, as text
- Why it works
- Visitors check the menu and prices before they come in. Text they can read on a phone, with allergens marked, beats a photo of a printed menu.
- Example
- “Small plates £—–£— · Wine by the glass from £— · Prices include service.”
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Say whether tax is included, every time.
- Put extras (call-out fee, deposit, travel) beside the price they add to.
- If every job is quoted, give typical prices for common jobs. NN/g recommends sample prices for exactly this case.
- Common mistake
- “Contact us for prices” and nothing else.
Who you’ll deal with
- What to write
- Name + role + what this person does for the customer
- Why it works
- Puts names and faces on the business. That matters most when you come into someone’s home or handle their money or health.
- Example
- “Ana runs the kitchen; Tom chooses the wine.”
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Use real, consented photos. NN/g found people distrust stock photos and like seeing real staff.
- Say what each person does for the customer, not only their title.
- Add personal registrations where your field has them, with the number.
- Common mistake
- Stock photos standing in for staff, or a team grid nobody can contact.
What clients say
- What to write
- A real customer’s words + the specific result, with name or initials, place, date and where it was left
- Why it works
- Lets someone like the visitor say it for you. A quote about the job they need does more than general praise.
- Example
- An illustration of the shape, for a made-up business: “Came for coffee, stayed for dinner. Ask Tom what’s open by the glass.” R.K., October, on Google. Use your real reviews.
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Choose quotes that mention the job and the result.
- Put reviews beside the claim they support, like next to the service they’re about.
- Use real reviews only, and keep the customer’s own words.
- Common mistake
- Three anonymous “Great service!” quotes. They prove nothing a visitor is worried about.
Locations one for each location
“Which branch is open, and where.”
Add it if How many places can people visit? Several
Sections, top to bottom
Select a section to see what to write and why.
Open now
- What to write
- Today’s status + regular hours + holidays and what to do when closed
- Why it works
- Tells people whether they can come or call right now, and what to do when you’re closed.
- Example
- “Open now · closes 11pm. Kitchen closes at 10. Closed Mondays in January.”
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Write hours as text, not inside an image or PDF.
- Post holiday and seasonal changes before they happen.
- Say what to do when you’re closed: an out-of-hours number or online booking.
- Common mistake
- Hours only inside a photo of the door sign or a PDF menu.
How to find us
- What to write
- Address as text + a landmark people recognize + parking, transport, access
- Why it works
- Gets people to your door: the address as text, how to get there and a link that opens in their map app.
- Example
- “14 Mill Street, next to the clock tower. Bus 12 stops outside; one step at the door.”
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Write the address as text, so it can be copied and opened in a map app.
- Add a landmark line where street names aren’t enough.
- Mention parking, public transport and step-free access.
- Common mistake
- An embedded map with no address to copy.
Services
- What to write
- Customer need + the service that meets it, one line each
- Why it works
- Lets people find their own job in your list fast, so they know you do it before reading anything else.
- Example
- “Breakfast · Lunch · Evening small plates · Wine”
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Name services the way customers search for them: “blocked drain”, not “drainage solutions”.
- With a long list, group by situation (emergencies, planned work, servicing).
- Add a “from” price beside each one if you can publish prices.
- Common mistake
- Grouping services by your internal departments instead of by the customer’s situation.
Who you’ll deal with
- What to write
- Name + role + what this person does for the customer
- Why it works
- Puts names and faces on the business. That matters most when you come into someone’s home or handle their money or health.
- Example
- “Ana runs the kitchen; Tom chooses the wine.”
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Use real, consented photos. NN/g found people distrust stock photos and like seeing real staff.
- Say what each person does for the customer, not only their title.
- Add personal registrations where your field has them, with the number.
- Common mistake
- Stock photos standing in for staff, or a team grid nobody can contact.
Main action
- What to write
- Book or order + for when, with deposit, group size or order cut-off
- Why it works
- People booking a table or ordering ahead want it done in one step. Naming the time and any deposit up front avoids a booking that falls through later.
- Example
- “Book a table for tonight”, with “Groups of 8+ pay a deposit” beside it.
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Name the action and what follows it. “Call now, an engineer answers” says more than “Contact us”.
- Offer the action you can really take today. A booking button with no free slots costs you trust.
- Put the fee, deposit or reply time next to the button, not in small print.
- Common mistake
- A button after every section, each with a different verb. Pick one main action per page.
Book or order
“Book or order, or hand off to the system that does.”
Add it if What should a ready visitor do? Book a time or Order ahead or Send an enquiry
Sections, top to bottom
Select a section to see what to write and why.
The form
- What to write
- What they’re asking for + only the fields you need + what happens to their details + send + what happens next
- Why it works
- Makes asking easy: only the fields you need, and a clear promise of what happens next.
- Example
- “Book a table” with date, time, people and phone. Button: “Request this table, we confirm by text”.
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Ask only what you need to reply. NN/g suggests 3 to 5 fields for a contact form.
- Let people add photos when a photo saves a visit.
- Say when they’ll hear back, beside the button.
- Common mistake
- Asking for things you don’t need yet, like a full address for a first question.
What happens next
- What to write
- What they do first → what you do next + how fast → the work → how it ends + what it costs
- Why it works
- Takes the unknown out of getting in touch: what happens after the first click, who does it, how long it takes and what it costs.
- Example
- “1 You pick a day and time. 2 We confirm by text. 3 Your table is held when you arrive. 4 You pay at the table.”
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Write each step from the customer’s side: what they do, what they get.
- Give each step a time you can stand behind.
- Mention cost where it applies, so nothing surprises them later.
- Common mistake
- Steps written as slogans (“Discover, Design, Deliver”) with no time, cost or owner.
Main action
- What to write
- Book or order + for when, with deposit, group size or order cut-off
- Why it works
- People booking a table or ordering ahead want it done in one step. Naming the time and any deposit up front avoids a booking that falls through later.
- Example
- “Book a table for tonight”, with “Groups of 8+ pay a deposit” beside it.
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Name the action and what follows it. “Call now, an engineer answers” says more than “Contact us”.
- Offer the action you can really take today. A booking button with no free slots costs you trust.
- Put the fee, deposit or reply time next to the button, not in small print.
- Common mistake
- A button after every section, each with a different verb. Pick one main action per page.
It’s sent
- What to write
- It’s sent + what happens next, and when + how to reach you meanwhile
- Why it works
- Confirms it worked and says what to expect, so nobody sends it twice or rings to check.
- Example
- “Requested. We’ll text you to confirm within the hour. Running late? Call —.”
Tips and a common mistake
- Tips
- Say when they’ll hear back.
- Give a reference if you’ll use one.
- Offer a faster route if it’s urgent.
- Common mistake
- A bare “Thanks!” with no next step.
See the full pattern A separate page: an example site drawn from this blueprint, with desktop and phone views, notes, and the plan as a file to download.
More about this blueprint
It bends to fit
- Walk-in The action is getting there: hours, address, map link.
- Book a table Booking leads and still works when closed.
- Six branches, order by message A page per branch; delivery orders by WhatsApp.
- Tourists, three languages Menu and booking in each language.
- Book a named barber Where the venue meets the practice: people chosen by name.
Not the right fit if
- You sell mainly online with delivery.
- Each thing you sell needs its own page (a car dealer, a furniture showroom with a catalog). Listings, rooms and tours
- Clients pick a named practitioner and pay for advice or treatment by appointment (a clinic, though a salon is open: see unknowns). Advisers, practices and clinics
The full pattern: why it works, the brief that changes it, every page annotated, and the file for Design and Build. Terms, page patterns and what the library doesn’t cover yet are in the library reference.