Since St. Patrick’s Day was a fairly recent event, this is a look at Pub web sites. I asked around for what typical pubgoers were interested in when the checked a web site for a potential location and this is what they requested:

- Lots of pictures to see the ambience of the pub
- Calendar of Events / Live Music
- Location (including street photo of pub) with directions
- Menu, prices, what’s on tap

Unlike bars, a lot of pubgoers are very interested in the atmosphere of the place, along with how good the food is. Even most American pubgoers have spent some time in Europe and are familiar with that sort of pub, which is the reason they are seeking one out.

The main reason for a street photo request is that often there are several pubs in a row, and a photograph will help identify which one to go inside. Also, when in a strange town, a quick street reference when driving through trying to find the place is of great assistance. They also requested there be a photo both day and night available since the look of a street can change significantly in various light conditions.

Whereas those going to a restaurant tend to be interested in menu prices, those I interviewed about pubs said that wasn’t a big issue. Usually the prices are fairly reasonable and they are going for the atmosphere primarily, and possibly the live music. Therefore, a detailed menu is not high on their priority list. They’d be happy with a quick pdf reference.

Let us take a look at some pub sites from around the world to see how they are organized and if they match what the target audience is looking for.

White Horse Pub

One of my favourite pubs in Oxford, the actual pub itself is excellent, with a cozy interior and great food. This is not reflected in the web site, which is stark and a bit gloomy as well. You want to have all the important information above the fold, and while the general address is crucial, there needs to be a bit more when you first arrive at a web site. Large blank areas tend to leave the visitor waiting for more to load.

Mystery Meat Navigation
This has inexplicably been a trend online for some time now, and the number one complaint I received when asking “what bothers you the most about web sites” on my twitter account. People jolly well want to know what they are clicking on. They don’t have time to waste playing adventure games trying to figure out what page it is. “But the name of the file appears on the browser” is usually the response. Correction, several modern browsers have slimmed down to actually eliminate that. And who wants to squint at the bottom of a tiny grey bar to read tiny text in order to figure out what page they will land on? Just tell what the link is! It may seem boring, but that’s what people need to know.

There is a photograph of what the White Horse looks like from the street, which is very helpful, although it is not presented in a very appealing manner. It also would be well to include a shot taken from across the street to show more of Broad giving an indication where on the street to look for it.

The pages include a link colour that vibrates with the background colour. This is actually a fascinating effect of colour theory. Certain colours put next to each other literally appear to be moving. While an intriguing scientific phenomena, it is not something you want on a web site where people are trying to read quickly. Best to have a nice contrasting colour to the background that also fits in with the rest of the site scheme.

There is a heavy use of stock photography on the site, which is really too bad considering the White Horse has fantastic natural ambience which could be shown to advantage. It is very small inside, but that isn’t a fact that aught to be hidden. People need to know things like a pub’s size, in case they want to bring a large group.

Example of the chaos:

It is very difficult to navigate the site, and the pages are a bit of a jigsaw puzzle when you try to view them, which is really a shame. There are some great tidbits of content on here, like pictures of Elijah Wood, pub events, etc. If it were reorganized, the site has potential to be quite stunning. Here again is an example of decent content but without using proper design, thus doing the opposite of what the site intended– driving away potential visitors to the pub.

Eagle & Child

Here is a look at the pub I spend the most time in, which is much larger but has a great historic and warm atmosphere. Technically this is on the Classic Pubs web site, but as you can see the design is much more functional. There is a clear list of links right at the top including directions, menus, drinks and news. There are plenty of photos on the homepage arranged quite well showing what the interior resembles. The main page hits all the important bits– famous history of “The Bird & Baby”, hours, and latest news.

There is an interactive map showing where on St. Giles the pub is, but not really any clear pictures of what it looks like along the street. Considering almost every Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis fan has had their photo taken outside the Eagle & Child, it should be easy enough for them to walk out their front door and take a picture.

The menus included some excellent food photography of their actual dishes (which are always beautifully arranged) which is a big plus.

In short, it is a very well done site, although it could use some improvement, and a good example of what a pub site should be.

Murphy’s Irish Pub

Moving across the pond to the most popular pub in Sonoma County, CA, this is another example of a poor design concept with decent content. Much of the important information, like the address and phone number, is over an image, which is a bit of an issue. There are so many colours and images and graphic elements that the first impression is overwhelming and many people would simply leave without perusing further.

The menu uses standard stock photos, which is a bit off putting because it is so obvious. Better to get a friend or family member who takes good photographs to set up some still lifes of the actual pub– otherwise people think you are trying to hide something. There is also no particular reason to split up the menus onto several pages, making people click multiple times. The key with web sites is to eliminate as many clicks as possible. There were also several pdf links without warning. It is important to always label pdfs, because often a sudden large document will crash the browser, or at least irritate your visitor. Put up the pdf logo, a text warning, and list out what file size it is (200k, 1.4mb etc)

While the site included pages that were requested by pubgoers, the content didn’t really reflect what they were looking for. There are photos– but not really many showing a typical look at the pub, or how to find it. Murphy’s is down a long alley and it would be helpful to have a sort of photo tour first of the street along the plaza, then down the alley itself to show first time visitors where to go. The events was well presented with plenty of information, and that is where the real life of the pub is.

What we learned:
- Don’t use ‘mystery meat’ navigation– say what the link is
- Make sure you have some content above the fold, not just large blank areas
- Be careful that the text colour doesn’t vibrate or clash with the bg colour
- Use plenty of real photos of inside the location and outside, including food photography
- Don’t put your address/contact info as an image
- Try to eliminate several clicks to find information
- Don’t open pdfs without warning, and post the file size