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First Screen Check for a Restaurant or Hotel Website

Open your site on your phone, answer eight yes or no questions, and get the one fix to make today.

Free, no sign-up. Everything happens in your browser - we never see what you type.

Open your website on your phone now. Look at the first screen only, without scrolling. Answer from what you see in ten seconds.

1 of 8Can you see your business name without scrolling?

Look at the very top of the screen, before you touch it.

2 of 8Can a stranger tell what you are and where you are?

For example: family restaurant in Valletta, or boutique hotel in Sliema.

3 of 8Is there a booking or call button on that first screen?

A clear button or link that says Book, Reserve or Call.

4 of 8Does that button lead to your own booking page or phone?

Tap it. It should not send people to a marketplace or a competitor’s listing.

5 of 8Can your thumb reach that button without stretching?

Hold the phone one-handed. The button should sit in the lower half of the screen.

6 of 8Can you read the text without zooming in?

Hold the phone at normal arm’s length.

7 of 8Does the main picture show your real place?

Your dining room, your rooms, your view. Not a stock photo anyone could use.

8 of 8Does it appear before you lose patience?

Open it on mobile data. If you started to look away, answer no.

0 of 8 answered

Why only the first screen

A guest opens your site from Google, Instagram or a friend’s message. They give it a few seconds. What they see before scrolling decides whether they book, call or leave.

So this check ignores the rest of the site. It asks eight things a person can see in ten seconds. You need no tools, no speed report and no numbers.

What the eight questions look at

Why one fix and not a list

A list of eight problems tends to get read and left. One fix gets done before lunch. We rank the questions by what a guest needs first, so your first no is where to start.

If a marketplace or an aggregator holds your bookings, the button question matters most. Our notes on being found on Google Maps in Malta cover the step before the website, which is getting guests to it.

Questions owners ask us

What is the first screen of a website?

It is everything you see on your phone before you scroll. A guest decides in that moment whether to book, call or go back to the search results. That is why we check only that part.

Why check it on a phone and not on a computer?

Most guests find a restaurant or hotel on their phone, often standing outside or planning a trip. A site that looks fine on your laptop can hide its booking button on a small screen.

Why does it matter where the booking button leads?

A button that sends guests to a marketplace hands them to a page full of your competitors. A button that goes to your own booking page or phone keeps the booking with you.

How is the one fix chosen?

We put the eight questions in a fixed order, from what a guest needs first to what polishes the page. Your first no in that order is the fix to make today. The rest wait.

What if I answer yes to everything?

Then your first screen is doing its job, and we will say so plainly. Nothing needs fixing today. Check again whenever you change the design or the booking system.

Is my answer saved or sent anywhere?

No. The check runs in your browser only. Nothing is stored and nothing is sent. Close the page and it is gone.

If the first screen needs more than one small fix

Websites are made by our sister studio, Malta Web Atelier. You can also see a working first screen and judge it against your own.

Message us on WhatsApp and tell us which question you said no to. If we can help, we will. If we cannot, we will say so.

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