Running a food brand is a full-time hustle. Between recipe development, production, distribution, and marketing, your website can sometimes feel like that leftover container at the back of the fridge — easy to forget about until it’s… not so fresh.

But your website is your brand’s digital storefront. It’s the first impression you serve to potential customers, investors, distributors and retailers. So here’s the big question: Is your website doing its job properly, or is it time for a refresh?

At NOVO MxC, we specialize in helping food and beverage brands craft websites that are irresistible, professional, and conversion-ready. To help you out, we’ve cooked up this quick 10-question self-assessment. Grab a coffee (or a smoothie!) and let’s dive in.

If you answer NO to any question, it’s a sign your website could use some seasoning—or a full refresh. If you answer YES, you’re on the right track!

1. Does Your Hero Section Pack a Punch?

Your hero section (that top part of your homepage) is like the amuse-bouche of your website — it should immediately delight and intrigue. Is it clear what your brand offers? Is the image mouthwatering? Is there a strong call-to-action (CTA) like “Shop Now” or “Learn More”? Blurry images, weak headlines, or vague CTAs are a big red flag.

Question 1: Does your homepage hero section immediately make it clear what products you make and entice visitors to take action? (Yes or No)

2. Are Your Headlines Bold and Flavorful?

Your headlines should be more than just labels; they should guide visitors through your site like a well-planned tasting menu. Great headlines capture attention, explain value, and create momentum. If your headlines are bland or generic (“Welcome to Our Website!” — yawn), you might be losing hungry visitors fast.

Question 2: Are your website headlines engaging, benefit-driven, and easy to understand? (Yes or No)

3. Is Your Copy Crisp, Clear, and Conversational?

Think of your website copy as your secret sauce. It should speak your audience’s language, be easy to digest (pun absolutely intended), and create emotional connection. If your text is dense, technical, or outdated, it’s probably time for a rewrite.

Question 3: Is the copy throughout your website clear, friendly and compelling? (Yes or No)

4. Are Your Product Descriptions Mouthwatering?

If you sell products online, your descriptions should not only list ingredients or benefits — they should sell the experience. Does the copy make readers imagine tasting, enjoying, or gifting your products? Or does it read like the back of a cereal box?

Question 4: Do your product descriptions make your offerings irresistible and craveable? (Yes or No)

5. Is Your Photography Fresh and Consistent?

In the food world, we eat with our eyes first. Are your photos high-quality, styled professionally, and consistent across the site? Outdated or inconsistent imagery can leave a bad taste—literally and figuratively.

Question 5: Is the photography on your site polished, high-res, and aligned with your brand style? (Yes or No)

6. Does Your Site Design Feel Modern and Appetizing?

Good design is like plating a beautiful dish—it makes everything look more delicious. Does your site feel fresh, clean, and aligned with current design trends? If your site looks like it’s from 2013 (or earlier…), it’s time to rework the recipe.

Question 6: Is your website layout visually appealing, easy to navigate, and aligned with modern design trends? (Yes or No)

7. Is Your Website Mobile-Friendly?

Today’s consumers are scrolling (and shopping) on their phones. If your site is clunky on mobile—images cut off, tiny buttons, endless pinching and zooming—you’re leaving sales on the table.

Question 7: Is your website easy to navigate and visually attractive on mobile devices? (Yes or No)

8. Are Your Pages Loading Quickly?

Nobody likes waiting, especially when there are snacks to be had. If your website takes more than a few seconds to load, visitors are likely to bounce. Large uncompressed images, outdated code, and slow servers are common culprits.

Question 8: Does your website load in under 3 seconds on both desktop and mobile? (Yes or No)

9. Is Your Website Optimized for Search Engines?

Having a beautiful website is great—but if no one can find it, it’s like baking the world’s best sourdough and leaving it in the oven. Search engine optimization (SEO) ensures that your website shows up when potential customers Google things like “organic hot sauce” or “gluten-free granola near me.” That means optimizing your headlines, meta descriptions, product pages, blog content, image alt tags, and site structure. If your site isn’t SEO-friendly, you’re probably missing out on tons of hungry search traffic.

Question 9: Is your website optimized for search engines, with relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and structured content that helps people find you online? (Yes or No)

10. Do You Have Up-to-Date Content?

An active website signals a healthy, thriving brand. Blog posts, news updates, social feed integrations, or seasonal product releases show you’re engaged and evolving. If your last blog post is from 2021… we need to chat.

Question 10: Is your website content current, updated regularly, and reflective of your brand’s latest news and products? (Yes or No)

Conclusion: How Did You Score?

Now, add up the number of NO answers you gave:

• 0-2 NOs: Your website sounds like it’s in great shape! Keep doing what you’re doing.
  
• 3-4 NOs: Your website could definitely benefit from some updates to maximize its potential.
  
• 5-6 NOs: Your website could seriously benefit from a refresh to stay competitive and drive more business.
  
• 7 or more NOs: 🚨 Your website urgently needs an update. You’re likely leaving opportunities (and money) on the table.
  

If your brand is ready to grow, elevate your online presence, and drive more sales, we’d love to chat!

At NOVO MxC, we help food and beverage brands like yours shine online with Strategy, Branding, Packaging Design, Website Design, Food Photography, Video Production and Animation.

Please give us a call at 416-892-2471 or reach out to us using the contact form at the bottom of this page.