Business websites in Peru: restaurants, shops and independent professionals

A website for a business in Peru has three jobs: get found on Google, let customers see what you sell without having to ask, and end with them messaging you on WhatsApp. If it does that, it pays for itself in inquiries. If it's a pretty business card nobody visits, it doesn't.

I build websites for restaurants, shops and independent professionals, remotely from Buenos Aires, two hours ahead of Lima. I work on my own, in English or Spanish, with video calls and progress you open from a link. Whether you run the business in Peru or help a relative's business from abroad, here's what each kind of business needs.

Restaurants: the menu people look up before heading out

Peru eats out and decides on the phone. Someone looking for a cevichería in Miraflores, a chifa (Peruvian-Chinese restaurant) downtown or a rotisserie chicken spot nearby wants to see the menu, prices and directions before choosing. If the only menu is a blurry Instagram photo, they go somewhere else.

A restaurant website with a digital menu (the same one diners open from the QR code on the table), current promotions and a WhatsApp button for orders takes care of that. With several locations, each gets its own address and hours. If you'd rather not depend on third-party delivery apps for every order, read own online ordering for restaurants.

Shops: a catalog that ends in a WhatsApp chat

Plenty of shops in Peru already sell over WhatsApp and get paid through Yape, Plin (the popular local payment apps) or bank transfer. They don't need an online store with a shopping cart. They need customers to see the full catalog, with photos, sizes and availability, and tap a button to order what they picked.

That's an online catalog without checkout. It works for a clothing store in Gamarra, Lima's garment district, that ships to the provinces, a hardware store, an auto parts shop or a bakery taking weekend orders. The message arrives with the product already chosen, and you close the sale the way you always have. I explain the approach in selling on WhatsApp with an online catalog.

Professionals: get found in your district

A lawyer in San Isidro, a dentist in Surco or an accountant in Arequipa are all competing for the same kind of search: “dentist in Surco,” “employment lawyer in Lima.” The website has to be clear and fast, and say what you do, where you see clients and how to book.

Add a complete Google Business Profile with photos and reviews and you've already gained a lot of ground. I cover it in the Google Business Profile guide. If you work by appointment, the site can take bookings online and send reminders.

Tourism in Cusco, Arequipa and the north coast: bilingual sites

If you run a hostel in Cusco, a tour company in the Sacred Valley, a restaurant in Arequipa or a guesthouse on the northern beaches, a good share of your guests search in English. A bilingual website lets you take those inquiries directly, without the traveler having to translate anything.

And if you're a developer or builder selling pre-construction apartments in Lima, there's another tool: the 3D walkthrough. The Recorrido 3D blog has a piece on 3D renderings and walkthroughs in Peru.

Working with me remotely from Peru

We start with a video call so I understand your business and who you sell to. You send photos, your menu or product list and what you want to highlight, and I write the copy with you. You review progress from a link on your phone, sign off, and only then does it go live. Day-to-day contact is by WhatsApp or email.

You get the website up and running, on your own domain, with a dashboard to change whatever gets updated often. If you're not sure what to prepare, use the website content checklist.

If your site collects customer data (forms, bookings, orders), check with a local professional what Peruvian privacy rules currently require. I build the site to follow whatever they recommend.

Frequently asked questions