Millions search for restaurants on mobile phones
With 19 million people in the UK eating out at least once a week and 80% of mobile searches pertaining to restaurants resulting in some sort of sale, catering – in every sense – to the mobile diner is key for any restaurant business.
So what can independent and small chains do to capitalise on this? According to research by xAd/Telmetrics, mobile is the only media used by half of mobile restaurant searchers (49 percent), and 50 percent say mobile devices are the most important media source for their restaurant research.
Restaurant marketers have a short window of opportunity to influence this high conversion category as most (78 percent) mobile-driven UK restaurant searches result in a purchase/booking and 59 percent want to make a decision the same day. So there are some key considerations that any restaurant business – or any business for that matter – needs to bear in mind when looking to make the most out of consumers looking for a quick fix.
Location, location, location
Anyone using mobile advertising needs to ensure that their campaigns are locally relevant as location proximity is a key purchase influencer. For smartphone restaurant researchers – of which half are using their device on the go – nearly 3 out of 4 expect the restaurant to be within five miles, including a quarter who expect it to be within walking distance.
Looking up locations is the most popular restaurant search activity (69 percent) and map/navigational apps/sites are 36 percent more popular for restaurant searches than the other categories studied (Auto and Travel). Location is also important to tablet searchers as 60 percent expect restaurant locations to be within five miles.
“Local is at the heart of effective mobile ad campaigns and is an especially key component to engaging mobile restaurant searchers and driving reservations,” said Monica Ho, vice president of marketing for xAd Inc. “As smartphone searchers dining decisions are heavily influenced by location, advertisers need to tailor their campaigns to be at the right place, at the right time, with the right message.”
Easy contact
Timing is everything and restaurant searchers have the fastest purchase times with 60 percent of mobile searchers looking to make a decision the same day. This includes 1 out of 3 smartphone searchers making a decision within the hour.
Also, half of mobile restaurant searches involve looking for contact info such as location, directions and phone numbers, which often indicates a high conversion prospect in this category. Ultimately, 1 out of 3 UK smartphone searchers made a call to the restaurant.
Star impact
User reviews are the most important mobile restaurant research feature and 58 percent of mobile searchers use reviews in their purchase decisions. Restaurants that fare well on review sites and/or include menus as well as reputably sourced reviews on their mobile websites will likely see more business/bookings.
Reviews are the top search activity for tablet searchers who also use their devices more heavily for researching menu options. Overall, the top three most important features for mobile restaurant searchers are: online reviews, location proximity and an optimised website. A mobile-optimised site is key for monetising mobile traffic as most restaurant searchers use mobile websites rather than apps.
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