A recent random sampling of 1,000 people across the US gives a snapshot of diners’ digital habits, wants and needs and shows how technology is changing and shaping Americans’ decision-making process of where their next epicurean experience comes from.
Couponbox.com and 10x digital-sponsored the survey assessing how people are using both the Internet and their smartphones to access information about a restaurant—typically before they make dining decisions—from menu items to a restaurant’s hours.
Information & Features People Want to See on a Website
The following ranked from highest to lowest.
- Menu
- Prices
- Photos of food
- Calories/nutrition info
- Hours
Restaurant Web Searches on a Smartphone
“Photos of food was a surprise answer, but when considered further, it makes sense,” said Dan Stearns, Portal Team Lead of Couponbox.com. “Since photos of food are important, restaurateurs should place an emphasis on professional photography since food lighting, texture and presentation aren’t a simple smartphone camera click away.” According to a survey cited in Search Engine Journal, restaurants and clothing represent 50 percent of mobile coupon searches. In another recent survey by Couponbox, online couponing is a growing trend among dining customers. From this random sampling of 1,000 people, almost 24 percent have redeemed an online coupon at a restaurant.
Takeaways from this data, combined with other findings about mobile responsive restaurant websites, underscores the importance restaurants should place on their digital information. For instance, according to several sources–including eMarketer, one-quarter of the global population uses smart phones now and by 2018 it’s estimated 2.56 billion will be using these multi-purpose devices. The growth of inexpensive smartphone use is also broadening more peoples’ access to the Internet and apps.
Being Mobile Responsive is Also Important to Consumers
The survey results and data regarding the increase in mobile activity points to the need for mobile responsive websites. In a recent sampling of independent restaurant websites by 10x digital and Couponbox.com, at least 30 percent have portions of their websites that are mobile unfriendly and some late adopters don’t even have a web site. Being non-mobile responsive or unfriendly means that the website isn’t optimized for a mobile device experience. Thus, many site visitors (and potential customers) are looking for menus, hours and address information that loads quickly and is easily visible on a smartphone or tablet, etc. “These technologically-savvy smartphone users and even the later adopters are going to want and demand mobile-friendly sites, or— they’ll be much more inclined to jump to their next restaurant choice, with the yummy photos and ‘easy-to-navigate’ location and hours information,” said Stearns.
Couponbox.com, a recently launched online discount coupon publisher in the US, sponsored the survey, which was distributed to American shoppers by local digital marketing company, 10x digital. Operating under the Webgears umbrella, which also runs market-leading coupon sites in the UK and Germany, Couponbox has already helped more than 8 million Americans save money on their online purchases.
10x digital is a a full-service content marketing, SEO, PR, marketing research and digital agency, based in Greenville SC. 10x digital, with additional offices in Tampa FL and Roanoke VA, was recognized by Content Marketing Institute as one of the top content marketing agencies in the world 2014-2015 and has operated in SC since 2002. 10x has regional, national and international marketing clients in many different industries.
