Study: 81% of Consumers Search for Restaurants on Mobile Apps

If you run a restaurant, you had better make sure that your online listings are up-to-date and your menu is easily readable on a mobile device. A new study from SinglePlatform and Chadwick Martin Bailey highlights the importance of the mobile channel for restaurants, finding that more than 8 in 10 consumers have searched for a restaurant on a mobile app in the last six months.

According to the study, 81 percent of the 1,497 consumers surveyed have looked for a restaurant on a mobile app in the last six months. Meanwhile, 92 percent of consumers have searched for a restaurant on a Web browser in that same time frame.

The study also finds that 3 in 4 consumers select a restaurant to dine at based on search results, and that 80 percent of consumers think it’s important to view a menu before they dine at a restaurant. Not surprisingly, 70 percent of respondents think it’s important to be able to read a restaurant’s menu on a mobile device. If a restaurant’s menu isn’t friendly for mobile screens, most consumers (62 percent) say they’re less likely to choose that eatery.

“The results of this survey clearly indicate the need for restaurants to ensure that their menu information is up to date across all online platforms,” says Wiley Cerilli, vice president and general manager of SinglePlatform. “Consumers are searching for new restaurants more than they are any other industry. When you take into consideration that 80 percent of consumers think it’s important to see a menu before they dine at a restaurant, restaurants stand to tremendously benefit in managing their menus wherever consumers see them.”

“The math is simple