Get smartphone friendly, pubs and restaurants told

In a survey of operators, it found that just 2.6% of pubs and restaurants had a site that was fully optimised for mobile traffic. That is despite the fact that one in four minutes online is now spent on a mobile platform. Livebookings estimates that 36% of the UK now has a smartphone, and says web searches from them are increasing at the expense of computers.

Livebookings’ chief marketing officer Andris Berzins said: “Restaurants can’t afford to ignore the power of mobile. Consumers today demand instant access to the services they want 24/7. The restaurant industry, like other service sectors, needs to respond to changing consumer behaviours and embrace mobile technology to deliver a high quality user experience.”

Livebookings’ survey coincides with the launch of Pocket Diner, its new smartphone-friendly web platform that allows people to locate and browse restaurants and book tables from their mobiles. IT says mobile phones have created a new type of customer—MoDs, or mobile diners—who research, book and review restaurants on the move. Chains signed up to the Pocket Diner service include Strada, Giraffe, Masala Zone and Café Rouge.

Marketing on smartphone platforms and the soaring rate of mobile browsing were among the themes explored at this year’s Peach Marketing and Consumer Insight Seminar.