Only 2.6% of restaurants have mobile-friendly websites

Restaurants are missing out on the opportunity to take advantage of prospective diners looking to book a meal on their mobile phone.

That's the claim from bookings website www.livebookings.co.uk, which said research showed only 2.6% of restaurants have a website optimised to take advantage of mobile, even though 23% of web browsing is now done through mobile phone.

The website said a revolution in smartphone usage had created a new type of diner - the MoDs (Mobile Diners) - that locate, research, book and review restaurants whilst on the move.

Other figures in the research showed that 36% of the UK population now own smartphones and PC searches were decreasing by 15% year on year

Livebookings presented the findings as it launched its new mobile platform, Pocket Diner, in a bid to help restaurateurs maximise all booking channels to drive footfall and profitability.

Andris Berzins, chief marketing officer at Livebookings, said: "Restaurants can't afford to ignore the power of mobile. Consumers today demand instant access to the services they want 24/7. As a result, the restaurant industry, like other service sectors, needs to respond to this changing consumer behaviour by embracing mobile technology to deliver a high-quality user experience."

Restaurant chains Strada, Giraffe, Masala Zone and Café Rouge have all already signed up to Pocket Diner. Stephanie Rice, marketing coordinator at Giraffe, said: "Pocket Diner is ideal for restaurants who understand the value of their online presence and want to optimise it to take advantage of the new generation of mobile web users."

London Restaurant Festival joins forces with Livebookings >>

Livebookings names Colin Tenwick chief executive officer and Ian Cole chief financial officer >>

By Neil Gerrard

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