A recent industry white paper cites ten percent of online purchases come from a smartphone or tablet computer.  The same source predicts that by 2017, that percentage will be up to 50 percent.

There is no doubt that online and mobile commerce is getting more pervasive.

Some may refer to this as the beginning of Web 3.0, the convergence of social and commercial media, or what is becoming known as social commerce, wherein smart marketers use the power of social media to drive word-of-mouth information and then offer customers a way to make an immediate purchase.

As we look towards the future, we see social commerce as a turning point for online businesses.  It gives users the power to make direct purchases of products recommended by friends.  Their credit card, address and personal information may even be eventually synced with their social media accounts.  The act of making purchases will be easier.

NetWaiter has provided restaurants an early avenue into social commerce for several years in the form of our Facebook integration.  When a customer places an online order through NetWaiter, they have the opportunity to use their Facebook account to login, which also provides the option to post a message about their order to their Facebook page.  Not only does the post give restaurants immediate promotion, but there is also a link back to the restaurant’s NetWaiter site for others to view the menu and place their own orders.

The truth is - customers have always had the power of word-of-mouth advertising.  For the most part, it was simply passed on in personal conversations.  Because much more is on the web now, word-of-mouth advertising provides restaurant owners significantly more leverage and the ability to capture additional sales.

The number of smartphone users now rivals desktop users, says a recent report.  Online visits from smartphones, however, are nearly twice the number of desktop visits. 

If you doubt this, think about how many times you check things on the Internet using your phone while on the go.  It makes sense, huh?

Mobile is often the only tool used for making buying decisions when it comes to restaurants.  Even better, restaurants have the highest conversion rate from a search to a purchase/visit – it’s a whopping 80%!

Here are some more head-turning numbers:
•    50% of restaurant searches are done on smartphones.
•    When asked about the most important medium for making a buying decision, 42% say it is their mobile phone.
•    51% of mobile users use their device at the start of the purchasing process and nearly half of those rely on their mobile device all the way through the purchasing process.
•    When it comes to restaurants, a mobile customer is a hot lead.  Two-thirds of those looking for a restaurant plan on making a purchase the same day (or within minutes).

With NetWaiter as your restaurant's online ordering service, you don’t have to worry about your mobile site – we’ve handled it for you because we realize how important mobile is in today’s competitive restaurant business.  Make sure your customers know they can visit your online site with their mobile device!