According to The NPD Group, a leading market research company, in the first quarter of 2012 six percent of restaurant visits were influenced by online marketing, accounting for eight percent of all spending. The NPD Group excepts those numbers to increase.
The company found that online marketing is effective in attracting new customers. Twenty-six percent of marketing influenced visits were first time visits to a specific restaurant.Additionally, online marketing can increase customer loyalty. Customers using online marketing have higher revisit intentions than those who don’t.
“It’s no longer a question of if online marketing should be a part of a restaurant operator’s overall marketing plan; it’s a must-have,” says Bonnie Riggs, NPD restaurant industry analyst.
Though a majority of visits influenced by online marketing occur at quick service restaurants, a disproportionate number occur at casual dining places. While casual dining accounts for only one in every 10 restaurants visits, the group receives one in every six visits driven by online marketing.
Posted by Lauren Grelle-Athanasiou
08/13/12
