Livebookings, the UK-based provider of online marketing services for restaurants, has reported a 60% rise in annual revenues in 2012, with more than 15m diners seating via the system last year, a rise of 33%.
The company said it delivered on average 640 seated diners per restaurant in Q4 2012, an increase of over 80% from Q4 2011.
By the end of 2012, 33% of bookings were made on smartphone and tablet devices, up from 13% at the end of 2011, Livebookings said. “Much of the growth can be attributed to the rapid adoption of mobile browsing and booking solutions offered by Livebookings and Bookatable to both restaurants and consumers,” the company said.
“Hospitality giants Fuller’s and Whitbread were among the customers who adopted products and services from Livebookings specifically designed to capitalise on the increased booking traffic from smartphone and tablet devices. In turn, adding these nationwide businesses has significantly increased the number of major city centre and local destinations bookable via Livebookings’ properties, further improving the options available to the last-minute, mobile diner.”
The firm said Bookatable.com, its consumer restaurant website, saw a jump in the proportion of bookings made from a mobile device, from 11% at the end of 2011 to 34% at the end of 2012. Total visitor numbers to the website increased 57% year-on-year and consumer database opt-in is up 90%.
Livebookings’ chief executive Colin Tenwick said: “The figures for 2012 show Livebookings is delivering more to restaurants and Bookatable is attracting more consumers, despite a tough economic climate. Our market leading products allow customers to capitalise on the growth of online bookings from smartphone and tablet devices. Over the next 12 months, we will continue to improve on the monthly average of seated diners that we deliver to each restaurant customer, and we will continue to break booking records by meeting consumer demand for great value and memorable dining experiences.”
