Survey Reveals the Impact of Voice Search on the Food Industry

Yext Discovers the Power of Voice Search on the Food Industry Used by Respondents to Track Restaurant Information

Yext, Inc, the leading Digital Knowledge Management (DKM) Firm conducted a survey and revealed results which included data on how restaurant-goers use voice search to engage with and find restaurants.

These results give new insights on understanding how voice search has become an important part of the interaction customers have with restaurants, and how voice search has rampantly risen to be an important part of restaurant marketing.

The survey poll was Yext-commissioned and comprised of over 1,000 adults within the US. The variants included people specifically who had asked restaurant-related questions using voice-enabled services such as Google Assistant, Siri or Alexa for the purposes of sourcing information or asking questions within the past year.

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The research revelations have been detailed below;

1 in 4 customers visit the restaurant when the results received is through voice search:

• 53% of respondents would prefer a voice search to sift through restaurants based on menu information
• 49% of respondents would use voice search to find specific information based on a specific restaurant
• 44% of the 49% would use a voice query to search for restaurants based on the type of cuisine or craving type.

Consumers frequently search for restaurant details and accordingly attribute information:

• 80% of the respondents already reported to having used voice devices to search for restaurants that mark particular characteristics
• 39% of the respondents use voice search/devices for cuisine or favorite food types
• 28% use voice search to also figure the timings and work hours of restaurant operation
• 14% use voice queries to determine certain specifics such as Wi-Fi ability or smoking zones.

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Further on, consumers want to have the option to use voice search for interaction with restaurants

• 39% of respondents prefer to use voice devices in the future over smartphones while sifting through restaurant information
• 35% of survey respondents would prefer to use voice devices over smartphones to order food from restaurants
• 61% of consumers indicated specific interest to use voice search to receive directions from the restaurant
• 55% would use voice over placing a phone call towards a restaurant
• 47% would use voice over gathering reviews or ratings about any given restaurant
• 45% of respondents would make a reservation in a restaurant via voice search instead of other mediums

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Considering the above numbers and the assessment based on voice search, voice-enabled digital assistant use is making its mark and has been forecasted to grow by nearly 120 percent in the next year.

According to Lee Zucker, Head of Industry, Food Services at Yext, “The rise of smart devices, voice search, and AI is quickly changing the game for restaurants everywhere. In this new environment, more customers than ever are asking AI-powered services like Google Assistant, Siri or Alexa detailed questions about restaurant brands, locations, and menu items. Restaurant brands must take control of their digital knowledge everywhere to reach consumers with the right information, at the right moment, and ultimately gain an advantage over their competitors.”

With all factors put into perspective, this rate of adoption is significantly climbing, thus ensuring that voice search will continue to transform the way consumers engage with restaurants and ultimately deciding their own dining experience.

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