Consumer Insights

Mobile searches for restaurants multiplied by the millions in 2011, doubling year over year, according to activity on the YP app, the latest version of which – part of the YPmobile suite of products developed by AT&T Interactive, delivers a richer local search experience for foodies, including unprecedented in-app access to menus for more than 300,000 restaurants.

The quest for food is different for different people, and for many users, scanning the menu may be more important than wading through reviews, while for still others, browsing coupons and discounts or only considering places that are kid-friendly are critical in making a decision.

The app allows users to pinpoint their search based on distance, cuisine, price range, ambiance and whether they’re offering a coupon or discount, all in a single view. The app further calls out how many nearby options there are in popular restaurant categories. It also allows users to buy and redeem daily offers for savings on food, drink and other popular goods and services.

Users can browse thousands of coupons and discounts and save them to “My Stuff,” which alerts users automatically before they expire. Also available are the nearest and cheapest gas options, a quick-rating feature and shortcuts to specific locations like coffee shops.

“AT&T Interactive believes the mobile local search experience needs to extend beyond providing users with a list of business names, addresses and phone numbers. The exciting opportunity in front of us is to continue building apps that actively facilitate decision-making,” said David Williams, VP of product management at AT&T Interactive. “Consumers need to be able to quickly choose a merchant based on what's most important to them, connect by phone, online or in person and transact. Over time, our local apps will increasingly shorten the time and effort needed to get from inspiration to satisfaction. Consumers will find and buy what they need from merchants in their local community within one seamless experience.”

AT&T Interactive’s robust YP Local Ad Network helps advertisers grow their business and distributes ads to a distinguished list of top publishers whose presence spans online, mobile and TV. AT&T Interactive’s wide range of local ad products such as premium listings, performance-based advertising, and search engine marketing provides advertisers an opportunity to increase their presence among consumers who are looking for a local business.