Online food ordering site Seamless reports that 20 percent of its high-traffic orders came via mobile in 2011, showing that consumers are increasingly turning to their mobile device for quick orders.

Seamless recently released an end-of-year infographic that breaks down the company’s ordering trends and eating habits of its customers. According to Seamless, mobile ordering made up 1 percent of traffic during meal rushes in 2010 compared to 20 percent in 2011.

“We love to give back to our members, and as mobile is ingrained in many of customer’s everyday lives, we are seeing an increased number of rewards opportunities through our mobile apps,” said Ryan Scott, vice president of marketing at Seamless, New York.

“Last year, we leveraged email marketing, social media and mobile advertising to offer a discount code to users ordering via mobile,” he said.

“The goal was to reward our members who were already familiar with our mobile apps and encourage those who hadn’t yet discovered their awesomeness to do so.”

Seamless works with restaurants to let consumers order takeout or delivery meals. The company claims to have more than one million users.

Mobile food
According to Mr. Scott, Seamless processed more than one million mobile transactions across the company’s iPhone, Android and BlackBerry applications in 2011.

The company’s end-of-year infographic also claims that one account placed 537 Seamless mobile orders in 2011, which is equivalent to 1.6 orders per day.

Additionally, 38 percent of total orders are made for lunch and 49 percent are for dinner, which correlates to the number of mobile orders.

With the high number of mobile orders placed during busy times of the day, the Seamless data shows that consumers are increasingly choosing to place orders via mobile instead of on a desktop.

The Seamless data also found that mobile orders are more likely to be made for quick and cheap items with diners and pizza being the most ordered items.

Quick bites
Seamless claims to have processed more than $400 million in orders in 2011, and has dabbled in several mobile areas to bulk up its presence on the channel.

American Express added Seamless to its Blue Saving Program, which rewards consumers who use the card to order on Seamless (see story).

Additionally, the company tied a recent mobile promotion with social media and email marketing, which is a smart move with its increase in mobile orders.

Going forward, Seamless plans to continue to make mobile a prominent role in its marketing plan with more incentives. The company is also in the middle of developing an iPad app.

“In 2012, our focus will be on making sure we give our members the best experience possible, whether it is discovering new neighborhood cuisines, making an informed decision around which restaurant to try or ordering online, via our mobile apps or on a tablet,” Mr. Scott said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York