Taco Bell drops website, goes app-only | Hacker News Reader

Taco Bell drops website, goes app-only

tacobell.com

36 pointsbrbcoding65 comments

http://www.tacobell.com/Company/newsreleases/Taco-Bell-Mobil...

Found the press release on their website (which isn't actually dropped I think). The press release makes it seem like its a temporary blackout on all Taco Bell social media. It doesn't specifically mention dropping the website permanently.

Appears to be a big publicity stunt that means very little except Taco Bell has a new mobile ordering app.

Excerpt:

"Today, Taco Bell’s highly followed social media platforms – including Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram – have gone dark, revealing the new way to Taco Bell is #onlyintheapp. While silent, each social media platform, as well as tacobell.com, will provide only a disruptive message and link to download the new app -- with all previous content removed. Consumers with the previous Taco Bell mobile app will receive an update for the new mobile ordering app."

Looks like somebody forgot to tell the rest of the site.

http://www.tacobell.com/food/tacos

It's weird that they use the exact same color scheme as the JackInTheBox weed food specials.

http://jacksmunchiemeal.com

Product-market-fit

What do they aim to gain from this? All I see is that Windows Phone and BlackBerry users now have no way of accessing Taco Bell's online presence.

There are dozens of them! DOZENS!!1!

One of the dozen checking in. The taco bell drive-thru person that gave me the whole spiel this morning was confused when I asked if they had an app for windows phone.

Publicity. How often do you otherwise hear about Taco Bell on HN? I expect the website will return in a few days/weeks.

Also people on computers.

They require access to your location all the time whether the app is running or not. I guess that's gaining something. Uninstalled immediately.

Having tried that they will no longer get my patronage either, not that its quality got me there very often anyway.

> The new way to Taco Bell isn't on the Internet

> It's #onlyintheapp

Well, that's a relief. I'm glad to hear their app doesn't use the Internet.

I don't eat at Taco Bell. But even if I did I wouldn't want their stupid app on my phone. Also, the app likely gives them additional access to you which they didn't have using the website alone. This is really bad for consumers.

Just thought I'd take a look at the app on Google Play. At the time of writing this post, the Android version appears to needs access to:

- Contacts/Calendar

- Location

- Phone

- Photos/Media/Files

- Wi-Fi Connection Information

- Device ID & Call Information

Horrible! Install...View permissions...Whoa! no way...Cancel. One less pesky customer to bother about.

I've seen it happen too often - apps that don't really require access to contacts or call information, still ask for them. The Android permission system is of course broken, but there's a lot of developer laziness too.

A lot of times, with games, the permissions are added because the ad network tells you to include them. Lots of ad networks will work just fine with just the Internet requirement though, which are the ones I prefer when I go the ad-route.

Why would you need a website OR an app to eat at Taco Bell? It's a restaurant.

So anyone that isn't on iOS or Android can't view any information about Taco Bell?

you can, but you have to navigate directly to a page like tacobell.com/food/tacos to get around it

Am I the only one who's seeing that bad JPEG compression on these app download buttons?

First thing I noticed...

While I believe this is a short-lived marketing ploy, the only reason I go to a fast food website is to look-up nutritional information.

Thankfully, every calorie-counter website/app out there has it built in for every restaurant.

edit: Looks like it's currently just their home page anyway: http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/ works fine.

It seems they decided to skimp on hiring a web design firm and their marketing department thought they could spin it to seem 'hip'.

Idiots.

That is really annoying.

Why?

Most likely followup question: Exactly how many hours have you spent on the Taco Bell website in the past year, anyhow? Why would you spend any time there?

(If it weren't for the XBox One giveaway I'd expect the average answer to the first question to be indistinguishable from zero for everyone reading this.)

Argh, I forgot my "HN is a big website and I'm sure there's a dozen people who will pop up and say they do" disclaimer. Yes, hello down there... but you are the exceptions, and frankly I still don't believe most of you popping up to post something aren't just being contrary anyhow. (Nutritional data I'll believe, but a mobile app will be better at that anyhow! I too have tried to use websites to get nutrition info... I've only only found one that was any good at their mobile experience.) To a first approximation, nobody uses the Taco Bell website for any significant amount of time.

Type 1 diabetic here; Anytime I eat out I check to see if there is a website with carbohydrate counts so I can use the proper amount of insulin. Usually it's something like this...

Google Search -> How many carbohydrates in Taco Bell 7 layer burrito -> I'm feeling lucky -> Taco Bell's website with nutritional information.

Many restaurants if you ask at the establishment do not have this information, but it is typically available through their corporate websites.

Why do you use a website instead of a calorie counting app with the data built in?

As someone who has tried to use such apps to actually count calories, unless you've got a barcode, finding the right thing, especially for fast food, is a massive PITA, and they're not always up-to-date. Websites are way faster and more reliable.

Exactly.

Recipes and menus change faster than calorie counting apps can keep up. Additionally most of these apps are not comprehensive. I do use Calorie King and others apps as well, but they are not a substitute for direct data from the company.

I'd go there if I were curious about their nutritional data. And even though I don't eat at Taco Bell, I am interested in that data.

I am not going to install their app just so I can reference their data, which I guess is a win for them for hiding that information.

Maybe these are minor concerns but "app only" sounds like a half-baked MBA's new strategy.

If I'm running to taco bell for a group of people, I want to pull up a menu. It's static content. Mom and pops put up PDFs. It's not that hard and it makes my life easier.

All of the above, and for corporate contact information.

None on Taco Bell, but a lot of other fast food websites. Most common use-case is looking at the menu to decide what people want before we set sail to the establishment.

For example someone wants a salad. What types of salads do they have? What is in them all? These questions are better resolved before you're sitting at a drive-through window.

I often access menus using a PC/web-browser. I don't currently have any establishment's custom app installed.

I would guess that more people probably visited tacobell.com today than on any other day in its history... and all that traffic is funneled to install Taco Bell's Android or iOS app. Seems to me like a very clever and successful campaign to boost app awareness and installs. As a temporary campaign it's totally brilliant; but the message "#onlyintheapp" is pretty risky as a lot of people might not "get it" and negatively associate Taco Bell with technological regression. It's ironic and a little post-modern that the site hosts a message about it's own non-existence and by doing so becomes the primary source of downloads for the app.

So, they'd like me to download a 31MB app with "Precise location", "Read contact data", "Modify or delete USB storage", and "Full network access" (among others!) so I can order tacos? I'll pass, thanks.

Yeah, I watched the demo video and it actually looked like a pretty cool app, but I'll keep my contacts to myself thanks.

Why does it need full network access? Thought it wasn't on the internet and was #onlyintheapp.

"Does The Browser Have A Future" by Tim Bray https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pHx_1tlGN0

Yes. Yes it does, as desktop and laptop computers will also have a future.

From the meta description tag: the original website was used for 'nutrition guide, locations, franchise information, and career opportunities'.

While I've never seen anyone actually browse the Taco Bell website, it seems like they will still need a web presence for hiring and making nutrition guides available (if not legally, practically). Taco Bell probably doesn't drive many sales from their website, but I have heard of people applying for jobs or checking out nutrition info online.

[edit for clarity]

I don't often eat at Taco Bell, but when I do, I'm just driving by and have no other choices.

Seriously, what's with wanting to app-ify everything? I can't remember the last time I visited the websites of any of the fast food joints, much less used them for ordering or install their app on my phone.

The only websites I have used are from pizza joints because it actually is easier to order a pizza online than calling someone on the phone.

Do people really use these apps?

As a publicity stunt it could be brilliant.

Is Google going to kill their SERP over this? They would for most sites, but they make exceptions for major brands being morons.

Well, you know there's a taco bell in your area because you see it when you drive by it. I'm not sure they really need a lot of visibility in search engine result pages. It's not like you're buying tacos over the internet.

And really if taco bell loses search ranking for "taco bell" then the problem is with Google.

Wonder whether there are any cases where it actually DOES make sense to drop an existing site and move to app only? Guess lots of examples of companies launching mobile-first or mobile-only solutions (e.g. Sprig) but any examples of companies making a clear switch away from web?

In my opinion, there wouldn't be a good reason. Maybe I can find your app directly in the app store, but what the 'Web provides is a human readable (and rememberable) address. Without it, you would need to search the app store or web search for [specific product/app name] (this assumes I learn about your product elsewhere and know that the app exists and how to get it).

I myself want to know as much as I can about an app before I download it, so would always check a website. I dislike ending up on a splash page with nothing but a screenshot of the app and a link to the app store. So I don't feel that any app for any device (or any product that you are trying to sell for that matter) would not benefit from an informative, accessible web presence. After all, I need to be sold on the idea of downloading the app. I confess I do prefer web over native app in most cases as a personal preference.

It is an interesting question, and the one my mind immediately went to upon seeing this. Because, yeah, I'm not seeing how this is a good idea for Taco Bell or anyone really. I will keep thinking about it and would be interested if anyone thinks otherwise.

I guess the web could still provide information without functionality -- not too dissimilar to what the taco bell page is doing..?

They also closed their twitter account and reopened it. Seems to have lost all their followers.

App is not available on android yet (for me), though it does show up in the Play store autocomplete.

And the people who are not on iOS and Android should go where for the storied company history and nutritional information?

All I see here are free ads for Apple and Google. Good job, Taco Bell :-)

Serious question: why would anyone download a Taco Bell app or visit tacobell.com (either before or after the "app only" transition)?

So anecdotal and probably niche but since you asked: I don't go to Taco Bell frequently, but every now and then I have a craving. I don't know their menu well enough to just swing by and order. I use the website to check out that their deals are, and what's the crazy special of the season (e.g, that taco with a Doritos shell, or the burrito wrapped in a quesadilla).

A more mainstream use someone else mentioned: nutrition information.

Fair enough.

they seemed to have removed their tweets as well: https://twitter.com/tacobell

i remember seeing them tweet at customers about their experiences so it's a bold move - i'd be willing to bet it's temporary to promote this app.

That's what the world needs - yet another proprietary app hogging storage space on phones.

It won't be on your phone unless you install it, so it's only hogging space you want it to hog.

...and with access to your contacts, precise (GPS) location, nearby WiFi access points, camera, phone number, the ability to silently install packages (!) and prevent sleep, and with full network access[1].

Yup, just what the world needs.

[1]: http://www.appbrain.com/app/taco-bell-mobile-app/com.medlmob....

Looks like this publicity stunt worked.

That's a very bold statement, must have required a lot of 'balls' to make such decision.

Taco Bell had a website?

I don't see how this helps them. Was this an attempt at a viral campaign? Sort of like, hey look at us, we got rid of clothes because like, they were annoying.

Yes.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

One more reason, other than their food tasting like crap, why I won't be eating there anytime soon.

I'm not a taco bell fan either, but presumably we aren't their target market, so they don't care what we think-- nor should they. It's only stupid if their target market thinks so, right?

(Edit: I don't want to imply that you're not allowed to criticize their decision. I just don't think it should be judged based on how well it works for people that have no interest in being a customer.)

See my other post in here about the reason WHY this impacts me and how they have just lost a customer. I'm not a big fan of Taco Bell; but would eat there occasionally since they are open later than most places in my area.

That's a fair point. Just a shot in the dark, but maybe their calculus is-- they will lose some customers, but for the customers they get to download the app, they'll get a lot more engagement / repeat visits through push notifications or other spam, or just an easier ordering system.

It sounds stupid to me also, but I'm trying to assume that whoever's in charge there knows what they're doing. I guess that might not be the case though.

Hang on, would that actually make you not stop by a Taco Bell? You're driving down the road, feeling like eating something dirty, and you don't stop at Taco Bell because they don't have a website?

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