How is digital signage changing the world of food businesses?

There have been a lot of debate about how conventional media will sustain the digital media storm, but we have the stats that say otherwise. A recent study shows that by 2023 digital signage business will be worth over 32.84 billion USD and that’s something most business owners are ardently looking forward to.

Investing in something that is growing as fast as a mushroom cloud is indeed the best business decision ever. However, is it right for restaurant owners to hop on the digital display bandwagon? Let us find out.

Here’s what our research says about digital signage in restro businesses –

i.             It increases the average profit by 3% per customer.

ii.           1 in 5 customers have made impulsive buys after seeing ads on digital screens. It increases the buying intent directly.

iii.          It can increase customer satisfaction levels by as much as 46%.

iv.          Digital displays have about 52% recall value and about 59% who see digital ads want to know more about the featured products.

v.            About 30% of all customers find digital menus more influential than conventional menus and they say a clear display system for items is a must for all restaurants.

vi.          It decreases perceived wait time by almost 20%, as shown by a study conducted by a group of scientists in Massachusetts.

vii.         More importantly,digital media players can boost average sales by up to 3 – 5% for any restaurant business, shows another great study by experts.

Who is using digital media players and digital screens for out of home ads?

In the restro business, only the crème de la crème had access to digital signage in the early 2000s. As the average cost of installation fell, more number of smaller establishments replaced their traditional menu boards and menu cards with digital screens. Digital menu boards inside restaurants are now more common than you can think. They are also reaching out to potential customers at airports, theme parks and stadiums.

Many restaurants have been utilizing these digital screens in a really smart way. They have installed bigger screens in the lounge and waiting areas. Narrow casting latest games, news content, weather information and celebrity gossip has indeed succeeded in keeping their patrons occupied.

Many other restaurants are using their digital screens to comply with the new FDA rules. They are displaying nutritional information about their food and they are definitely informing their diners about potential allergy causing ingredients they might want to avoid.

Children love digital displays at their table fronts. Two-way interactive displays, which are smaller, are ideal to keep kids busy for hours with intuitive games and learning activities. It is also a wonderful way to inform your diners about your brand and establishment history.

Many establishments are also using digital screens inside their staff areas. This keeps a real time tab on check-ins and check-outs. It helps the staff keep an eye on the inventory and avoid unpleasant surprises. Even the conventional ticketing system at the kitchen is gradually fading away, thanks to the more evolved real-time ticket updating and digital ordering system. You can see this happen at most McDonald’s and Wendy’s outlets across the country.

The out of home displays can carry your message forward to distant places. From hostel diners to train stations, you can find your brand amidst a crowd of potential customers. Since the recall value is much higher for digital displays and LED billboards, more people pay attention to your CTA. Combine your latest deals with social networking content from your most popular social media channels. That is one way to upsell your brand to all sections of the population.

Why use digital signage?

We won’t say investing in a digital signage project is cheap or easy, but maintaining one is definitely easier than creating and changing traditional signage. That includes the infamous neon signs as well.They might be gaudy and eye-catching, but changing neon signs from time to time according to your seasonal offers can cost you a lot of money.

Investing in digital signage is more of a one-time expense. You will need professional guidance to integrate your media player to your wireless or locally connected digital display systems. Changing the content is as easy as sending a text to someone. You can access the database back end from your mobile phone or personal computer to change the content. You can change the subject daily if you want. Unlike traditional forms, it does not cost you extra money.

Digital signage is secure. WordPress has introduced a number of new plugins to help people maintain digital sign content. Being the leading CMS platform, it has paid extra attention to security so no one can hack into your system and steal your data. It is a secure platform for your business, which will help your restaurant build a brand image in front of your target audience.

It takes away the added and quite unnecessary responsibilities away from your managers. They already have their hands full with inventory management and customer handling. They do not need the excess burden of proofreading new menu inclusions and making sure the new prints arrive before the next dinner service. Digital screens is the remedy to a lot of headaches to a lot of people associated with your restro business, including you!

Digital signage is a gift of modern technology to aspiring business owners. It can bridge the information gap between your business and your customers. More importantly, it captures the soft ROI factors that almost all other forms of traditional signage ignore.

• It can display relevant information in a more eye-catching and colorful way.
• It can update its content almost instantly.
• Brand perception instantly becomes positive once you switch to a more advanced tech.
• Your media and advertising efficiency increases manifold with at least 50% increased penetration.

Remember, all digital signage systems do not have the same goal. While, some take about 9 months to return the investment, others might take about 18 months as well. The key to business success boarding on digital signage depends on patience. It may take more than a year for your business to break even after you employ digital signage methods.

Author bio: Karen is a Business Tech Analyst. She is very responsible towards her job. She loves to share her knowledge and experience with her friends and colleagues.

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