Although the most basic use of a digital signage menu board is to display menu items and prices, the menu board can also offer entertainment value by incorporating RSS (Really Simple Syndication) such as sports or news feeds to reduce time perceived waiting. In addition, it can be programmed to inform customers about new products and promotions.
Ready or not, digital menu boards are becoming a part of the fast casual service food industry. Whether digital menu boards are right for your business, you can consider the potential benefits of such systems, their ROI, and decide for yourself.
One example of such consideration, a recent implementation of digital menu boards at a Café/Marketplace in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to displaying menu items and prices,
the client requested to incorporate dynamic images on those screens behind the order counter, and a TV zone on the screens displayed in the seating areas.
Before signing the contract to implement digital signage in your business, these are the main obstacles that you must know and understand.
1. Display placement: Consideration of the placement of the displays on the wall is vitally important. Find the proper distance between the viewer and the screen. Tilt the displays for better readability. Make sure there are enough power outlets available for displays and players.
2. Team selection. Make sure the screen size is suitable for your needs. For example, if you have a menu panel with a lot of text and images, you might want to select a larger screen. The media player must be powerful enough to support content elements, from images to videos. Your decision about how to manage your content, wirelessly or over the Internet, also affects your choice of equipment.
3. Content creation. This is the most important part of the implementation. The effectiveness of the system depends on the content. Let the contractor know what he wants in the content. Besides text, images, do you want to have video, live TV, RSS feed, weather, time, or anything else?
4. Deployment. Everything comes together in the display. Allow plenty of time to test your system and allow time to train the customer to manage it.
Finally, here is a summary of the benefits of digital menu boards:
> show menu prices and change prices quickly
> eliminate printed menus and reduce environmental waste
> promote items that have high inventory or high profit margins
> add a new item to the menu quickly
> carry out special promotions
> display nutritional information
> reduce perceived wait time for customers when running RSS
A new era of digital signage has been born from advances in commercial-grade LCD TV technology, as well as improvements in digital media players and content management software. These advances have made digital signage very affordable and an attractive communication tool for businesses or corporations of any size – small, medium or large! Examples are:
– Restaurants and catering places
– Retail environments to announce special offers and sales.
– Medical and healthcare offices to promote services and entertain patients
– Educational facilities to deliver news and information to students and staff.
– Corporations as a communication tool to inform and train employees
– Banks to display services and new specials.
– Trade shows to promote products and services effectively