The impact of old-fashioned, static signs is falling while digital signage use and effectiveness continue to grow. When used properly, digital signage helps bring new life to a commercial environment.
Thanks to innovative technology, digital signage can catch consumers’ attention and deliver messages that will improve the overall experience and interaction with a specific brand.
Consider this–up to 80% of shoppers claim that to have decided to visit a shop because they got lured in by a digital signage. If you have not yet invested in this technology, now is the time to do so. Learn more about digital signs and all the benefits they have to offer here.
When you know what is offered and what to expect, you can feel confident you are making the most of this technology. Now let’s dive into the specific benefits related to digital signage and why it is a must-have for any modern business.
Why Choose Digital Signage for Your Business?
Are you searching for effective ways to connect with customers while increasing sales? If so, the use of cloud digital signage may be helpful. Even a small touch screen can improve a customer’s experience and help them move further in the sales funnel without human interaction.
With the new generation of interactive digital signage, you can build your physical business’ value by adding digital interactions, which is something many customers search for today.
Most customers are accustomed to gathering needed information on an array of screens. Adding a digital dimension to your business space is something that can be highly effective.
Also, when trying to provide a superior customer experience, large inventories, low prices, and highly trained teams are no longer enough. Turning to technology is an obvious solution. Even though there is an array of technology-powered options to consider, none can compare to digital signage’s popularity and effectiveness.
The Main Benefits of Investing in Digital Signage for Your Business
One thing that makes digital signage so effective is that it can be used in countless ways. In fact, companies in virtually every industry have used this technology at a physical location to meet their customers’ unique demands.
Digital signage might seem insignificant to some business owners and its benefits can be overlooked. These signs are the meeting point for physical and digital worlds, making your store’s physical location and extension of the digital environment.
When it comes to benefits, the list is virtually endless. You can use your digital sign for providing information, entertainment, education, communication, and more.
Let’s break down some of the benefits of digital signage:
Attract the Attention of Customers or Potential Customers
It doesn’t matter if it is someone standing on the street or inside your business; digital signage can help encourage them to take the next step. This may mean coming in the door or completing a purchase. These signs can also help with the upsell.
You can use the digital signs to bring attention to new services or products being offered, emphasize the benefits or the interesting features of the business, showcase a product, or provide information regarding what other people have to say.
The options and capabilities are endless, and thanks to dynamic digital signage, it could not be easier. Since you are no longer limited by static text and images, you can use vibrant images, bright colors, and moving content to attract even more customer attention.
Customers Can Help Themselves
An engaged shopper is much more likely to become a real customer. This is why brick-and-mortar businesses must create a plan to provide shoppers with the information needed to be comfortable to make a purchase.
If you have ever had to wait around a store for someone to ask if you need help, you know how that wait may result in a person leaving and not coming back. While you may make a purchase, you probably will not return.
Today, customers prefer self-service over having to contact a support agent. Also, if a knowledge base meets a customer’s needs, they would use it. This is good news for businesses as self-service is the most cost-effective and fastest option for customer support.
Digital shopping continues molding customers’ expectations, which is also called the Amazon Effect. Retailers must keep pace by providing these self-service options.
With digital signage, shoppers are engaged without having to interact with employees. This ensures they get the information needed to make a purchasing decision, and your employees can provide help as needed.
Highlight Special Offers
With digital signs, you can quickly and easily showcase your special offers that are taking place now or coming up. Sometimes, customers are not aware of special menu items or the “deal of the day.” When you showcase this information on the digital signage and bring more awareness to your customers while increasing your chances of making a sale.
Look at it like this–if you are in a coffee shop, what will look more appealing–a static image or a sandwich or a digital sign that shows cheese slowly melting on a sandwich. One’s more drool-worthy than others.
Change Displays Quickly
If you invest in digital signage, the displays you have in several stores throughout the country can be changed at one time, from a remote location. If you want to advertise a new service or product or announce something exciting, you can quickly create a new ad and deploy it at once.
This is beneficial for branding, too. If you don’t have a system that ensures consistency in place, your brand identity may get lost.
While being able to implement new information through digital signs quickly is definitely a benefit, it is also one of the best ways to ensure your brand is consistent across multiple locations. This concept works in reverse, too – you can retool or pull a marketing effort without having to pay to have traditional displays removed and new ones created.
Affordable Advertising
With digital signage, you have an affordable way to promote your business. You can easily broadcast an array of messages during the day.
You can choose videos, images, and update your signs with new templates when you desire. This is convenient and inexpensive. This is especially true when you compare it to advertising costs through traditional billboards, newspapers, magazines, or TV.
Increased Retention and Recall Rates
The goal for many ads seen in stores is to convince customers to take action immediately. This includes things like making a purchase, placing an order, or following another kind of direction.
In other cases, the goal is to let shoppers know about upcoming promotions, sales, in-store appearances, and more. If your display uses video, digital signage benefits because it ensures higher recall rates than static ads.
When the effects of digital billboards were researched, it was found that 83% of people were able to recall at least one ad they saw in the past 30 days. Approximately 65% recalled two, and 47% recalled three.
Another impressive statistic is that about one in five people discussed the ad they saw on the digital billboard with another person. This helps spread the information to people who may not have known about it otherwise.
This is all thanks to the combination of content, graphics, and display movement. Content also plays a substantial role in retention and recall rates.
Reduced Perceived Wait Times
No one wants to wait in line.
For some shoppers, long lines result in them leaving the store without making a purchase.
They may return another time, but they may not. The customer may go to your competition.
This is one of the top reasons so many businesses have several points-of-sale and why self-checkout is becoming so popular. Taking steps to avoid having customers leave is a must.
However, there is only so much you can do. Eventually, long lines will develop, and shoppers will have to wait. While this is true, there is something you should understand – occupied time seems shorter than unoccupied time.
Put simply, people will have an easier time standing in line if there is something to distract them from waiting. Plenty of research has backed this claim.
In fact, 69% of shoppers stated that long lines were the most frustrating part of shopping. This beat out high prices at 66% and not having the item wanted at 65%. This study also found that 84% of customers stated that digital displays helped them pass the time while waiting.
Today, many restaurant owners already understand this. It is one of the main reasons they give menus to individuals who are waiting. This creates a distraction from the wait and provides the benefit that they can order faster after they are seated.
If you own a retail business, display screens near checkouts can be used for the same thing. You can distract customers with videos related to products, or display news, weather, or something else.
Similar to the other benefits offered by digital signage, there is more than one advantage here. Customers will be less frustrated having to wait, and companies have the opportunity to advertise to them, get them ready to place an order or use the technology in some other way.
Analytics
When it comes to digital signage benefits, there is no question there are quite a few. Most of this is due to the analytics these systems can support.
For example, if you have a display that allows customers to check your store’s inventory, it will provide engagement. However, with analytics software, you can also receive reports on what products are searched for most.
If sales are not consistent with this high level of interest, it may be time to reduce the price or improve the perceived value. Interest would not be clear if customers left without making a purchase, even if they value the product.
You can add video cameras to your displays that record shopper’s eye movement. This shows you what parts of the display generate the most attention. Customer dwell time can be captured this way, too, showing you where most of your foot traffic occurs.
For example, you may discover customers only hang around for 15 seconds of your 30-second video that is played on a loop. If that is the situation, you need to create a more compelling video or create something shorter.
Leveraging Digital Signage Benefits for Your Business
A final advantage that is worth mentioning is the customization options. Today, businesses can create the perfect solution for every physical location they have by using digital signage. This is done by displaying the right message or information for the area.
It doesn’t matter what type of business you have or what market you serve, if you have customers who buy from you, in-person, then digital signage is a must-have tool. The technology will help attract customers and keep them engaged, leading to more sales.
Now Is the Time to Invest in Digital Signage
If you haven’t invested in digital signage for your business, now is the time to do so. With innovative technology backed by artificial intelligence and machine learning, you can come out on top when it comes to customer engagement and the overall customer experience.
If you are ready to learn more about digital signage, the intelligent software used to power it today, or just have questions, contact us. At Alfi, our goal is to help you create tools and technologies customized for your customers’ needs.
