Outdoor menu boards: advantages and opportunities
Have you ever noticed what happens to posters and billboards when they’re exposed to the elements for extended periods? Rain, smog, and high temperatures fade colors, render text unreadable, and deteriorate paper, ultimately requiring replacement. This also applies to outdoor menus, even when they’re protected by glass or plexiglass cases. How can you overcome the challenges posed by environmental and weather conditions? The answer lies in Digital Signage.
Paper is a perishable material, and periodic costs for replacement and updates are unavoidable. Did you know that Digital Signage eliminates these expenses? After an initial investment in hardware and software, the only recurring costs are annual maintenance. The benefits of this digital transformation are numerous.
In this article, we’ll explore just a few, but we’re confident they’ll showcase the full potential of digital communication for outdoor menu boards.
- Greater visual appeal
- A dynamic and flexible customer experience
- Efficiency across the board
Greater visual appeal
The power of Digital Signage lies in its ability to create visually striking static or dynamic content. Bright colors, realistic images, detailed animations, and large-format text captivate passersby and customers far more effectively than faded, weathered images of a sandwich and soda.
Let’s not forget: appetite begins with the eyes. A well-designed image or video of a sandwich, pasta dish, or ice cream significantly increases the likelihood of a purchase, and might even encourage customers to buy additional items beyond what they originally intended.
Another key advantage is the ability to manage seasonal offerings. Does it make sense to display soup menus in the heat of July or highlight ice creams and chilled drinks in December? With Digital Signage, you can plan and update menus, offers, and promotions in advance or at the last minute, making your offerings far more appealing to customers.
A dynamic and flexible customer experience
Replacing a faded, hard-to-read paper board with a digital menu board means offering passersby and customers an intuitive, user-friendly interface. Here, they can browse the menu, view images of dishes, and access additional information.
Outdoor screens and totems used as menu boards also serve as excellent marketing tools. They grab the attention of passersby, showcasing offers, products, and services without requiring them to enter the establishment for information.
It may sound surprising, but the inability to independently access information—and the need to ask staff—can be a significant deterrent to a first-time visit.
Additionally, digital menu boards enhance the customer experience by including key details like allergen warnings or nutritional information. These are often overlooked by staff who are busy with numerous other tasks unless specifically requested.
This approach also boosts service efficiency, reducing wait times by 15%, offering a comprehensive overview of available dishes, and enabling staff to serve more customers during peak hours. The result? Happier customers and more positive feedback that attracts new clientele.
Efficiency across the board
As highlighted in the previous points, outdoor menu boards significantly enhance not only the customer experience but also the staff experience—at every level.
One of the most impactful benefits is a major reduction in ordering errors. With traditional static menus, human errors—whether by the customer or the staff taking the order—are almost inevitable. Customers might misread the menu, staff might misinterpret their requests, or the noise and confusion of a busy environment might lead to mistakes.
A digital menu minimizes such errors. Customers can calmly and independently explore the menu and ongoing promotions, while staff can update content quickly and accurately. This results in a smoother, more efficient ordering process, leading to more satisfied customers who are likely to return.
Another advantage lies in the flexibility that Digital Signage offers, allowing businesses to swiftly adapt menu board content and communication to shifting customer demands and market trends—sometimes overnight.
It’s clear that transitioning to outdoor menu boards tailored to your business’s needs brings advantages that static, paper-based communication can never match. Rapid content updates, visually impactful displays, improved readability, and adaptability are just a few of the benefits.
With Digital Signage, you eliminate recurring printing costs and gain the ability to instantly correct errors—whether in pricing or content.
In essence, adopting Digital Signage as part of a well-thought-out marketing and sales strategy ensures your restaurant or fast-food outlet remains competitive in a market where innovations emerge at an ever-increasing pace.