Food appeals to the senses. If it tastes good, smells good, and looks good, then it is a hit. This is why the food industry relies heavily on visuals to capture the interest of prospective customers to compel them to try their food. When a customer walks into your restaurant business, you want to have a strategy that does this. Customers might come in and look at the menu but not be convinced enough to make a purchase. However, you should ensure that they cannot resist but to buy something from the menu displayed on the wall. One effective solution to get this done is using digital menu boards. However, they work in many other ways to increase sales and efficiency within your restaurant.
Why Digital Menu Boards Are Good For Restaurants
These TV menu boards are extremely popular among small and medium-sized restaurants, who are looking to attract customers and increase their per transaction value by upselling. They offer some of the most significant benefits that any single upgrade can provide to your restaurant. Here are some reasons why your business is better off with them.
They illustrate your product offerings
A written menu board just tells you what items are available and how much they cost. This strategy is not the best way to promote food within your restaurant. This is so because merely reading a menu might cause customers to overlook specific items. Additionally, sometimes customers might be curious about a menu item, but they just do not want to ask too many questions. In other cases, they do not know of specific menu items until they see someone else with the meal in their hands. This is because these written details are left up to their perception, and if nothing about it sparks their interest, then they are less likely to order it.
Once you have digital menu board screens in your restaurant, then this problem will be alleviated. The images help the customer since there is a visual along with the menu item description on the screen and viewer is not left to guess what that product might look like. Additionally, since they get to see the item, they are more likely to be enthusiastic to try different things on the menu on subsequent visits.
Images are great ways to represent food items
Digital signage works so well to illustrate food items enticingly. Many times customers enter your restaurant because they are starving and they are looking forward to having something delicious. These TV menu boards will present the food selections in such an appealing way that customers won’t want to leave without getting something to eat. Imagine looking at a burger and being able to see a high definition image that details every single feature within the meal; digital menu signs do this for you. And using them will be a significant sales generating strategy.
They create a great atmosphere
One characteristic that every restaurant should have is an environment that is captivating and will encourage customers to come back. A great ambiance alone can bring loyal customers, even more than the quality of the food. Many customers make restaurants their mainstay merely because they are either comfortable in the space or they like the energy of the surroundings. Digital signage alone can change the entire face of your restaurant, making it seem more modern and vibrant. These large colorful signs will blend in with any décor within the establishment. They can also be designed to reflect the color scheme that the restaurant works with; this will also add to the aesthetics of the area.
They are great when switching menus throughout the day
Since digital menu boards allow for easy alterations, it is one of the best tools to use if your restaurant has different menu options throughout the day. You can count on these signs to allow for an easy update from breakfast menus to lunch and dinner menus. This allows for the smart use of space. Instead of having a clustered menu board where all the options are being shown for the entire day or a system where you have to write the list yourself, you can arrange for the electronic TV menu to alternate throughout the day so to reflect the current offerings that are available at the given time.
Customers will spend less time at the register
When you have long lines within the restaurant, one thing that gets customers frustrated is that one person who stands at the register and spends an extended period trying to figure out what exactly it is that they want. Digital menu boards help this type of customer so that their mind will likely be made up by the time they reach the front of the line. TV menu boards can be used to display all the items on the menu. The added feature of images will somehow help customers to get a better idea of what it is that they are ordering. Pictures give you the feeling that you already know what you can expect and it helps to expedite and influence the decision-making process. Consequently, they will be less likely to ask questions about the menu items.
They facilitate ease of control
The good thing about electronic menu boards is the flexibility that they offer for restaurant operators. With these appliances, you will be able to update your system whenever you please. In the event there is something that you need to add or remove in the middle of the workday you can do it using a computer or tablet from an office at the back of the establishment, from home, or from any other place, if you are traveling; it’s that easy. This contributes to the efficiency of the restaurant’s operations. An example of how it works to your benefit would be a case where a favorite menu item is no longer available; you can advise customers of this on the screen so that they do not have to find out when they get to the register. Some seafood restaurants who have limited or seasonal menus update their menu items and prices continually depending on the availability of the catch of the day.
They are a great investment
These signs are quite cost-effective and considering the benefits that they offer they are a valuable investment for your business. Using regular posters can provide a low initial cost when compared to the digital menus. However, when we look at the fact that they operate as design tools, they encourage more sales and maximize operational efficiency then we can safely say that digital menus are better purchases to the basic ones. Since they add to different aspects of the business’ success, then end up saving you more money in the long run.
How Can These Menu Boards Be Applied Within The Restaurant?
Digital menu boards are versatile tools that can serve many purposes within your restaurant. Applying them appropriately is essential to make the most of what they have to offer. Here are some ways to utilize them:
Display promotions
Promotions are good ways to encourage sales within your business. Customers love new products and good deals, so whenever there is something new happening, this will send them digging into their pockets. However, they need to be adequately made aware of the existence of this promotion to get excited and be a part of it. Example: Offering a combo menu deal which could include a drink, for an additional marginal cost.
You can use your digital menu to publicize these sales creatively. Having understandable and straightforward advertising strategies are not enough anymore, you need to wow customers and influence their subconscious decisions. The good thing about using digital signs is that they make it a lot more exciting than many other mediums would. You can use moving images to create buzz and a sense of urgency around the promotion, and this will almost guarantee success.
Portray top sellers and daily specials
Use these menus to promote the customer favorites further, so that you can generate more sales from them. There will always be one or a few crowd favorites that bring in regular customers into the restaurant. When there is a trend like this, it is always good to give some special acknowledgment to it. This is important because there is nothing that encourages customers more than knowing that something is in high demand or that other consumers are raving about it. You can use the boards to illustrate and highlight these meals and also promote anything exciting that is being offered on the menu during that day. Whether there is a daily special or a limited product offering the digital menu board will bring publicity to it.
Introduce new products
As a restaurant owner, you do not want customers to get bored with your business. You have to try something new and exciting once in a while. Sometimes you might have to introduce new products on the market. Whether the products become a mainstay or they are offered for a limited time, this is an excellent way to keep the business relevant.
The struggle that sometimes comes with this is efficiently convincing customers to try something new. Not everyone is receptive to new things. Many persons like to stick to what they know because they don’t want to try something new and be disappointed. Therefore you need to use effective methods that will lead them to think that they have to try this new item.
We have already established that digital menu boards portray things excitingly and appealingly and this is what it can do to help promote a new item. When customers consistently see images of the product in the most flattering way possible, they will be curious as to how good it is. Based on how you utilize the TV menu board a customer might be convinced that the product must be good even before they try it.
Encourage customers to spend more
One important word in the world of food service is Upselling. When a customer buys one item, you want to encourage them to add a side dish or drink, just whatever may complement the meal. Upselling also includes persuading the customer that buying something a little bit more expensive will be a better deal than the initial purchase that they are making. This tactic has been shown to increase sales since customers do not only like to save money but they are attracted to great value too.
Digital menus come in by upselling items for you instead of you having to do it yourself. Using effective marketing strategies, you can design the content to persuade your customers that a larger drink offers a better value. There is a difference between saying this to a customer directly and influencing them through subtle ways. The latter might be a better tactic on some customers as they like to think that the decision they are making is purely their choice and that they are not directly influenced by an employee to spend more.
Facilitate recognition for your brand
Your restaurant should have an identifiable brand that sets it apart from competitors and keeps it at the top of the mind of anyone who comes into contact with it. The brand needs to be apparent in every aspect of the restaurant, from the menu cards to the wall colors to the menu boards. A digital display within your restaurant will be one of the most memorable signs that customers will come across.
You can use the signs to run a promotional video that is captivating, or you can just use them to display your logo. If you have theme colors for your restaurant, these boards will help to reinforce them so that customers will associate the business with them. If you are located in an area such as a food court or a mall, having the name of the restaurant on the digital menu board will grab the attention of someone passing by. Once they visit the mall often enough they might start to become familiar with the restaurant’s name, and this is one factor that helps to create recurring customers. Familiarity is an essential marketing strategy; use the digital menu boards to make use of this.
The Bottom Line
Digital menu boards are not just simple additions to your restaurant; they are a must-have. Digital signs provide so many benefits and will help to enhance many other efforts that you have been employing within your restaurant to increase sales. Looking at effective marketing efforts? These signs will help with that. Looking to have a more enjoyable experience for your customers? These signs add to it. You just cannot lose with these tools within your business.