Everything You Need From Menu Board Software
Introduction
The advent of digital menu boards has revolutionized the way businesses engage with their customers, providing a dynamic and visually appealing platform to showcase their offerings. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore everything you need to know about menu board software, the engine behind your signage that enhances the overall customer experience, increases efficiency, and drives profitability. Join us as we highlight all the key features and functionalities you need in your menu board software solution.
Stellar Content Management
Effectively managing digital menu boards requires nuance, and your software needs to make it simple to account for the differences in your particular stores. Not all of your locations are going to have the same menus (nor should they, if your business is focused on maximizing profitability). Pricing, featured items, and promotions will likely vary based on the location, the time of day, the demographics and preferences of the store’s customers, and even other factors you may not consider like the kind of equipment the restaurant’s kitchen has.
When digital signage first came out 20 or so years ago, menu board software solutions managed massive folder hierarchies of Photoshop files for each particular menu. Think about a quick-service restaurant chain with 50 locations, with 4 screens each. A business like this had to manage 200 total screens, or 200 unique Photoshop files. When so many screens are at play (and as a result, so many files), this method of signage management quickly becomes unwieldy, especially because of how hard it becomes to make universal updates to your signage. This would require editing all 200 Photoshop files and making the same edits in each. To circumvent this challenge, many franchises tried standardizing their menus. However, this came with the downside of leaving revenue on the table as a result of not being able to customize menus to the unique preferences of a particular store’s customers. QSR franchises had to pick their poison: deal with wildly inefficient signage management, or lowered revenue potential.
Fortunately, the paradigm has completely shifted in recent years. Top-of-the-line menu board content management systems (like our Carbon™ solution) are designed to seamlessly manage all of your variants from one location, erasing the need for hundreds of Photoshop files and tedious individual edits. Simply start with one large base of content, and tweak that for each location without having to manage hundreds of files separately.
To manage the unique differences between stores, menus are designed as “modular” within Carbon™. This means that the screen is divided into dozens of zones that can all be populated individually, allowing for intuitive management of menu mix and price differences from store to store, all within the CMS, and without flattening imagery in JPEGs. A powerful menu board CMS needs to have live text within the system, enabling that text to be easily edited from the CMS and other third-party sources (like your POS system).
Your menu board software must enable your business to make large, sweeping changes across a subsection of your locations by region, tier, state, or other sorting criteria in bulk. This makes the implementation of signage adjustments much easier, provides opportunities for comprehensive testing, and ultimately results in more effective signage and improved financial performance for your locations.
Scalability
Managing menu boards at scale is the single hardest digital signage initiative for a business to manage. Small enterprises (with a dozen stores or less) can get away with more rudimentary or free software that just manages full-screen JPEGs because they only have so many screens to manage. Managing 30 or so screens in this format (assuming each store has a few screens) is possible, but labor-intensive. The issue with managing your signage in this way is that it severely limits your growth potential. Without an intuitive way to manage your signage at scale, you cannot open new locations without a decline in the performance of your signage. When your business is unable to pivot strategies and make adjustments when necessary, its signage is not likely to fulfill its potential.
Imagine having to manage hundreds of stores using Photoshop files. Such an undertaking would require an army and is certainly not the best way to go about growing a business. Your menu board software should make managing the signage at your locations easy, enabling you to adjust individual components of your displays at a large scale with the push of a button. This saves you time, money, and headaches as your business looks to grow.
Templates and Customization
Designing new menu boards can be a heavy lift for a business. Look for customizable templates and design tools that simplify the design process. Customization options should include the ability to match branding and choose layouts, fonts, colors, and design elements to create an attractive and unique menu display. It is critical to maintain consistency in your signage and messaging, and custom templates enable you to do so easily and effectively.
Remote Management/Centralized Control
A massive benefit of digital signage is the ability to manage your signage from any location, at any time. This is of course critical for enterprise-level QSRs, as it allows for centralized control of your signage, making it easy to maintain brand consistency across your many stores.
Look for the ability to add individual users to your projects as well. Brands in a franchisee environment may want to grant certain permissions to the franchisee, general manager, or district manager who oversees a particular location. Adding users to your signage software enables your broader team to tweak their store’s signage based on trends they are seeing at the store level while ensuring your brand maintains consistency regarding graphics, layouts, and promotions. Assigning unique user permissions within your CMS ensures your franchisees can adjust their store’s menu boards, while also specifying that they can only edit what they should be allowed to edit.
Rule-Based Changes
Your menu board software should be able to seamlessly make rule-based adjustments to alter the menu mix based on external factors that may influence purchasing decisions. For example, if it is a particularly cold day, your store likely wants to promote coffee and hot chocolate. If it is warm, you’ll want to spotlight ice cream. Consider this functionality a bare minimum requirement at the enterprise level. It is sure to drive significant upticks in sales, as well as build rapport with your customers. Your customers will appreciate your business promoting items that are relevant to them at any given time.
AI and Machine Learning Driven Menu Development
A great menu board software platform can integrate with your POS system to create a positive feedback loop. As your POS system provides more and more sales data, your system should be able to identify which creatives are driving more sales. By leveraging machine learning, your system should be able to create a signage playlist that maximizes sales potential. This enables your business to take a data-driven approach to its menu boards and creatives while improving profitability across locations.
Your software should also provide comprehensive analytics and reporting on content performance, and how your signage is impacting sales. This empowers your business to determine which creatives are received well by customers, and which ones are not. This data can inform your future messaging and testing decisions. For example, if you notice that certain language is driving more sales, you can expand the use of that language to other locations to reap additional benefits. The beauty of digital signage is how easy it is to swap out creatives and conduct tests. If you are not closely monitoring the performance of your visuals and testing new ones, you are not using your signage to its full potential.
Content Playback Control
Content playback control includes features like zoning (dividing the screen into sections for different content), looping, and playback duration. These features allow you to create presentations and motion graphics that engage and delight your customers.
A word of warning: ensure your menu board software enables you to easily specify playback rhythm across multiple screens.
Motion is a great tool for driving engagement, but do not go overboard. If you have four screens in your store, you do not want all four screens utilizing motion at the same time. This can confuse your customers and split their attention between the screens, minimizing the impact of your creatives. Specify a certain rhythm for motion between your screens, and be sure not to overwhelm your customers. If you would like to learn more about some digital signage design ideas and best practices, check out our recent guide!
Comprehensive Dayparting/Scheduling
Dayparting enables businesses to display specific content at different times of the day. For instance, a coffee shop can showcase breakfast items in the morning and switch to evening offerings later in the day. Make sure your menu board software offers the ability to create an unlimited number of dayparts to meet your customer’s unique preferences. Also verify that you can edit your daypart times by day of the week (on weekends, breakfast may be served later than weekdays, for example). If your business offers special promotions based on the date, make sure you have the ability to segment based on that criteria as well. Your menu board CMS should not place restrictions on your ability to daypart, as such restrictions can greatly limit your business’s profitability and ability to meet its customer’s changing needs.
Support/Training
Although you may not consider it at first, strong customer support and training resources are essential for addressing any issues or questions that may arise during your digital signage journey. Many menu board software solutions fail to properly prioritize support, and this can lead to headaches and confusion for their users and a decline in signage performance in stores.
At DEEL Media, we recognize the importance of customer support and understand that when your business submits a support inquiry, you need help now, not seven days from now. Our industry-leading support team is ready and waiting to help your team within minutes of your request. We are much more than a plug-and-play signage provider, we are a trusted partner for all of your signage needs. Look to partner with a provider that can help you through every step of the signage process and has your business’s best interests in mind.
Offline Mode
In case of internet outages or network issues, the software should have an “offline mode” to continue displaying content from local storage or cached data. Your media players need to be able to download and cache their playlists so that if you lose internet connection or have poor bandwidth, your boards continue to work as needed. You likely don’t think of “offline mode” as a priority, but it can be an incredibly valuable tool in a pinch.
Conclusion
In today's hypercompetitive restaurant landscape, the right menu board software is more than just a tool; it's a strategic asset that empowers your business to thrive and differentiate itself from the competition. By carefully considering the features and functionalities we’ve discussed and selecting a solution that aligns with your unique needs, you can enhance customer engagement, streamline operations, and improve profitability for your business, whether that be in your store, at the drive-thru, or both.
If you are looking for a solution that will help your business accomplish just that, DEEL Media has the solution for you. Our comprehensive Carbon CMS is the industry’s premier tool for managing your digital menu boards and is trusted by major players in the industry. We work with some of the world’s leading QSRs to deliver stunning, effective signage displays, and we’d love to work with you as well. If you are interested in learning more about the work that we do at DEEL Media and how we can help take your business’s signage to the next level, schedule time to meet with our team or give us a call at 770-619-1225.
Meet The Author
Bill Clapes
Author
In the 1990’s Bill pioneered the use of Internet technologies in the restaurant industry and in 1996 was cited as “Innovator of the Year” by Internet Week Magazine. Co-founding DEEL in 2009 marked the culmination of years in film, television, audio visual, interactive, Internet and restaurant technologies experience. As President & CEO Bill currently leads DEEL’s blueprint for growth and strategic business partnerships.
What is Digital Signage, And How is it Different From Regular Signage?
What is Digital Signage, And How is it Different From Regular Signage?
In technical terms, digital signage refers to the use of digital displays or screens to present information, advertisements, or other forms of content. It involves the use of technologies such as LCD, LED, or projection screens to display multimedia content, including images, videos, text, and interactive elements. Simply put, it is a more engaging way to display messages than traditional signage.
You can find digital signage everywhere, from retail stores, to airports, to hotels, to restaurants, to schools. It serves as a dynamic and flexible communication tool that allows businesses and organizations to deliver targeted messages to their audience.
The first key difference between digital signage and run-of-the-mill signage is the ability to display crystal-clear, dynamic content. This can completely transform the experience of a shopper, visitor, or whoever is viewing your signage. The bright display is hard to ignore, especially when it is in video format. Digital signage is simply more effective at attracting attention than conventional signage. Think about your personal experiences. Which menu board do you think commands more attention, a chalkboard with the day’s specials, or a visual display with bright colors and real, moving imagery showcasing one of the day’s specials?
Beyond higher engagement, another major difference between digital signage and traditional signage is the flexibility provided by digital signage. Rather than taking down your signage every time you want to communicate a new message or make an edit, digital signage enables you to store all of your content in one centralized location, and make changes to display with the push of a button. This makes life considerably easier for any organization that runs promotions or is frequently making tweaks to its offerings.
How Does Digital Signage Make an Impact?
How Does Digital Signage Make an Impact?
More Sales: Perhaps the most alluring impact of digital signage is the tangible impact in sales organizations experience after making the switch. This makes perfect sense logically. Again, consider your own personal experience.
Imagine yourself at a movie theater. Are you more likely to buy popcorn upon seeing a generic sign that says “snacks” or after seeing some high-resolution footage of kernels popping, butter being poured, and popcorn being eaten (we are making ourselves hungry)! The answer is pretty clear.
This does not only apply to the world of food. Retail stores, and even convenience stores and gas stations tend to see considerable upticks in sales when they are able to better visually communicate their products, and showcase their promotions and sales offers in an engaging, compelling manner.
Digital signage displays vibrant and dynamic visual content that attracts attention and engages customers. Compared to traditional static signage, digital displays have a higher chance of capturing people's interest. Eye-catching videos, animations, and interactive elements create a memorable and immersive experience, drawing more customers into stores or promotions.
Speaking of promotions, digital signage makes it easier for businesses to promote certain offers in a strategic manner and capitalize on customer interest at a particular time of day or other external factors. This leads to more downstream sales and revenue.
Lastly, let’s consider the impact of digital signage on your brand in general. By displaying engaging, helpful content, such as product demonstrations, customer testimonials, or usage tips, businesses can educate customers and guide them toward making informed purchase decisions. Additionally, digital signage enables businesses to enhance their brand perception by showcasing their values, expertise, or unique selling points. These factors positively influence customer perception, trust, and loyalty, leading to increased sales and repeat business.
Improved Customer Experience: The impact that digital signage has on customer experience is monumental. There are three key ways digital signage improves the customer experience that we’d like to focus on:
More Engaging Visual Content: First and foremost, digital signage allows businesses to display captivating and dynamic visual content, such as videos, images, animations and motion graphics, and interactive elements. This form of visual stimulation captures customers' attention and engages them with the brand or product being promoted in a manner that is far more effective than traditional signage. By presenting visually appealing and relevant content, digital signage creates a more immersive and memorable experience for customers, increasing their overall satisfaction.
Real-Time Information and Personalization: When leveraging digital signage, your business has the opportunity to deliver real-time information and updates to customers. Whether it's displaying current promotions, product features, or event schedules, digital signage ensures that customers are informed and up-to-date, and are being pointed in the direction you want. Additionally, with the integration of data analytics and customer profiling, businesses can personalize content based on customer preferences and demographics. This personalization enhances the relevance of the displayed information, making it more meaningful and impactful for customers.
Improved Wayfinding and Navigation: In many industries such as retail, movie theaters, and theme parks, digital signage can greatly enhance the customer experience by assisting with wayfinding and navigation. In large or complex environments such as shopping malls, or theme parks, digital signage can provide clear and interactive directions to specific locations, helping customers find their desired destinations easily. By reducing confusion and saving customers' time, digital signage improves the overall convenience and satisfaction of their experience within a particular space.
Simplified Operations: When deploying digital signage, your business reaps the benefits of being able to centrally manage and update content across multiple locations or displays. Whether you have one location or 500, you can easily create, schedule, and distribute all of your signage content from a single centralized platform. This eliminates the need for manual content updates on individual displays, saving time and effort for business operators. It also ensures consistency in messaging and branding across different locations, streamlining the content management process, and ensuring compliance with brand standards.
Digital signage also enables remote management and monitoring of displays, eliminating the need for on-site adjustments or maintenance. Through network connectivity, businesses can remotely control and update content, adjust display settings, and troubleshoot issues. This capability simplifies operations by reducing the need for physical intervention, allowing businesses to efficiently manage and maintain displays from a central location. This saves time and resources while ensuring that the signage is functioning optimally.
Lastly, digital signage enables businesses to predefine schedules for content playback, ensuring that the right content is displayed at the right time. This eliminates the need for manual content changes or monitoring. Businesses can also target content based on factors such as location, demographics, or time of day, tailoring the messaging to specific audiences. This targeted approach simplifies operations by delivering relevant content automatically, without requiring constant manual adjustments.
What Does a Great Digital Signage Solution Look Like?
- Scalability and Reliability: Perhaps the most important aspect of a great digital signage solution is the ability to support your current and future needs. Consider your provider’s ability to scale the digital signage network as your business grows. You don’t want to decide on one solution, only for it to not fit your needs in a few years. Look for a provider with a robust infrastructure that ensures reliable uptime and performance, minimizing disruptions and downtime. There is nothing more important than quality, and you must be confident in your provider’s commitment to excellence. After all, what is digital signage worth if it's not operating properly?
- Customer Support and Service: An oft-overlooked but incredibly important aspect of selecting a digital signage solution is the level of customer support and service offered by the provider. Responsive and knowledgeable customer support can make a massive difference in resolving issues quickly and ensuring a smooth experience. Consider the provider's support channels, response times, and availability of documentation and resources. It is inevitable that you will need help at some point in your signage journey. Make sure you have a support team that is ready when the time comes.
- Strong Content Management System (CMS): A robust and user-friendly CMS is essential for creating, managing, and scheduling content across your digital signage network. Look for a provider that offers an intuitive CMS with features like drag-and-drop content creation, template libraries, playlist scheduling, and remote content updates. A powerful CMS simplifies content management and ensures the smooth operation of your digital signage displays.
- Display Management and Control: The ability to remotely manage and control your digital signage displays is critical for efficient operations. A good provider should offer a centralized management platform that allows you to monitor the status of your displays, adjust settings, troubleshoot issues, and perform updates remotely. Look for features like screen synchronization that can really boost your in-store experience.
- Integration Capabilities: Your digital signage shouldn’t exist on an island. Consider a provider that offers integration capabilities with other systems and platforms. This includes integration with data sources, such as social media feeds, weather updates, or real-time event information, to enhance the relevance and timeliness of your content. Integration with third-party applications and APIs allows you to extend the functionality of your digital signage and leverage additional data sources.
- Robust Analytics and Reporting: The ability to track and measure the performance of your digital signage campaigns is crucial for evaluating their effectiveness and making data-driven decisions. A reliable digital signage solution should offer analytics and reporting features that provide insights into audience engagement, content performance, and display effectiveness. These analytics help you optimize your content strategy and measure the return on investment (ROI) of your digital signage initiatives.
- More Than Just Signage: You should be looking for a digital signage partner that is just that, a partner. Your provider should be in your corner for all of your digital signage needs, from hardware, to software, to content creation. Your needs are flexible, ensure your digital signage partner is as well. Look to partner with a comprehensive digital signage provider that covers all the bases, and is a one-stop shop for all your needs. This will save you a ton of headaches in the long run.
How Do I Get Started With Digital Signage?
How Do I Get Started With Digital Signage?
- Establish Your Goals: Start by clearly identifying your objectives and goals you seek to accomplish with your digital signage. Are you looking to drive more sales? Improve the customer experience? How about both? Having well-defined goals will guide your content creation and form the foundation of your digital signage strategy.
- Select Hardware: The next step for getting started with digital signage is selecting the necessary hardware components, including display screens, media players or computers, and any required accessories such as mounts or stands. When you are selecting your hardware, consider your store or venue’s layout, where your signage will go, and how much you will need.
- Select Software: You’ll need a robust software that is capable of creating and managing your digital signage content efficiently and effectively. When selecting software, consider things like ease of use, integrations, and scalability. Without great software in your corner, you will not get the most out of your digital signage initiative.
- Create Your Content: Now that your infrastructure is in place, it is time to create visually captivating and engaging content to delight your customers. Your signage is only as good as the content on it. Spare no expense on making sure the content you’ll use on your signage is best-in-class.
- Begin the Installation Process: Once you have your hardware, software, and content ready to go, it is time to install your signage. Ensure it is prominently displayed to attract the attention of your customers. Signage that is sub-optimally installed represents a massive wasted opportunity. Take the time to consider where everything is best positioned before finalizing your installation.
- Test and Monitor Performance: Be sure to thoroughly test your digital signage to make sure it's working properly. Make sure you are comfortable with your CMS and all of its tools, and once your signage is live, keep a close eye on its performance to see how it's impacting your goals. Are you driving more sales? Is your establishment getting better reviews? If you aren’t seeing your desired impact, don't hesitate to make adjustments to improve the results.
There’s one more step in starting your digital signage journey, and that’s calling us. At DEEL Media, we don’t provide signage, we provide solutions. We are equipped to help your organization through every step of the digital signage process, from goal-setting to installation. There is nothing in the world of digital signage we don’t do. If you want to get started with digital signage, contact us today.
Conclusion:So, what is digital signage?
We hope you’re able to answer that question after reading this overview. In short, digital signage is a powerful tool for driving improved outcomes across industries. From retail, to restaurants, to schools, digital signage improves the experience of its viewers and the ambiance of your establishment and improves the chances viewers take your desired action, whether that’s purchasing popcorn, or going to the right location.
When you select a digital signage partner, keep your eyes peeled for critical features like best-in-class support, end-to-end coverage, and of course, reliable performance. When you start your signage journey, start by setting your goals, before deciding on the particulars of your plan including software, hardware, and content creation.
If your business is looking to take its signage to the next level, our team at DEEL Media would love to be of assistance. Our mission is to revolutionize your business with best-in-class, turnkey digital signage solutions that you can rely on day in and day out. We work alongside you as a trusted partner for the entirety of your digital signage journey, and are ready to help you with any need you may have.
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