What would you give for more foot traffic into your store, pub, restaurant, or retail space? You'd probably say "anything" as long as it's within the ambit of the law.
That's because you understand foot traffic is the lifeblood of your success. There's nobody to sell, upsell, or cross-sell to without traffic.
The more people walk into your store, the more sales you may make. But how can you get more people to walk into your store? One word: pull!
You need to pull potential customers into your store by showing them the value you offer, whether in the assortment of products, unbeatable prices, or the discounts and promotions you're running.
That's where digital signage displays come in. Their dynamism and interactive nature offer you a key advantage in increasing foot traffic, especially because they increase brand awareness, keep your advertising fresh, allow you to tailor your promotions to your flexible needs, and much more.
In this article, we share how to use digital signage to draw your target audience into your store with a few tips for maximising returns on your investments.
Overview of digital signage
Electronic or digital signage is a term that captures the use of LED walls, TVs, and LED monitors to display digital content.
Examples of digital content that you can project on digital signage include videos, commercials, reports, web pages, live videos, and more.
Digital signage screens offer much more than traditional advertising methods. You can use them as or for:
Digital menu
Social media streams and news
Engaging customers via surveys and interactive games
Sharing calendars and event schedules
Sharing company memos
Maps and directories
Disseminating emergency information
Displaying service offerings and more
You’ll need a digital signage system to run interactive displays in retail stores.
What is a digital signage system?
A digital signage system comprises all the components that facilitate content creation, playback, scheduling, and management of a digital signage display or network of displays.
These components include:
Hardware
The hardware component typically consists of a digital display screen and the signage media player. Installing digital signage screens of the professional grade is preferred because they last longer and provide crispier images.
That said, you may start with a TV or any display screen you have. With digital signage software, you can convert any screen to a digital sign, which may save you upfront costs.
Software
Digital signage software helps you manage your displays. Such solutions are especially essential if you run a network of multiple displays.
You can control and manage the content shown on these digital displays from any remote location. Some of the typical features of digital signage software include:
Content templates to get started with digital signs without committing to expensive content creation processes.
Powerful and flexible scheduling to tailor the content your audience sees to your needs. Some days or times of the day need your happy hour display, and some other days, you're advertising your Monday breakfast special.
Content management system to store content, create playlists, and control the visuals you display.
An API to extend the software's functionality
Design templates editor to personalise and edit existing templates as necessary.
Luna Screens is an easy-to-use digital signage software with essential features like templates, compatibility with numerous hardware options, multimedia support, incredible and flexible content scheduling, and more.
Digital signage content
You need attention-grabbing, dynamic, and engaging content for your screens.
You can post different types of content on digital displays, including videos, images, PDF files, YouTube videos, product launch live streams, data dashboards, real-time weather, and calendars.
Ensure the digital signage software solution you adopt supports different multimedia types.
How does digital signage draw more customers?
Digital signage is a highly dynamic and flexible tool that can help increase foot traffic. Here’s how:
Bold and engaging digital signage content attracts customer
Well-designed digital signage is eye-catching and attractive, especially when you’re bold with your choices. Design content to pique the interest of your potential customers.
You want customers to wonder, “What is going on in there?” From being curious, you can convert them once they enter your store with your unique experience and service delivery.
For example, imagine a restaurant showing a live feed or pictures of plated meals on their digital screens outside. It’s likely to attract and induce impulse purchases or have customers think, “I’ve got to try that. Looks delicious!”
It must be said that the quality of the design and screen matters here. Blurry visuals and cramped-up designs are a turnoff and would make potential customers assign “inferiority” to your brand.
Don’t know where to start? Digital signage solutions like Luna Screens come with visually appealing templates you can edit and personalize to your taste.
Digital signage increases brand awareness
In marketing, there’s a metric called top-of-mind awareness (TOMA). It measures how much customers are aware of your brand. They don’t have to have patronized you in the past.
The more a person is aware of your brand, the likelier they want to try your product or services.
Every day they’re exposed to your digital signage content, the more they know of your brand and what you do. Without trying out your product or services, they may even recommend or use your brand as an example or as a landmark to describe a physical location.
Your store or business seems more interesting and modern
Visually appealing digital signage also seems hip, especially when you get very creative with your content. You’d be surprised at the characteristics customers like to identify with brands.
Per this research article, “Very often, consumers tend to choose brands that are considered appropriate for their self-image.” The authors continued, “Consumers can use brands as a relevant means of self-expression and also as a lifestyle beacon.”
Help your customers live vicariously through your brand by producing creative digital signage content. Have fun with your content, even while promoting and sharing information.
Your content may just be a reminder the customer needs
Have you ever been asked by your friend, partner, or roommate to get something on your way back, and you forgot till you saw a billboard or signage?
That’s another way digital displays attract customers who did not plan to purchase from you. Suffice it to say that digital signs encourage impulse purchases.
That’s why we’ve been hammering on the need to create dazzling and eye-catching content to increase foot traffic and maximise returns on your digital signage investments.
So yeah, keep posting your content; it might just be the push the customer needs to enter your store.
Read also: Maximizing ROI with Self-Managed Digital Signage: A Comprehensive Guide.
Digital signage keeps your advertising fresh
Unlike static billboards or banners, you can be dynamic with how you use digital signage. You can have different digital signage campaigns targeted at different days and times.
You can show different videos or images every day or hour, which show your brand in different perspectives to customers every time they pass your store.
Digital signage allows you tailor the content to your target audience
Based on data, regular observation, or anecdotal evidence, you may have a good pulse on the demography or peculiarities of the daily foot traffic in and around your store.
Armed with this knowledge, you can create and schedule content to meet the needs of the groups or audience you identified. Say workers are the groups that ply your route in the morning. You may advertise or promote a coffee special in the morning.
You can also use the weather or current happenings to tailor your content.
For example, on a scorching day, you may promote content like “Want a cold one…buy 2 pints and get one free,” or a retail store can promote an offer for umbrellas and raincoats on a rainy day.
Displaying content that meets each person’s needs is more likely to draw them into your store than the same generic content. That’s the power of digital signage.
What are the other benefits of digital signage?
Other benefits of adopting digital signage, especially from the perspective of retail stores, include:
Enhances brand awareness
Whether they walk into your store or not, just seeing your brand name, content, services, and promo creates more awareness in a consumer’s mind.
And because your displays are eye-catching, customers can’t miss them. Make your brand name and offer very clear so customers can connect the two.
Digital signage increases time spent in-store
Incorporating engaging and interactive elements into signage content leads customers to spend more time in your store. When you marry that with exceptional in-store experience, it’s a gold mine for more sales.
Reduces perceived wait times
Engaging customers in different ways in-store may minimise how customers feel about queues and delays. Using digital displays to engage customers can while away the time as they wait their turn.
You can use digital screens to run surveys or use electronic shelf labels to show customers specific discounts for each product.
You may also like: Top 15 Tips for Engaging Customers Through Interactive Signage.
Cost-effective, flexible, and saves time
Digital signage is more convenient to manage than traditional signage. A single person can run and manage your digital signage system.
You can change the content of your digital signage anytime and from anywhere, thanks to remote access.
The cost-benefit ratio for digital signage is much higher versus traditional signage.
Reduces waste
Installing digital screens will most likely reduce your dependence on flyers, banners, and posters. About half of business waste is from paper, so you’ll be doing a great service to the environment by embracing digital signs.
Takeaway: Creative usage of digital signage can boost foot traffic
Pull customers into your store or business with creative usage of digital signage. As a retailer or business, the times are shifting. It’s important to embrace digital signs.
It’s a practical way to increase foot traffic into your store. But more than foot traffic, increase engagement and increase sales by cross-selling and upselling to customers with in-store promotions.
The retail space is highly competitive. Gain an edge in the fight for customer attention and loyalty. Digital signage can be your secret weapon. Embrace it today!
Are you ready to get started on the digital signage journey? Luna Screen is an ideal digital signage software for seamless and stress-free digital signage management and implementation.