How do I get Digital Signage for my Shop or Restaurant?

When Nielsen tracked 120 grocers who use digital signage in their stores, they found that 80% of them saw as much as a 33% boost in sales (compared to using print signs). Digital signage also enabled a 700% uplift in sales of a promoted product. So are you looking to increase footfall and turnover for your business? If you are a shop or restaurant owner and keen to benefit from digital signage for your business, read on.

Why digital signage

Digital signage is becoming increasingly popular. It’s not just the large corporations or businesses that are turning to digital signage but also small business owners such as the small independent shops who may want shop window or till signage and restaurant and takeaway owners who want digital menu boards. Businesses now need to be able to react quickly to ever changing situations. Digital signage is enabling businesses to communicate easily and effectively with their customers and it no longer needs to break the bank.

The quick way

Get a managed service partner to take care of everything for you at a monthly rate. Scroll to the bottom of this article, reach out and we will put you in touch with a trusted partner who can price up your requirements.

The considered approach

So how much is this going to cost?

I know you’re looking for a figure but this really depends on a number of factors.

Connectivity – You need to be set up with internet connectivity if you are not already.

Hardware and installation – You will need specific supported players/screens.

Content – The content you want to show, who manages this and how you deliver this (CMS) will determine the price.

To determine the price you have 2 main options to consider:

DIY – You organise your hardware, CMS (software to enable you to show the right content on the right screens at the right time), make sure you have connectivity, create and schedule your own content. This will involve upfront costs and time to implement, create and manage your content moving forwards. It will save you money in the long run but be prepared to invest your time if you are going with this option. Read more in our How Much Does Digital Signage Cost The 3 Things You Need To Consider article.
Managed Service Partner – They will take care of everything for you including, hardware, installation, content management, all for a monthly fee and there are no upfront costs to worry about.

DIY – things to consider

If you are thinking of doing your digital signage yourself you will want to consider the following:

Connectivity – You are going to need connectivity. If you don’t have this already is this something you can set up?

Hardware and installation – You are going to need screens and supported hardware in order to display your content. Is this something you can source and set up yourself?

Content Management Software (CMS) – If you are just showing content on one screen you might get away with a USB stick but whilst this limits the cost this also limits the functionality and flexibility that comes with a CMS. In most cases you will need a CMS to enable you to manage your content across your different screens and give you the ability to update your content on an ad hoc basis wherever you are.

What Content should you display? – What does the customer want to see, what do I want them to see and who is going to create and manage the content.

Managing your own content gives you the freedom to create and implement your own content and saves you money on content creation services but it does mean a certain amount of time will be taken up doing this. There are a wide range of tools that can make this easier for you as detailed below:

Content creation companies – These companies are designed to help customers easily create content. There are a range of different options such as Sodaclick and PosterMyWall as 2 examples. Content management platforms will also provide an array of content options like the ones you can find here.

So there is a lot to consider and to get a fuller picture on the points raised above I would recommend reading the following article How To get Started With Digital Signage.

What if I want someone to take care of my digital signage but I still want the ability to manage some of the content myself?

That’s fine you have a range of AV companies offering a variety of services as follows:

Fully Managed – Full managed service digital signage – Everything is taken care of
Fully Managed Content Provision with Content Management Options – Full managed service digital signage with content providers and access to manage content
Provision of hardware, CMS software, Installation and Support – Customer takes care of their own content and content management
CMS Licences Only – Customer takes care of everything

If you would like to get in touch and discuss your digital signage requirements further, fill in the contact form below.