Digital signage has changed dramatically in the past few years, evolving from a rather simplistic, ‘one-size-fits-all’ landscape to one that hits home at a personal level. Advanced tech and the now omnipresent AI have elevated what was a simple information-only tool to one that can engage with customers and help harvest critical behaviours that retailers can use to drive revenue.
OK, OK… We’re not quite at the stage where your digital retail screens can have full-blown conversion and up-selling conversations (Yet! But watch this space…). But clever use of the technology to communicate with potential buyers both in and outside a store can improve the customer experience, increase spend and directly impact loyalty.
Every venue is different. But whether your shop is a unique boutique, local corner store or a larger, multi-location concern, the digital realm is one that offers by far the greatest return on investment over other, more traditional (dare we say, dated?) kinds of advertising.
Define Your Goals and Create a Bespoke Digital Plan
Not every shop has the same advertising requirements. In fact, these needs are fluid, altering regularly thanks to events that include sales and promos, the seasons and even the daily weather.
The beauty of digital signage is how easy it is to change. A couple of clicks on your connected device and boom! You can target a completely different audience without breaking a sweat…
So, let’s first look at what you might be trying to achieve with a digital sign. This includes aspects, such as:
- Increasing footfall.
- Raising brand awareness.
- Improving customer engagement.
- Creating cross- and up-selling opportunities.
- Refining the in-store experience, perhaps with navigational tools, information or keeping customers entertained during queues or other enforced waiting times.
- Gaining a deeper insight into customer behaviours and creating a more personalised database.
As already mentioned, these requirements are likely to shift regularly. This could be on a daily, or even hourly, basis, as the customer demographic can also adapt depending on the time of day. Think parents with kids walking past a shop front on the way to or from school, or the after-work crowd heading for a post-work social gathering, for example.
Once you’ve defined what you want to achieve, and – very importantly – the metrics you’re going to use to track the impact and success of your efforts, then it’s time to consider the how, what and where.
For this, you need to look at:
- Digital sign placement: Such as a window display that will draw passers-by into the store or interior digital signs that can provide direction, information and engagement of what is now a fairly captive audience.
- Showing engaging content: This might mean interactive elements (such as a QR code or touch screen for more info, etc). However, one proven element that works incredibly well in the digital plane is the simple art of storytelling. We’re all suckers for a good tale, and the art of advertising is to weave tantalisingly addictive content that draws and keeps attention. Nothing excels better at this than the digital medium, which is only limited by your imagination. Sound, videos, real-time social media feeds or soundbites that grab instant attention are all great examples. With a digital screen, the options are, quite literally, limitless…
- Reduce frustration: A classic example of this is when customers have to stand in a queue. Even in an era of self-checkouts, standing in a line is often inevitable. Stores that utilise digital screens to entertain are proven to reduce the annoyance of waiting in line. Plus, it provides the perfect opportunity to send powerful brand messages and help garner customer loyalty in a myriad of innovative ways.
- Upsell at the point-of-sale: We’ve all rolled our eyes at that poor customer service assistant on the till who has been told they have to try to upsell every sale (Don’t blame them, they’re only doing their job). With the right content, a digital sign is so much more effective, plus it speeds up the sale process, which in turn reduces customer wait times. A win-win for everyone involved. This is also the ideal place to promote special offers with, of course, said items being easy to grab and add to a purchase. Many an upsell occurs at this point simply through increased awareness (the digital sign) and the ease of access (the pile of ‘stuff’).
These are just some examples of how to use the power of digital to increase awareness, engagement, turnover and, ultimately, profits. As experts in the field, we not only provide retailers across Australia with the right digital screens to match their requirements, but we lead the way in how you can best use the technology – such as in our articles, Interactive Digital Signs: Creating Engaging Customer Experiences in Retail Spaces and
Creating Urgency with Digital Signs: How Limited-Time Offers Shine on Digital Signs.
Discover more about us, and contact the iCatcher team today to discuss how our digital screens can help you maximise the customer experience and spend of everyone who steps across the threshold.