Author: Colin Fraser

One constant in our new lives is trying not to touch anything and washing hands a lot. But what if you own equipment that your staff or customers have to handle – like a touch screen kiosk? Now’s the time to practice good screen hygiene.

Keep Your Screen Clean

Depending on traffic through your business, a kiosk could be touched many hundreds of times a day. Frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned regularly: you need to make sure they’re kept sanitised to prevent the spread of germs.

Use a soft cloth

A soft, lint-free microfibre cloth is best when cleaning a touch screen. Avoid paper towels or rags as these abrasive materials can damage the screen’s surface.

Use approved cleaners

Old fashioned soap and water is a great way to keep things clean. Professional solutions vary but be aware that alcohol based cleaners are not suitable for plastic screens as it can damage the surface. For glass screens, the most widely recommended screen-safe solution is a combination of 70% isopropyl alcohol and 30% distilled water.

Avoid highly concentrated solutions

Cleanliness is important, but so too is protecting the surface of your screen. Products that contain ammonia, benzine, acids, strong solvents, acids, fluoride detergents or any abrasive cleaner should all be avoided.

Above all, don’t get any liquids inside the screen. It goes without saying, but any solution that seeps into the screen or the kiosk itself is going to cause problems – either to the sensitivity of the screen, or the kiosk itself. Apply cleaning solutions to the microfibre cloth, not the screen, and be sure to remove any excess liquid. Clean with care.

Practising screen hygiene with touch kiosks is more important than ever before. Keeping them sanitised is one more way you help keep everyone safe.

It’s no secret that that the future is much less certain than it was twelve months ago. Things were already changing fast enough before the impact of bushfires, COVID19 and recent share market volatility, so predicting what will happen in the weeks and months ahead has become that much more difficult. Yet the outcome is not out of our control.

Planning goes a long way. So does having the confidence to use all the tools at your disposal. Those that have digital signage have an advantage because they already have a mechanism to boost the profile of their product or business. It’s a wonderfully flexible tool that lets you create the desired ambience in your premises. It can let you share information in real time – whether that’s a promotion for customers or information for staff. Digital signage is a powerful technology that, harnessed properly, can help business owners weather the most turbulent economic storms.

So what can digital signage do for you?

The biggest single thing digital signage can do for you is attract customers to your business. Humans are hard wired to notice visual information, and we notice it more quickly when it’s dynamic. Its’ said that the brain processes an image 60,000 times faster than text. With video content on digital signage, you have a winning advantage over your competitor who is relying on static, printed communication. And once you have a customer’s attention the hard work has been done, and they’ll be more responsive to your offer. Which leads to sales.

Digital signage is perfectly positioned to help you create atmosphere. Whether you’re using one LCD screen or an LED video wall – you can use digital signage to shape how customers feel about your premises and add value to your brand. It lets you do whatever you want, whenever you want to – promote products, price points, concepts and values. Use it to help make people feel good about your business.

Digital signage is also cost effective. The same piece of artwork can run on any number of screens in any number of stores while eliminating expensive print runs, distribution costs and compliance issues. You can control your marketing strategies or corporate communications from one location, which further reduces the financial burden on your business. It also reduces customer confusion which might arise through misaligned campaigns as well as any cost implications.

And you can change content on demand. That’s real power.

If you want to do more than just survive in the marketplace this year, make sure that digital signage is one of the tools at your disposal. Used wisely, it will help your business stay ahead of the competition, weather the storm and add real value to your brand.

Digital menu boards allow restaurants to change menu items and update prices. You can add (or remove) promotional content across an entire network remotely and seamlessly. And you can do it easily. Unlike static boards and light boxes.

This ability to change content at a moment’s notice has made digital menu boards increasingly popular. However maximising the benefits, as well as the potential to improve sales and minimize costs, takes some planning and consideration.

Here are some crucial elements to consider when deploying a digital menu board solution:

Know your objective

One of the first things operators need to consider before investing in digital signage is exactly what it is they hope to achieve.

All too often, businesses invest in a digital menu board system without a clear objective or content strategy in mind. As a result, they end up using them as a fancy poster board.

With a well thought out content strategy, digital signage has great potential to engage consumers, improve perceived wait times, increase sales uplifts, and improve the overall customer experience.

Don’t cut corners to save a few dollars

The worst mistake operators can make when deploying a digital menu-board system is trying to substitute commercial grade devices with cheaper consumer grade versions.

Commercial grade displays and media players come with a 3 year warranty and are hardened to withstand the rigours of a QSR environment – heat, humidity and 24/7 operation.

The right CMS is crucial to success

Inserting USB drives into the back of screens is awkward and inefficient, even for a single site set-up.  Across multiple stores it becomes difficult to track and almost impossible to verify compliance.

A good content management system (CMS) allows you to quickly and easily distribute promotional and menu content via a secure web-based portal as required.

A great CMS like Laqorr will also allow you to monitor the status and performance of your menu boards so that you can quickly address any issues and ensure maximum uptime (device management).

Content is king

Whilst one of the appeals of digital signage is its ability to feature animation and full-motion video, like all good design it is best to keep it simple.

A crisp, high quality graphic of a delicious burger with steam wafting up from the bun will be far more enticing to consumers than a screen cluttered with multiple items and flashy animation.

It is also crucial to allowing adequate time between content rotations for the consumer to read and absorb the information being presented to them.

Stress-free installations (that look great) take careful planning

Just attaching a digital display to a wall doesn’t create the aesthetic that will keep customers coming back for more.  Nor does it connect the display with your content management team.

It is important that installation of digital menu boards is discussed with the store design and fit-out teams, to ensure seamless visual integration of the digital with the physical.

Access to power and data and cable runs in the right locations are also potential banana-skins that can be avoided with the correct planning.

And finally, close cooperation with the IT department is required to ensure that connectivity is provided to the media player, and that the media player and communication protocols meet the IT security policies of your company.

Return on investment

Whilst every digital menu board deployment is unique, industry research indicates that they can result in a sales uplift of as much as 5 percent. With the ability to schedule unique promotional content and adjust margins in real-time, digital menu boards allow operators to enjoy improved sales results that are simply not possible with traditional static menu boards or light boxes.

In addition there are also the indirect benefits of:

• customer engagement
• lowering perceived wait time
• an increase in customer satisfaction
• eliminating printing costs
• lowering labour costs

Engage an expert partner

With so much to consider when making the switch to digital menu boards it is important to choose a digital signage partner that understands the needs of quick service restaurant operators and can provide an affordable solution with best practices advice.

Let us help you develop a complete solution from concept through installation to ongoing management. It starts with your objective and ends with your satisfaction.

Are you considering taking your company into the cloud? Many businesses are, and there’s never been a better time to get on board with cloud-based technology.

Devices are the most affordable they have ever been, equipment failure rates are much lower than ever before and if you are currently refurbishing or renovating, it makes perfect sense to include cloud-based tech in the budget.

There are a number of things to consider when choosing a cloud partner, especially when you’re looking at a digital signage network, or networked devices designed to empower your frontline workers.

There are so many ways to join the cloud. You could hook up a couple of laptops bought from a discount retailer to some random, cloud drive. Arguably you can share data, but is it secure? Is it properly networked? Are the laptops robust enough for the environment you want them to operate in?

It’s the same with digital signage. A cheap screen with a flash drive will play videos and images; and for some companies, that’s enough. But it’s impossible to network content, it’s difficult to manage updates and, again, is it robust? Will the screens survive in a tough, commercial environment. Most importantly, will the warranty cover inevitable failures?

Here are three things you must put at the top of any list when buying into the cloud.

3. Account Management

Some partners are more interested in getting the ‘sale’ than starting a relationship. Because cloud-based technology will play an important role in your company’s digital transformation and will be a valuable customer-facing tool for your marketing strategy, you’ll need a partner that has your long-term best interests in mind. They’ll need to solve complex challenges, offer objective, best-practice advice and be available when you need them.

2. Technical Support

In a perfect world nothing would ever go wrong with your new cloud-based devices. However if any technical support is required you want your staff to be able to pick up the phone and resolve any issue with a friendly, capable and, above all, experienced client support officer. Their ability to turn a technical complication into a remarkable customer experience will be important to your staff and their productivity.

1. System Training

Seldom do you buy a device and know how to use it. Given you’re buying them for digital signage or frontline users, you’d hope that was the case. Therefore you’ll need training, whether that’s in basic troubleshooting or running a content management system such as Laqorr for your commercial digital signage solution. Although most CMS’s are designed to be somewhat user-friendly, initial training for your marketing team is essential. One of the reasons you are considering a cloud based solution is to improve productivity. Professional system training will ensure that your team is operating with maximum efficiency.

Conclusion

The best deal isn’t always the cheapest price. The best solution is when the cloud partner you choose adds real value to your business. Technology, prices, equipment and even the installation processes are often comparable. Where your new business partner will shine is when you need them after it’s all up and running.

Give us a call when you’re ready to move into the cloud. Whether that’s indoor or outdoor digital signage, touch screens or portable devices, we’ll talk about what’s best for your business and help you achieve an outcome that adds real value.

There’s no question – content is the driving force of your network, whether that’s digital signage, touch screens or mobile devices.

Content is King when paired with a best-in-class digital signage software like Laqorr, the Queen of your digital signage network. Without great content, why would anyone give your displays a second glance? Well, they wouldn’t. So what do the experts recommend when it comes to keeping your audience engaged with best-in-class content? Let’s find out.

There’s a science to creating great content and fortunately it’s not rocket science. You need to follow a simple process, based around three principles that you should keep front of mind at all times:

• Tell A Story
• Be Consistent
• Prompt An Action

People love story tellers, and most of all they love story tellers who stay focused. Once you’ve got their attention, tell them what to do because if your story has been persuasive enough, action follows inspiration.

Tell A Story

Before you get cracking with the details, you have to give people a reason to engage with you in the first place. These are called attractors. It might be something as simple as a catchy headline or an unbeatable sale offer. Once people have glanced at your screen, reel them in. This is where the story comes in. We all want to know ‘what happens next’ and all successful campaigns evolve a basic concept. It may be over several messages, or several months. Either way, you have engaged viewers who want to know what happens next. They’re likely to talk about it with their friends and now your message is starting to spread.

Be Consistent

Consistency is the cornerstone of great messaging. It can be in terms of copy, ensuring that all your content is working to tell the same story, but also visual styling. The most successful brands stick to a thematic idea and never, ever vary from it. That’s how you know who they are. KFC’s logo has been modified over the years, but it’s essentially the same and is instantly recognisable. Their communications are always ‘on brand’ with the same colours, fonts, layouts and artistic flourishes so that, again, you as a consumer can identify immediately with the product. It’s the same at Apple, or Google. It’s about reinforcing the brand so that the message is clear and easily understood.

Prompt An Action

All good campaigns have one. It might be as simple as ‘call now’ but it’s vital that you let your audience know what to do next. And that is to engage with your company. You might want them to come inside, or make that call, or visit a website, or touch the screen, or tell their friends, or use a discount code or, well, it could be anything. So you’ve got to let them know what YOU want them to do next, you have to prompt an action. Whatever it is, you have to make it clear, you have to be consistent and you have to make sure it’s part of the story you’re trying to tell. If it’s not, it will hit a false note and you risk loosing their engagement and any potential action or sale you’re hoping to get.

No matter what form of interaction you’re hoping to achieve from your digital signage content, once you’ve got it, measure it. You need to know how effective your campaign is so you can determine your ROI (both in terms of content and network outlay). You also need this data so you can adjust the campaign, advance your story telling and attract even more people to your business. After all, that’s what good digital signage does best.

Everyone loves a good number. Here’s how they add up in digital signage and what they can do for your business.

Digital signage in all its forms – indoor and outdoor display screens, video walls, touch kiosks, mobile devices – has incredible power to inform and to educate. It’s an engaging communication tool that improves efficiency and reduces operating costs – a set of numbers business owners watch closely, along with ROI.

So let’s look at some figures.

At 42%, growth in digital signage is largest in North America. Here in Australia it struggles to reach 2%. This is a good thing for the early adopter who gets to stand out from the competition and gain all the efficiencies of improved operating cost and ROI.

Because brands that use digital signage report 24% increased store traffic, 47% recall and a 33% uplift in sales compared to other channels (static posters for instance), the advantage of digital signage is evident. You also save on printing and shipping costs, as well as time lost to monitoring compliance.

It’s not simply retail that benefits. All sectors that use digital signage point to improvements and have numbers to back up their claims.

• 30% of restaurant customers find digital menus influential

• 52% of healthcare patients get information from digital signage

• 60% of banks use digital signage for customer communication

• 71% of consumers feel digital signage has more impact than online ads

If you want to take advantage of the benefit of being a new kid on the signage block, you’ll have to be quick. Digital transformations are happening fast: 60% of businesses without a digital signage plan investing in it over the next 36 months.

We have plenty more numbers on the subject of digital signage. Give us a call and learn how we can help shape your winning signage strategy.

*Source: MVIX USA

We’ve spoken many times about the power of digital signage to reach customers and staff when it matters most. Targeted, impactful, timely. There’s a lot you can do with cloud-based technology.

We’ve also talked about digital signage being an incredibly handy tool for communicating with people in a safe, hygienic way. Now add a QR code to your messaging mix.

When scanned by anyone with a smartphone, it takes them directly to a digital experience of your choosing. It might be a safety or hygiene message they need to read. Perhaps you want them to see a brand or promotional campaign, or present them with a contactless payment option. You might simply want to thank customers for being a part of your experience. There’s no end to what you can do or say with a QR code.

Significantly, this type of friction-free communication helps ease the concerns of wary customers. It’s viewed as a cleaner, safer experience. They don’t have to get close to anyone, they don’t have to touch anything (apart from their own phone of course).

According to a recent US study – The Coronavirus Response Survey – 61% of consumers have discovered new ways to shop, while a whopping 70% say the pandemic has changed their shopping habits for good.

Clearly your digital signage campaigns need to adjust to this change in attitude. They need to be more agile and engage mindfully with how consumers now use cloud-based technology like digital displays, touch screens and their phones.

Add a QR code to your digital signage, and see the difference.

Every company offers customer support but (to butcher Orwell) some support is more equal than others.

Who hasn’t spent an hour on the phone waiting for someone to help resolve their problem, only to reach a support agent unable, or unwilling, to listen? It’s frustrating when you get indifference instead of assistance, and it is one of the biggest drivers of churn.

Supporting our clients is something we take very seriously at datmedia. Whether that’s helping with an account query, helping with a content scheduling issue, or helping when equipment stops doing what it is meant to do. We help, that’s what we do, and our technical support team is on the frontline.

Technology fails and when it does, many companies defer to a simple replacement policy. That’s fine when faulty equipment is under warranty. What happens when it’s not? There’s a cost involved and that usually falls to you.

But there are alternatives to expensive replacement. Online troubleshooting often fixes troublesome technology. If it’s more serious, having a technician adjust settings on site, repair a faulty unit or replace an operating system might be all that’s needed. The expertise we offer is more cost-effective than a cookie-cutter replacement policy.

Because we want the best outcome for our clients, we’ll explore all the options.

When you’re exploring a cloud-based technology solution, we know you have many choices. You’re looking for a good outcome so make sure that excellent, local support is factored into your decision.

You’ll be paying for it no matter which company you choose to partner with. So choose a partner who takes the time, and makes the effort, to give you the support you deserve. Your staff, your customers and your bottom line will thank you for it.

Cloud-based technology like digital signage has the power to help when it’s needed most.

More than a way to talk about your brand (as important as that is), it is the capacity to inform and educate that puts digital signage ahead of the pack.

UK based Veovo has introduced a suite of products to help support airlines and passengers manage physical space as airports begin to reopen. They use heatmaps and other tracking data that helps people avoid long queues, then use signage to guide them safely to the counter.

“We enable safe and proactive planning to reduce crowds and to make sanitation and disinfection programs more effective,” said James Williamson, CEO of Veovo.

But not every business needs (or can afford) cutting-edge, machine-learning capabilities.

It suits an airport that manages thousands every day, not so much in modest retail or financial services locations.

However there is one standout common to both – the need to manage customers space and safety. Both benefit from cloud based digital signage.

It’s simply a matter of communication.

You need to talk to your customers, you need to provide up to date information, you need to reach out and keep them safe. And while you’re there, you can also talk about your brand.

We can help you achieve that: digital signage, team enablement, frontline solutions and the digital signage software that binds it together.

Give us a call and learn more about how digital signage can help your business.

Any business that wants to stay open in the COVID-safe economy needs to manage customer traffic. Gone are the Boxing Day scramble of crowded stores. Today you need to keep your customers comfortable and safe with COVID-smart technology.

Although every organisation is different and every requirement unique, there are a number of solutions to the challenges you face keeping your business compliant and your customers safe.

As restrictions imposed at the height of the pandemic ease, it’s widely understood that physical distancing, and encouraging good hygiene practices, will be with us for some time.

Yet this new way of retailing raises many questions. How do you monitor the number of customers entering your store? How do you help give them enough space to do the right thing while shopping? What’s a practical way to provide hand sanitiser?

We have a number of different technical solutions to help manage customer traffic that will help give you, and your customers, peace of mind. These are the some of the features and benefits you can expect from leveraging cloud-based technology:

• Reliable and accurate sensors to ensure compliance with minimal disruption

• Engage customers and increase confidence

• Reduce staffing overheads in managing customer flow

• Analytical reporting facilitates better customer traffic during peak periods

• Inbuilt capacity warnings including alerts to nominated devices

• Digital signage integration for on-brand messaging

• Backed by datmedia 7 day technical support

Get in touch to learn more about what options are available and how we can help you become COVID-smart and stay COVID-safe.