The Importance of Restaurant Signage

The main purpose of LED signage is achieving communication results with patrons that go far beyond non-digital efforts. Human brains are attracted to bright flashing lights and our eyes are automatically drawn to moving objects. Digital signs displaying full-of-motion videos and eye-grabbing graphics are dynamic, not static. They tap into something that is innately human to demand attention and hold it. Businesses cannot thrive if the prospective consumers are not aware of their products and services and the LED signage gives a modern and attractive solution to provide that indispensable information.

Like all businesses, restaurants were quick to catch on and incorporated the use of LED signage, both indoors and outdoors. Here’s how a restaurant benefits from installing LED signs:

1. Display Updated Menu
The restaurant business is one of much competition and people are constantly looking for sumptuous fare at the best prices. Your restaurant might have the best prime ribs, but unless you show the customers what you offer, chances are they wouldn’t find out. Restaurants are making excellent use of the LED display board, using their sharp, clear colors to display images of daily specials and to attract patrons inside. (Even for a non-famished food aficionado, it’s hard to resist mouthwatering pictures of succulent hamburgers or strawberry cheesecake).

At one glance, customers would be able to identify what they want and know the associated prices. The flexibility of the LED signs allows the content to be updated with simple software, instead of laboriously replacing the board. Restaurant owners can even set the screen to automatically display a breakfast menu in the morning and switch to a lunch menu in the afternoon, with no extra effort required.

2. Display Specials
Most restaurants boast a special menu available only for a specific period of time, within a deal or a day, such as “the Soup of the Day” or “Beer of the Day”. If your restaurant wants to flaunt a specific special, it can be promoted by a display on an indoor LED sign instead of plastering posters everywhere. Enticing food pictures can be incorporated within a tempting text to attract customers in to trying that fare. Using a visual commercial always works wonders in boosting sales. Besides, it would help the new customers order as they would be acquainted with the eateries specialty.

3. Cut Down on Wait Time
Customers hate to wait in line and long impertinent lines on a busy night, result in unhappy customers. There are two ways to use LED signs to manage the waiting lines. Firstly, an over-the-counter LED sign can count down the estimated waiting time and indicate to the customers how long they are expected to wait. Secondly, they could display entertaining information, such as news bulletin, weather or sports score, to divert the attention of the customers.

4. Boost Sales
Business owners that are willing to invest in an indoor LED sign for their bar or restaurant can expect to see an increase in sales. While effective use is most important, just the mere presence of an indoor LED screen will show the customers your bar or restaurant is savvy enough to be willing to use digital technologies as a means to advance the brand. Digital technologies are attractive to the modern audience and will serve to help your customers feel as if they have made the right choice by coming to your establishment.

How to Link Digital Displays with Social Media

When you look back at other types of technology and compare them with technology used in social media and digital signs, the two are mere infants. However, as these two young technologies grow and develop together, they can bring about tremendous opportunities especially for businesses in the aspect of branding and customer engagement.

Digital signs, with their many strengths, will never quite be able to deliver large amounts of content to customers. This is to say that businesses cannot really count on them to deliver detailed information and they are not meant to. These signs are most effective when they contain limited word usage and content. On the other hand, you have customers going online to do research before they even endeavor to get in touch with the company – and this is where social media comes in.

The Numbers Tell the Story

A survey conducted by the Merchant Confidence Index last February 2011 showed that among 8,500 local and small businesses in the US, 70% utilize Facebook for their marketing activities. The same study showed that Facebook ranks higher than Google in terms of marketing method used by local business owners. Looking at it this way, it just makes sense that social media go hand in hand with electronic signs as a way for consumers to get their hands onto more detailed information regarding a business using different computing devices.

Smart Practices to Consider

1. Broaden your existing customer base – It is a good idea for businesses to include social media icons on their digital sign boards to build Twitter followers and Facebook fans. By broadening your follower base, you can establish more concrete relationships with your customers and strengthen loyalty. Once you get people to follow you on social media, you can inform them about sales, promos, and other events and offers without spending a dime.
2. Guide customers to additional info located in social media accounts – Digital signs are indeed limited in terms of the amount of detailed content they can deliver but social media is not. Using your accounts, you can link product spec sheets, photos, flyers for sales, and even coupon codes among other marketing information.
3. Play up your strength using the right social media platform – Take a good look at your business and it will be easy for you to see which social media channel will benefit you the best. If you own a car dealership or a catering company then your business is highly visual and you will do well to use social media sites like Instagram or even Pinterest. If you have sales and new promos frequently then Twitter will suit you best. For real conversations to build your brand, Facebook will be your best option.

Establishing a presence for your business in social media will not take long but you have to really work hard at it. You have to really pay attention to what you post and when you post - it is hard work but it really does pay off and helps you get more out of your digital signs.