How digital signage can help restaurants retain customers

Digital Menus In Restaurants

How Bars and Restaurants Can Use Digital Signage to Retain Customer Loyalty

Most businesses have heard the saying that 20% of the customers account for 80% of the business. What this means is that it is more important to retain your existing customer base than to try to bring in new ones. With digital signage, companies can encourage customer loyalty with ads that bring about a whole new meaning to customer interaction and engagement.

Ordering with a Digital Menu

Some eating establishments have boosted their business by as much as 50% just by making the transition to digital menus. This gives patrons a whole new dining experience as they navigate a digital menu complete with HD images of the meal complete with descriptions, ingredients, and nutritional information.

Another benefit of digital menus is that information can easily be added or omitted. If a new entrée is added to the menu or if a certain dish is no longer served, then updates can be made within minutes without having to throw out the old menus and spending additional overhead costs to print new ones.

In addition, if a customer were to order a specific item, then a digital menu can also make additional recommendations, such as a beverage or side item that complements the entrée that the customer ordered.

Incorporate Television Programs Interspersed with Your Ads

Most restaurants and bars have several overhead TV monitors where patrons can watch a live sports game while dining. During intermission, instead of regular broadcast commercials, you can show your own ads. This is a form of restaurant branding that has become very popular with the emergence of digital signage. Instead of promoting your own business, you can also promote a specific item, such as limited-time menu items, gift cards, or a particular brand of wine that you serve.

Add a Loyalty Program to Encourage Repeat Visits

Some coffee chains have a membership program where they receive a free latte for every 10 or so purchases. Restaurants can implement a similar program that rewards loyalty. An incentive may include a free gift card or free steak and wine dinner for two for every fixed amount of money spent on orders. A loyalty program can be promoted on a digital menu where customers can sign up on the spot by simply inputting their personal information into the menu.

Customer loyalty also comes in other forms. Patrons who “like” your company’s Facebook page or drop a positive comment are also expressing loyalty. One idea is to include a message on the digital menu to get the patron to sign into their social media account through the device and “like” them. Customers who do this can be rewarded with a small incentive, such as a free appetizer.

Employ Interactive Games

In commercial airplanes, passengers have their own mini-monitor where they can select an assortment of movies, music, and video games. Restaurants can adopt a similar approach by fitting each table with a monitor. A second option is to allow the customers to hold onto the menu after placing their orders so that they can entertain themselves through a selection of games on the menu while awaiting their order. This is something that children will especially enjoy and parents will be pleased as the games keep them occupied and prevent them from running in circles around the table and causing a commotion.

A customer that only dines at your establishment on a one-time basis is a wasted opportunity. With a marketing approach that makes use of the latest technology, you give customers an interactive experience that will have them returning for reasons other than the food.