The top 12 Benefits of Digital Menu Boards Explained
Image: Digital Signage Today Infographic
Digital menu boards are becoming a growing trend in the restaurant community––especially for quick service and fast-casual food operators.
They offer massive, game-changing benefits and are getting more affordable every year.
In April 2012, a survey asked restaurants using digital menu boards to rank 12 benefits they experienced after installing their displays.
So today we will explain to you the 12 Benefits of digital menu boards
Here are the rankings:
1. Centralized control of menu board content 67.9%
It’s not surprising that this benefit came in at number 1.
With powerful and user-friendly signage software, restaurant owners can swap the displayed media on one or multiple displays with just a few clicks.
The amount of time saved from is huge––especially when compounded over weeks, months and years.
Think about all the time spent printing, posting and replacing menus every time there’s a change.
Switching to digital menus means owners have more time to spend on customer service and growing their business.
2. Better pricing flexibility 49.1%
Pricing menu items appropriately is critical to restaurant success.
To maximize profits, a strategy for pricing is necessary along with an effective testing method.
Digital menu boards allow owners the flexibility of testing different prices quickly and easily.
It eliminates the risk of paying for expensive, high quality printed menus with pricing that ends up with their target audience being put off.
Going digital means restaurant operators can discover the sweet spot of their pricing sooner and cheaper.
3. Lower costs to make menu changes 49.1%
Mistakes happen all the time.
No matter how many times one goes over the menu details with a fine-tooth comb, something is bound to fly under the radar.
Building on the previous point, making menu changes is quicker and easier with digital menu boards.
For example; to fix a spelling error, owners can just upload the updated graphic into their signage software.
No more expensive printing jobs or settling with imperfections.
4. Increased customer satisfaction 47.2%
Going digital means you have more ways of depicting the menu item to your customers.
Rather than customers forming an idea of the food from text descriptions, digital menu boards can simply display the item with high-quality videos or images.
That way, customers know exactly what they’re getting before they make the order.
5. Increased sales of promotional items 37.7%
Bright, vibrant digital displays simply capture more attention than printed signs.
This gives owners a powerful way to advertise promotions or special offers.
With the use of video or animations, customer’s can’t help but give that ad a quick glance, it’s wired in our DNA to notice movement.
Featured the promotion on the most prominent by the till LED screen will undoubtedly increase sales.
6. Improved operational efficiency 37.7%
As mentioned earlier, the speed at which owners can adapt their screens to any change in their business is greatly improved with digital menu boards.
Here are a few examples of time-sensitive events that can be quickly communicated with digital menus:
- Menu item out of stock
- Time-specific offers and promotions
- Any critical announcement (operating hours during public holidays, equipment out of order)
7. Better compliance with labelling laws 22.6%
Food laws can change from year to year.
Digital menu boards allow restaurants to easily comply with new locally enforced labelling laws.
For example, in the US, restaurants with 20 or more facilities must show the calorie count for each food item on the menu.
With digital signage, owners can simply update their menu board graphics and upload them to their software.
This eliminates the cost of reprinting all the menus and the time spent physically replacing them.
8. Higher check averages 20.8%
Digital menu boards can communicate more than printed menus using the same amount of space.
They command more attention, both initially to capture attention and maintaining it. Competition for attention is rife in this digital age, and restaurant owners need every advantage they can to improve the chances of communicating the value of their menu.
Digital menu boards extend the precious time to transfer profit-boosting info such as:
- Menu modifiers (protein choices, sizing and flavours)
- Cross-selling opportunities such as complimentary beverages
- Upselling opportunities like special promos and add-ons.
9. Increased sales of high margin items 18.9%
The higher the cost of a menu item, the more value needs to be communicated before customers are willing to pay.
With digital menu boards, owners can use videos or high-quality images of their higher-end, premium products to entice customers.
A slow-motion video of a pricy pizza dish being prepared with fresh ingredients and cooked to glorious, cheesy perfection will sell a thousand times more than just text on the menu.
10. Improved order accuracy 17.0%
As mentioned in the previous point about customer satisfaction, menu items visually displayed means customers know exactly what they’re ordering.
This means there are fewer mistakes when orders are sent to the kitchen, reducing the cost of time and money when recooking incorrect orders.
11. Increased foot traffic 15.1%
Restaurants can attract customers’ attention before they even set foot in the store.
By installing window-facing screens with high brightness levels, consumers can see the menu and its delicious offerings, even in direct sunlight.
Stunning 4k resolution displays can be used to show off best-selling menu items with incredible detail and amplify the appetites of pedestrians.
12. Higher margin per transaction 9.4%
As mentioned in benefit number eight, digital menu boards allow opportunities to communicate value.
This is shown to be true, even for individual transactions, demonstrating the revenue-boosting power of digitized menus.
Final thoughts
The truth is, any restaurant owner who still hasn’t made the switch to digital menus are at risk of falling behind their competition.
Every day, more and more businesses are adopting the technology and are reaping the many benefits.
With affordable digital display software now available, virtually any small restaurant can join the trend and benefit from the remaining sense of originality they bring.
Now, you know the top 12 benefits of digital menu boards!
Set up your digital menu board today with a FREE 30-day trial of East Multi Display
Easy Multi Display is the most affordable digital display software on the market. We’ve designed it to be so simple any restaurant owner can have their menu displayed in just 3 easy steps. Take your business to the next level and reap the 12 benefits of digital menus today. Download your FREE 30 day trial of Easy Multi Display to get started or get contact us here.
