11 Reasons Why You Should Use Digital Menu Boards

We’re often asked questions like ‘why use digital menu boards?’ and ‘are digital menu boards really worth it?’.

Well, there’s no disputing that they’re more expensive than a chalkboard sign or a paper menu. Or that digital menu boards aren’t necessarily for right for absolutely every restaurant or food and drink outlet.

But it’s important to understand all the business benefits that digital menus can deliver that static menus can’t, so we’ve put together a list of the 11 key benefits to help you decide if they’re right for you.

1.Dynamic

With digital menus, you can adjust your menu at various times of the day or week to consider different groups of people. Restaurants, pubs and bars, for example, can prioritise family-friendly meals during lunchtime and show items from the cocktail menu for older groups at night. This flexibility leads to better targeting of different customer groups which inevitably leads to increased sales/profitability and greater variety in your customer base.

2.Animation

Using attractive animation is an easy way to highlight your most profitable menu items, showcase more promotions, and display more product quality information than a static menu can. It attracts the customers’ attention, draws their focus to the items and deals you want to sell most of, and makes them likely to spend more time reading your menu,  increasing your chances of upselling.

3.Brand

By using digital menus, you have more opportunities to show off your brand’s personality. An obvious way to achieve this is by using graphics created around your brand’s most identifiable visual features and ethos. By showing what makes your company distinctive through your digital menus, restaurants, leisure destinations, and food/drink retailers develop clearer brand identities than those of their competition.

4.Dietary requirements

Digital menu boards offer more ‘space’ to explain what the symbols or letters for vegan, gluten-free and other dietary requirements are on your menu. This will make it easier for customers with dietary concerns to find what they might be looking for, enhancing their dining experience and making them more likely to return.

5.Ambiance

Using different versions of your menu can create a different ambiance for different customers. For example, you can have a menu with bright and vibrant colours when trying to build a family-friendly atmosphere, while more subtle or muted colours can present a more mature, sophisticated ambiance. They also allow you to use digital art or video to shape the ambiance you want to create – e.g. videos/images of Tuscany or Rome for an Italian eatery – as part of the content you show on your menu boards.

6.Control

Because digital menu boards allow you to control screen content centrally, large businesses and/or franchisors can control what appears where and when, which is especially useful when dealing with things like new product launches. It ensures that there is consistency across all franchise locations and enables you to make changes quickly and easily.

7.EPOS

You can integrate your EPOS system with your digital menu boards so prices are updated automatically and if any menu items are out of stock, they can automatically be removed. This ensures that your customers will not be disappointed or frustrated by ordering items that aren’t available. Your staff will also not have to spend time changing and/or correcting the menu by hand.

8.Psychology

It’s human nature to pay attention to movement, as part of our fight or flight instinct. Digital menu boards that successfully use animation are more effective at grabbing and keeping the attention of your customers. They can keep your customers engaged and encourage them to spend more time looking at and considering different items on your menu.

9.Sustainability/ethical/quality messages

Because digital menu boards give you so much flexibility, they can be used to show explainers about the quality of your products and how sustainably your company runs, such as using free-range eggs, organic or artisan products. This communicates your company values, product quality, which will attract customers looking for this – potentially making your business a destination for ethically-minded or more discerning customers – and increase your brand equity.

10.A/B test

Because you can switch content easily, food and drink outlets can check which versions of promotional materials work best by changing the layout and looking at take-up. This allows you to optimise your menu for maximum sales and profitability.

11.Problem-solving

Problems such as typos or unpopular product lines can be removed or adjusted easily. This means your menu will always be up-to-date, enhancing customer satisfaction.

In conclusion, digital menu boards can be a great investment for hospitality, leisure or retail business. They create a huge range of benefits over traditional menus, even beyond the contents of this blog. By making the switch to a digital menu board, you have the potential to enhance your customers’ experience, attract new ones, and drive up profits. 

Why not fill in the form below and speak to our specialists about whether digital menu boards are right for your business?