How Does Digital Signage Improve QSRs? Here’s 5 Critical Ways

Digital signage is a resource business owners in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry can’t ignore. In fact, 88% of restaurants intend to adopt digital menu boards. However, besides classy menu boards, digital signage can improve QSRs operations in numerous ways.

As consumers demand speed and efficiency, digital signage helps QSRs keep up with changing market demands. With digital signage, you can streamline your restaurant operations and meet your consumer demands. Here are five ways to improve your QSR using digital signage.

1. Increase Customer Satisfaction

In addition to giving QSRs a brand new look, digital signage offers consumers a unique and excitingly better experience. Consumers no longer waste valuable time standing in long queues outside fast-food joints. 

Digital signage helps keep queues shorter at the QSR. QSR digital signage informs consumers of menu items and their prices. Furthermore, customers order and make payments through in-store self-service kiosks. This way, customers can make faster decisions about their meals as they are aware of meal combinations available. 

Self-ordering booths increase order accuracy and inform customers how long they’ll wait, improving the restaurant’s user experience. Therefore, there are no hold-ups at the counter as customers only pick up their orders, and those waiting continue to interact with the digital screens.  

Actually, statistics indicate that 63% of clients expect their service providers to know their unique preferences. With this knowledge, businesses personalize their services to meet each client’s needs. Digital signage can help deliver personalized services through self-ordering kiosks. Once they swipe their cards, they receive suggestions based on previous orders, giving them a satisfactory in-store experience. 

2. Increase Sales 

Interestingly, digital displays have led to impulsive purchases for 33% of consumers leading to increased sales in stores. Digital signage helps increase these impulse purchases by showcasing some of your delicious delicacies. For instance, street-side marketing with outdoor digital signage solutions will drive traffic to your stores.

Additionally, your QSR digital signage and point-of-sale (POS) terminals will increase sales through upsells and cross-sells. You can display limited-time offers and unique food combinations for your clients. Consequently, this information will influence your buyers’ purchase decision leading to more sales. 

Besides, digital signs in your store enhance your customers’ experience. Satisfied consumers tell their friends about your store. So, you’re guaranteed to get repeat purchases and referrals once you install digital signage solutions in your QSR. 

3. Digital Menu Boards 

Digital menu boards have completely revolutionized QSRs. Restaurants can now display unlimited content like the day’s specials, product pricing, promotions, and limited offers, which couldn’t fit in traditional menus. Digital signage saves time and resources consumed in the production of printed menus.

Furthermore, dayparting is now possible. You can schedule time-triggered displays showing menu items for breakfast, lunch, and supper. Besides, employees can remotely change menu displays to match the dishes available. Digital menu boards give you a level of flexibility that was unimaginable with paper-printed menus.

You can also use digital menu boards for advertising, which boosts sales for new or slow-moving products. With the information on digital menu boards, clients make informed and faster decisions about purchases. 

QSRs also enjoy the longevity of digital menu boards, especially for outdoor display signs. Digital signs can withstand rain or sunshine, unlike traditional posters. Durable display signs reduce costs incurred in constant updates and installation.

4. Easy Content Management

The content on your digital screens can either drive sales or be another piece of information consumers ignore. Create content that keeps customers informed, entertained, and educated about your restaurant and relevant industry developments.

While traditional menus needed constant printing and installation for updates, you can manage content remotely and centrally using digital signage. You don’t have to manually change content for each digital screen, as they do so automatically.

Moreover, digital signage solutions usually offer templates that you can use to create menu board content. You can customize the different templates and display various templates, which reduces monotony. 

What’s more, unlike traditional menus and posters, you quickly make real-time updates without printing a new batch of menus. For instance, cloud-based signage software ensures you update content remotely and immediately as needed. In addition, you can schedule content that your signage playlist displays at the specified time. Therefore, you always have accurate content.

You can display dynamic content ranging from live news, funny memes, social media messaging, or local sports and news. Such content leads to customer engagement, reducing perceived customer wait time and promoting a positive store experience. Besides, such content ensures you maintain your connection with the clients.

5. Boost Store’s Aesthetic Appeal

Sleek digital screens with high-quality graphics give QSRs a modern look. A video wall with delicious artwork on one corner of your restaurant improves the appearance of your QSR. Similarly, motion graphics on the screens give QSRs that chic appearance that gives them a competitive edge.

For example, you can use eye-catching displays of your delicacies, such as desserts, or preparation clips to attract your consumers. Clients who like what they see will purchase your commodities. Therefore, your digital screens can improve your store’s image and drive traffic to your store.

What’s more, the outdoor digital signage around your store entices clients due to the sophistication it adds to the roadside. The moving imagery, perfect color blend, and transitions, drive consumers to your doorstep. Therefore, like other modern QSRs, you too can use digital signage to upgrade your store’s appearance

Real-Life Application of Digital Signage in QSRs

Do you know 82% of restaurants report increased sales after introducing digital signage? These fast-food restaurants continue using digital signage solutions to improve operations and satisfy their clients. Here’s how quick-service restaurant industry leaders have used digital signage solutions to retain their position at the top.

1. McDonald’s

McDonald’s introduced self-ordering kiosks in 2015. These self-service options drastically reduced queues at McDonald’s. Additionally, the self-ordering booths increased order accuracy, leading to greater customer satisfaction.

McDonald’s stores also noticed increased sales thanks to the digital kiosks that always remember to upsell. Consequently, consumers were aware of more menu items and ordered them.

2. Starbucks

Driving up to Starbucks, you will see numerous outdoor digital signs, especially as you head to their drive-through station. Drive-thru clients read the high-quality resolution menu boards and then place their orders. Including a digital barista who communicates with consumers via video, markedly improved consumers’ experience at Starbucks’ drive-thru.

Therefore, as Starbucks embraced digital signage for their drive-thrus, they increased sales due to increased customer satisfaction. The digital barista was a nice touch that helped personalize their customer experience, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

3. Burger King

During the lockdown period, Burger King repurposed its digital signs and used them to drive social media messaging. In addition to menu items, drive-thru signage asked consumers to comment on Burger King’s social media page. 

Consequently, consumers thanked the staff for their service during the pandemic on Burger King’s social media accounts. As a result, Burger King used their digital signage to display diverse content, which led traffic to their social media pages. Besides, this tactic also increased their sales during the lockdown.

4. Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut took advantage of digital signage technology and introduced interactive tabletops. Therefore, consumers could order and customize their pizza through these touch screens. They could choose the size, toppings, and crust.

Moreover, the interactive touch screens had games that kept kids busy while waiting for their orders. The ability to self-order and remain engaged by these interactive tabletops significantly increased customer engagement. Besides, this new technology drove more consumers to the stores leading to increased sales.

Digital Signage for Your Restaurant

As a business owner, the benefits you stand to reap through digital signage are undeniable. As consumer expectations evolve, your restaurant must change to remain in business. Therefore, leverage digital signage technology to stand a chance to compete with industry leaders in the QSR industry. You, too, can increase operational efficiency, revenue, and customer satisfaction through digital signage.