Are you ignoring your next big opportunity in signage?
Bitvu CEO Murray Kenneth explains why digital signage will help retain customers and acquire more. Think about one of your best customers. You’ve supplied all their signage and POS requirements for 10 years and have a great working relationship. The customer has started to notice the appearance of ‘digital posters’ and would like to learn more so they ask you of course.
As their existing supplier of signage, do you have a solution you can offer them or will they end up looking elsewhere? If this sounds a bit close to the bone, that’s because it’s a real life scenario that we heard over and over at this year’s Sign & Digital. It’s easy to dismiss digital signage as “not what we do” but think again.
Traditional signage will always have its place at the heart of what you do but digital is the new kid on the block, just like neon bulbs and vinyl graphics once were.
Using screens for signage has come a long way in a short space of time as technology costs have plummeted and internet connectivity has enabled customers to update their adverts remotely at the click of a button. For your customers, it’s a compelling technology that’s difficult to resist. Imagine how effective their marketing can be when they can change the message several times a day without even visiting the location.
As with any emerging technology, it’s a complicated and confusing landscape for the uninitiated with too many choices and too much complexity. Last time I checked there were hundreds of options with vastly different feature sets and a range of prices that makes it impossible to compare like with like. It’s no wonder it can feel a bit overwhelming. So how does a signage business capitalise on the digital opportunity in a way that reinforces lasting, profitably relationships with their customers and maybe wins them some new ones too?
Dispel the myth
Digital signage is an opportunity, not a threat. In addition to providing hardware and installation services, the supplier can enjoy a share of ongoing subscription income as well as added value design and screen management services.
Leave hi-tech to the experts
If a customer wants integrated artificial intelligence, interactive screens and personalised messaging, they need deep pockets and a conversation with a specialist. Cutting-edge features come at a price only the biggest brands can afford.
Simple and fit-for-purpose
Simple digital signage should not require specialist IT or AV skills to install and operate. Unless your customer has sophisticated requirements, the ability to create, schedule and publish beautiful looking ads featuring HD video and images will be enough to transform their communication strategy.
When we first conceived Screenspace our mission was to make digital signage technology accessible to the mass market through innovation, simplification and the elimination of unnecessary cost. By designing our own hardware we remove the risk that comes with buying a fragmented system from multiple suppliers. We offer an end-to-end solution that’s made to deliver a fantastic digital signage experience at a remarkable price
In the same way that e-book readers have not killed off the publishing industry and mobile phone cameras have led to a boom in photo printing, digital signage is an exciting opportunity rather than a threat. So next time one of your customers asks about using screens for signage, make sure you have an answer ready or someone else will beat you to it.