4 top ways to make use of digital signage in your retail space

In my previous article I spoke about the trend towards the use of digital screens and projectors in retail environments (link to previous article). Now its time to explore the ways in which retailers can make use of this technology to replace traditional print and other media in a retail environment in a visually dynamic form.

One of the key benefits of visually appealing displays is that retailers have an opportunity to improve their customers’ shopping experience, make each employee more productive, reduce the load on customer service staff and even create new revenue streams of supplementary income.

In the world of retail it all comes down to the customer experience as this is know to influence consumer decision-making processes at the point of sale.

The use of digital technologies on the retail space also helps to enforce branding and enriches the overall shopping experience. It allows shoppers to visually interact with the brand’s products or promotions whilst still in the store environment, where actual purchasing decisions are being made.

Based on this, here are the top 4 ways in which digital can be used in-store for effective retail marketing:

1. In-store digital advertising
Digital advertising allows brands to place key advertising messages along any point in the customers decision and purchase making cycle. Advertisers are able to informs customers at numerous points throughout their journey resulting in increased sales at the point of decision.

Obviously size, frequency, content and placement can vary however this can be used to the retailers benefit as an additional source of revenue to charge brands for advertising placements.

2. In-store digital signage and music

Digital signage and displays can be used effectively to promote products, brands and services to customers and also attract potential customers with strategically placed screens in storefront windows.

In-store music has also added to the customers’ shopping experience and when these channels are integrated, a retailer can a lot more efficiently deliver their marketing message – visually and audibly to the customer right at point of purchase. By integrating digital technology into the retail environment users are able to communicate key messages in real time to target consumers via a range of digital devices– all from one core solution.

3. Employee training and skills management

Digital Signage and displays can also be used to display employee training videos, health & safety and other corporate messages at any time to employees. Employee training can be further enhanced to include Training on Demand, which allows training videos to be played at times set by the individual store management.

Huge cost saving can be experiences through the use of distributing corporate messages via digital displays, eliminating the need for presentation or printed material.

4. Touch screen kiosks

Self-service touch screen kiosks have been around for a long time, but as newer applications are being adopted by retailers, there has been a new resurgence of the technology. The new cutting-edge technology includes additional functionality, such as:

• self-service credit applications in-store
• interactive product information and guided selling
• wayfinding systems, product locators and price checking units
• loyalty programmes and customer satisfaction
• product line extensions
• gift card sales and refill
• gift registry, and
• job applications and HR kiosks.

More and more companies are using digital signage to enhance, inform, upsell and improve business performance and is definitely something to consider adding to your retail marketing mix.