COMPLETE GUIDE TO DIGITAL MENU BOARDS

Complete Guide to Digital Menu Boards

Digital Menu Boards can add a tremendous amount of value to your restaurant. This guide
is designed to help you understand what it takes to launch Digital Menu Boards and get
the most out of them. Since 2006 SmarterSign has worked with restaurants of all sizes to
successfully make the move to digital. This guide will give you a clear understanding about
how you can make the move for your business.

Deploying Digital Menu Boards doesn’t need to be a complex challenge. There are three
primary categories that you need to focus on to make the process simple and painless.

WHAT IS INVOLVED? DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS THE RIGHT SOFTWARE

In a nutshell there are three Digital Menu Boards design Choosing the right software
basic components to digital requires a different set of ideas can be the difference between
menu boards. from traditional menus. success and failure.
Displays/Screens to Prioritize important menu Ease of Use will allow
present your menus times with high-quality you to quickly and easily
images, video or animation manage your menus
Player Computer to
send your menus to your Schedule your menus to Quality Support will make
displays maximize each day part sure you are never alone

Menu Board Software to Test and Improve your Expertise and a proven
create, edit and schedule menus often to get the track record for high-quality
your menus highest value products and services

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 COMPLETE GUIDE TO DIGITAL MENU BOARDS COMPLETE GUIDE TO DIGITAL MENU BOARDS

What’s Involved in Digital Menu Boards? Digital Menu Board Software

$
Your selection of Digital Menu Board software There are several potential fees associated
is the most important aspect of deploying with purchasing and operating digital menu
Displays/Screens board software.
and operating a successful initiative. There is

$
All digital menu boards require a way to show Display cost range is around $300.00 -
a wide range of solutions on the market and Software Cost - For some software products
your menus. This is typically done with a display $1,500.00 per display
note - price for indoor displays as outdoor displays it is important to understand the differences there is an initial licensing cost. The price
that is similar to a television. They come in a are quite a bit more expensive between each. range for this is between Free - Several
large range of sizes and styles. The displays are thousand dollars.
Types of Digital Menu Board Software
usually mounted in landscape (horizontal) or Commercial displays can be purchased from
The two biggest categories of digital menu SaaS - Sometimes software fees are
portrait (vertical) orientation. a wide range of online stores. Consumer
board software are location based (everything incorporated into what is called Software as a
displays can be purchased from most big box
Types of displays Service (SaaS) which is an ongoing charge for
stores and online. is located at your business location), and server
For the most part there are two types of displays; use of the software.
based (tools for mangement can be accessed
Commercial Displays and Consumer Displays.
remotely). In both of these categories there are It is important to make
Benefits of Commercial Displays Benefits of Consumer Displays
many options with a wide range of features and sure your software
• Designed for long hours of use • Easy to purchase partner provides a high-
functionality. The differences can be confusing if
• On-site warranty (typically 3 or 5 years) • Less expensive level of service so you
you don’t have a basic undertanding of what to
look for. are always supported. Be

Warranties Make A Difference What’s all this about Nits? sure you can get support
Benefits of Location Based software
from a live expert.
Don’t understimate the value of a Nits are a measure of brightness of • No ongoing fees to use
commercial warranty. Commercial a screen. You should pay attention
• Good for DIY users Ongoing Operations - Keeping costs down
Displays have great warranties to the amount of ambient light and
where consumer displays may leave determine how bright your screen requires that you can do as much of the
Benefits of Server Based software
you without a screen for a while. should be. day-to-day operations with your own staff.
• Control your menus from anywhere
Software that provides ease of use is the
• Good for businesses who want support
What is a Digital Signage Player? best way to achieve this.
Digital Signage Player Think of this as the computer that controls the
The second component in a Digital Menu Board playback of your menus. Typically they are very What about just putting images on a USB?
deployment is what’s called a Digital Signage small (usually around 5 or 6 inches and an inch or
You may have heard people say that you can just put a USB into your display and show your
Player (sometimes called a media player). This is two thick) so they can be easily hidden behind your menu. This is actually a basic approach that could work for some businesses. There are
the device connected to the display that controls screen. some significant limitations with this approach. The biggest limitation of this approach is that
the playback of your menus. This device typically you can’t schedule changes to your menus. Another limitation is that changes to any content

$
connects to the Internet so that it can receive The price range for digital signage players is (prices, specials, etc...) can take hours instead of seconds.

updates to the digital menu boards. The two between $200.00 - $1,200.00 depending on

most popular types of Digital Signage Players are the capabilities of the device (for example how
Displays/Screens Player Computer Software/Service
many displays it can control)
based on Microsoft Windows or Brightsign. There
are other operating systems such as Android, Digital Signage Players are not typically $300-$1500 $200-$1200 $30 Average Price per
screen per month
Chrome OS and Raspberry Pi but Windows and available in big box stores. You can purchase
Price range for displays Price range for players
both Windows based and BrightSign based For most providers of software
Brightsign make up the largest portion of the
Depending on the size and quality Don’t overspend on player who use a SaaS model, the pricing
devices in a wide range of online stores.
market. of the displays. Displays for computers and choose the device can range from $10.00 to $100.00
outdoor use such as drive through that is going to best meet your per screen per month depending
Benefits of Windows based Players Benefits of BrightSign based Players menus can be quite a bit more needs. Some player computers on the scale and complexity of
• Wide range of models available • Stable and easy to deploy due to the need for durability. can control more than one screen. your network.

• Easy to support with remote access • Some versions have excellent broadcast playback

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 COMPLETE GUIDE TO DIGITAL MENU BOARDS COMPLETE GUIDE TO DIGITAL MENU BOARDS

Design Considerations Choosing the right partner

How to create highly effective digital menu boards Having the right software partner can make all the difference
Digital Menu Boards are fundamentally different than traditional static menus. With the ability to include The are many options and and approaches to digital menu boards. Working with a software partner
animations, video, day-parted content and more, it offers you a great way to get the maximum value out who has expertise, high-quality software and exceptional service will help you be more successful. At
of your menus. The following four key concepts will help you maximize your revenue and get the most SmarterSign we have been helping companies get the most out of digital menu boards for over 17 years.
out of your investment:

Key things to look for

Prioritize high-value items Use time wisely How easy is it to use?
Quick changes should take less
If the software is too difficult to use you will
Not all menu items are created equal. One of the key benefits of digital menu
than a minute. need additional expertise either in your
Some of your menu items are adding way boards is the ability to have the menu company or from a third-party. This will
more to your bottom line and should be dynamically change based on the time The phrase “time is money” is particularly true increase your total cost of ownership and
focused on with your menu design. Simple of day, week, month, or season. The in the restaurant industry. You can’t spend your reduce your speed and frequency.
changes like re-ordering items, adding a companies that maximize the use of their time struggling with menu software when you If the software doesn’t have the power
border, or even changing the font color can availble menu space by only showing need to be focusing on more important things. to engage customers and handle your
make a huge difference. relevant content are far more succesful. This means that the software you use needs to scheduling opportunities you will be missing
be easy. You shouldn’t have to be an engineer out on the key benefits.
Use high-quality images, video or animation Only show items that are relevant to the time or designer to have complete control of your

Highlight important high-value items Use scheduling tools to avoid changes important changes such as prices and specials.

Key things to look for

What is the service like?
Test and improve often Engage but do not overwhelm Make sure the company is clear about how
You should never feel like you
The ability to make changes quickly and easily Incorporate engaging visuals with animation are in it alone. they will provide support. Do they have a toll-

allows you to test menu concepts all the time. and video to enhance the presentation. free number with a live person on the other
Make sure your partner’s service and support is end? Do they provide support materials for
We recommend testing and measuring ideas The key to being succesful with these visual
going to help you be successful. The last thing self-service support?
often to achieve your objectives. Want to elements is to not overwhelm the customer.
To many items moving on screen will prevent you need is to find yourself alone and struggling Make sure the company has expertise in
sell more bundle meals? Test concepts and
your customer from understanding what to with solving a simple problem. The right partner digital menu boards. There are many digital
approaches that will help you get the very
will have the expertise you need, high-quality signage platforms but only a small portion of
best results. focus on.
support, and excellent self-help materials. the companies have this specific expertise

Iterate early and often (it’s easy and fast) More than one moving item is overwhelming

Measure and continuosly improve Use subtle animation to enhance the design
SmarterSign pulls it all together for your digital menu board needs
Since 2006 SmarterSign has been helping restaurants and food service companies of all sizes with their digital
Ditch the dollar signs
$
menu boards. A combination of excellent software, dedicated service and strategic expertise make SmarterSign
Remove the $ symbol from your menus or pay the price. A study done at Cornell University and ideal partner for your digital menu boards.
School of Hotel Administration, shows why this can be a costly mistake. Removing the $ symbol
from your pricing can increase average spend as much at 8%. The study tested the difference Get your digital menu board recommendation and quote today!
between using the symbol ($10.00), numeric only (10.00) and written out (ten dollars). The
numeric only was clearly better in terms of customer behavior.
smartersign.com/meet 888-907-6278

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