How digital signage can pay for itself (and then some)

The first question most business owners ask about digital signage is “what does it cost?”. The better question is “what does it earn?”. Used well, a screen can cover its own cost – and then keep working for you.

1. It sells more at the point of decision

A screen near the counter puts your most profitable items in front of customers at exactly the moment they decide what to buy. Add-ons, upsizes and bundle deals are easier to sell when they’re bright, moving and right in front of people. Restaurant365 reports provider data of up to a 38% rise in sales from digital menu boards. Your result will vary, but even a small lift adds up quickly.

2. It cuts printing costs

Every price change, seasonal promotion and event poster costs money to design, print and replace. One example from signage marketplace Posterbooking describes a quick-service chain spending $1,200 a month on printed menu boards – $14,400 a year – that it removed by going digital. The same article cites an Aberdeen Group study finding efficiency savings alone can justify the investment in 12–18 months.

3. You can sell the screen time

This is the one most small businesses overlook. Australian advertisers already put 76.6% of the $1.45 billion out-of-home advertising market into digital screens. You can do the same on a small scale: offer a slot in your screen loop to a neighbouring business – a florist, real estate agent, gym or local event – for a monthly fee. A café or salon with steady foot traffic has an audience local businesses want to reach.

4. It saves staff time

Screens answer the questions staff repeat all day – opening hours, today’s specials, directions, Wi-Fi details – so your team can spend that time serving customers.

The simple maths

A HoloEd 55-inch screen hires from $69 per week. As a rough illustration only: if a screen helps you sell five extra $5 add-ons a day, that is around $150 of extra takings a week before costs. Add a local advertiser paying even $30 a week and the print you no longer buy, and the screen can cover its hire cost. Your numbers will depend on your prices, margins and foot traffic – so track sales of the items you feature before and after.

Hiring also means no large upfront cost: you can trial a screen, measure the results, and buy it outright later if it earns its keep. Talk to us about the right screen for your business.