Tag: Digital menu boards

Bluetooth Beacons – Empowering Digital Signage

Posted on September 22, 2021 | by admin | Leave a Comment

Bluetooth Beacons – Empowering Digital Signage

Beacons are witnessing growing penetration across high volume verticals. At the same time, the markets for both existing and new applications are maturing, leading to larger roll-outs. Growing integration of beacons in cameras, LED lightings, point of sale (POS) devices, digital signage, and vending machines is expected to propel the industry growth over the forecast period. Apart from retail applications, beacons are also projected to become a common commodity in industrial applications.

The relatively lower price point of Bluetooth-based solutions is playing a pivotal role in their large-scale adoption in various domains. This, coupled with the usage of smartphones by virtually one and all has taken marketing communication to the next level.

What exactly is beacon technology?

They are low-powered, low-cost transmitters that can notify nearby mobile devices to perform a particular action when devices cross paths. The adoption of beacons by several businesses currently is primarily for marketing purposes and compliments the business’s promotion and advertising strategies. They can be deployed on retail stores, restaurants, real estate properties, amusement parks, hotels, gymnasiums, car service garages or on any business which has a point-of-sale relevance.

Bluetooth beacon are poised for large-scale adoption throughout the forecast period, with a projected CAGR of 95.3% from 2017 to 2025. Key industry players include Estimote, Inc.; Kontakt.io; Accent Advanced Systems, SLU; Onyx Beacon Ltd.; and Bluvision Inc.

How Does it work : The B2C Phenomena

To understand how beacons work let’s take an example of a Berger Quick Service Restaurant with beacon deployment.

Let’s assume, beacons are deployed at the entrance of the restaurant
These beacons transmit signals in its range which vary from 20m to 300m.
Potential customers’ Smartphones with Bluetooth functions and within the range of beacons pick up the signals from the beacons.
The customer then sends the ID number attached to the signal to the cloud server.
The server responds with the action linked to the beacon ID. It could be a notification or a marketing message conveying introduction of a new appetizer, it’s special offers, combo deals and up-sells.
Ideal for communicating with motorists and inform them how near the restaurant is (in meters or Km)..
These notifications entice customers/motorists to visit the restaurant.

How Is The Beacon Activated

Depending on the kind of beacons you are using, indoor beacons, long range beacons, keychain beacons, pocket beacons and outdoor beacons, the activation process will vary. Some of these requires you to insert batteries whereas some of them have inbuilt batteries. Indoor and Outdoor beacons will need external batteries. Likewise, Indoor beacons and keychain beacons do not need external power button. It is these batteries and power buttons that activate beacons. Once it is activated, it pulls the campaign assigned to it and broadcasts it to smartphones nearby.

The Appeal Of Beacons To Marketers

Very Cost-Effective Way To Communicate To The Target Audience ; Just the need of a battery, or not even that. The cost for running it are negligible compared to the returns. Retailers reveal at least a 10% increase in profits in the first three months. Restaurants endorse 200%-400% ROI. Only the digital menu board can be as effective.
Location – Based Personalized Advertisements : Since the beacons send signals to smartphones nearby, they can connect well with potential customers within their vicinity. Assuming the business has demographic and psychographic details of customers, personalized messages and notifications can be sent.
Bridges The Gap between Offline And Online Marketing : Restaurants, retailers, gymnasiums, car garages, salons and the hospitality sectors can promote their offline business by advertising them online through the beacons. The smartphone user can also download the app of the store enroots to the town and visit the store. And people living within the vicinity get connected on a gular basis and are reminded of the various offers, lucrative deals and a great in-store experience.
High Click-Through-Rate : The CTR of beacon campaigns are far higher than other communication platforms such as RFID and WiFi, which entail high upfront costs and more. The average CTR of beacon campaigns are 3-4%, as compared to 0.119 in Facebook and 1-5% in Twitter. The CTR in beacons is approximately 80 times the CTR of display ads across all formats. All these facilitate better customer tracking and engagement apart from innovations in deliverables.
Smart Integration With Facebook And Google Ads : Bluetooth technology enables marketers to keep track of their customers by reiterate communicating even after the customer has left the store. They can convey advertising messages on Facebook and Google ads and keep the customer engaged with information on new products, services, events, loyalty programs, special offers etc.
Measures Offline Analytics And Customer Behavior : facilitates best marketing strategies by analyzing customer preferences and buying trends/ patterns. Further it analyses : Number of notifications sent out : Click-Through-Rate of individual places and campaigns : Which type of campaigns/ brands are performing well : Customer details, duration of visit and more.
Opportunity For Small Businesses To Compete With Larger Ones : While it was speculated that larger businesses will adopt beacons, with the encouraging results revealed, more and more smaller businesses are adopting it and getting better results. The benefits enable smaller businesses to design the best mix on their structured offerings with their targeted audiences. This way they build loyal customers and keep competition at bay.
Order-Ahead Facility and Mobile payments : From the customers’ point of view , beacons offer the next step in convenience. While a motorist is driving he can order-ahead from a restaurant upon receiving a beacon and make payments too. On arriving at the restaurant he can sit down to eat straight-away as his order has already been processed in advance. Same can be applied to car garages, hotels and salons.

DS Menu Designs For European Restaurants

Posted on September 20, 2021 | by admin | Leave a Comment

DS Menu Designs For European Restaurants

Kind attention!! For all you restaurateurs who have your restaurant business in U.K., Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, France, Belgium, Italy and Spain.

DS Menu, which pioneered online menu board template designs way back in 2012, has an enviable track record today in the US. Its software services in menu board designing have become an exemplary model for designing menu boards online.

DS Menu’s Core-Competence lies in the exclusive synergies of technology and creativity, which have, over the years, enabled many restaurants worldwide to achieve illustrious heights in menu board display. And these in-turns have significantly contributed in enhancing their restaurant sales & profitability.

Facilities in menu designs offered by DS Menu

(With a nominal yearly subscription)

You Get Access To Thousands Of Menu Board Templates: The unique expertise of our graphic designers have ensured the best menu board designs in the online market. We have built up a huge data-base of menu boards for all categories of restaurants and with all genre of food cuisine.
You Can Create/Design Your Own Menu Board: An unique opportunity for you to be the master of your content and full control of your design and creativity. You can do anything you wish on your menu board, in colors, symmetry, menu, food offers, captions et al!
You Get Access To Unlimited Colors, Graphics, Fonts And Designs: While creating your menu designs you will have complete freedom to use our tools in any which way you like. We want your menu board to have the best display.
Will Take You Just Five Minutes To Do The Needful: With our Tutorial guide, your work will be done in just five minutes, and you can display it on your digital screen first thing in the morning.
We Can Design Your Menu Board For You: In case you have paucity of time, we can do your work for you. On receiving a briefing on your menu content, we will create the most marvelous menu designs which will get you increase in sales and customers.
We Offer Menu Designs For Best Digital Applications: Our menu designs have cloud-based facilities which go best with signage system integrations. Regardless of the choice of your hardware your digital screens will display our exquisite menu boards.
We Offer Visually Appealing Playlists : You must entice your customers with food demos and entertaining food offers. Ask your chef for a BBQ cooking live ! The more you promote yourself through our playlists, the more customers you will get.
We Can Advise You On Your Signage Requirements: Given the impressive list of our clientele that we serve, and the deployment of digital signage by our clients, we can certainly offer consultation on your signage requirements and easy installations.

Various categories of menu designs offered by DS Menu

Menu Designs For The Fast Food/Quick Service Industry: Burgers, Pizzas, Sandwiches, Entrees, Breakfast, Brunch and many others are host to this category. Dynamic and vibrant color combinations and graphics to allure your customers.
Menu Designs For The Full-Service/Fine Dining Industry : Lunch, Dinner, Meals in continental cuisines, celebration in ethnic cuisines like Italian, Mexican, Japanese, French, and Indian. Vintage colors, sophisticated and elegant designs and traditional food is the hallmark of this category.
Menu Designs For Occasions And Events : Such as Christmas, New Year’s, Halloween, Thanksgiving Day, St. Patrick’s Day and many other exclusive menu boards are designed by us. Best graphics, color display, content and punch lines for digital display.
Menu Designs For Bakery /Confectioneries : Donuts, Cookies, Cakes, Pastries et al. Menus mostly in chic and trendy colors to illuminate vibrancy and attractive to kids and adults alike. Innovative with bright colors adorn the designs of the menu.
Menu Designs For Ice Cream Parlors And Coffee Shops ; Visually appealing, fresh and distinguished colors and graphics decorate these menus. The graphics are appetizing and entice the target audience.
Menu Designs For Wine Shops And Bars: Classy and vintage menu listings are prominent in these boards. Induce popularity with wine offers and delectable snacks to go with them. Will make your target audience spend time and money.

For a comprehensive menu board template collection please visit our Gallery.

Ways To Advertise The Digital Menu Board

Restaurant Menu Boards In Challenging Times

Posted on September 13, 2021 | by admin

Restaurant Menu Boards In Challenging Times

Panic, shock and anxiety do have a major positive impact: they galvanize the victim to act. This is perhaps the most inspiring reality of the restaurant industry worldwide, including the US, given the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.In the initial stages of the pandemic, complete lockdowns were made to happen by the States and the Governments. Gradually, in phases, trade and establishments began to open up amid certain health safety norms which included social distancing, use of hand sanitizers, wearing of masks, gloved hands while cooking, washing and sanitizing all décor inside restaurants, table tops, payment counters. The medical fraternity has also come out with body temperature-check machines.

Essentially, for the restaurant business, only one equation counts: that between the restaurateur and the customer. And the valued customer, despite wanting to venture out and taste his favorite burger or pizza, has been forced to hibernate during this pandemic.

Although things have opened up in the past two months, customers are still wary to venture out to a restaurant and dine indoors, given the still rising rate of infections. Many customers now make do with take-away and curb-side eating while seated inside their vehicles. This has left the restaurateur little choice but to come to the customer. This makes the digital menu board and the marketing message all the more purposeful.

Ways To Advertise The Digital Menu Board

Get your restaurant listed in the Google’s My Location or yelp. This would increase visibility to those searching for a menu.
Ensure a top ranking in the Google SEO. Also post your menu online for easy viewing. Customers too would be searching for their gourmet palates!
Organize and erect more signage points near your restaurant. Apart from mention of new business hours and safety precautions, you can place appetizing food graphics.
Update the restaurant’s website. On the opening page, place your digital menu board along with timely and essential information.
Be accessible: show your customers their options; call-ahead ordering or take-away, or curb-side service. Accordingly, you need to design your menu board with your offerings.
For home delivery service provided by you, reassure customers on the promptness and safety precautions. Also, ask customers to check your digital menu board online.
Enable customer’s access through Apps: ensure that your digital menu is incorporated. This will reassure customers that you are in business and happy to serve their favorite items.
Offer Gifts Cards and Merchandise coupons on a threshold meal purchase. This will build brand loyalty and effective customer engagement in these times.
Keep your messages positive. Create humorous promos and videos and entertain your customers. Communicate sensitivity. Customers too will reciprocate with empathy.

Focus On Safety & Healthy Foods On Digital Menu Boards

We at DS Menu suggest that your activity should be as much online as possible ( for Quick Service/Fast food), in re-creating your menu board for digital screen display.
New and Attractive Menu Designs for Take-away. Recommended that you have a menu with fewer items: only those items preferred or in demand to be displayed on the digital screen.
Focus On Healthy Foods: Preferred food items should be Soups and salads, cheese, stews and sandwiches. Along with health drinks like milk, orange juice, lemonades, green tea, ginger tea etc.
Safety Measures To Be Highlighted on Menu Board (1): the social distancing norms, provision of hand sanitizers, waiters serving them by wearing gloves on their hands.
Safety Measures Mention on Menu Board (2): Well cooked food, clean and sanitized cutlery, table cloths and furniture, and non-touch payment options.
Menu Board Designs for Home Delivery: Select food menu for online display: text, colors, graphics and content can be designed appropriately.
Menu Board Designs For Curb-Side Service: A digital screen advertising the day’s specials, combo offers, meals and coupons for two or more customers. Safe and hygienic food containers.
Communicate Your New Digital Menu Board Effectively by messages on customers’ smart phones and social media sites such as facebook and instagram. Let them be informed, always.

Eating out/ dining out is an age old recreation for all. As human beings we eat food. And sometimes we crave for the delicious foods that we cannot cook at home, and hence the need to visit a restaurant and eat all that we desire. A pandemic cannot take this craving away.

We at DS Menu look forward to serving you with care and empathy in these trying times. For more details on our exquisite menu board templates please log onto https://www.dsmenu.com/menuboard-gallery

Innovative Food Marketing With Digital Menu Boards

Posted on January 27, 2021 | by admin | Leave a Comment

Innovative Food Marketing With Digital Menu Boards

The ongoing pandemic has induced many restaurants, particularly the QSR’s, to innovate on their food offers and market them effectively on their digital screens.

When restaurants closed down during the lockdowns, their suppliers and vendors closed down as well. Therefore, many restaurants were left with unconsumed stocks which they could not return and had to bear the losses. In fact, the entire food delivery chains, from the raw material suppliers of meat, fish and vegetables to the delivery vans and trucks, who bring these supplies into the restaurant, were laid redundant. The entire logistics function had closed down.

As the restaurant business and their vendors re-opened in July/August 2020, all of them realized that the dynamics of the restaurant business has changed. Given the restrictions in indoor dinning with social distancing, fresh seating arrangements outdoors, mask-wearing, sanitization of all and sundry, the restaurateur was compelled to review his business.

Meanwhile, the preferences of customers too have undergone changes. While the pleasure of indoor dining could not be whittled away, online ordering, take-away, and curb-side food orders have rapidly gained momentum in the last few months.

We at DS Menu have been keenly observing the developments unfold in the restaurant industry in the last few months and as we deeply empathize with the fraternity, we bring forward the following tips, which we hope will assist in resuscitating their businesses.

Tips on Effective Marketing with Digital Menu Boards

Enhanced Importance of Digital Screens

With limited seating arrangements indoors, the need to entice the motorist cruising past your restaurant is all the more crucial. Therefore, your digital screens should announce your take-away and curb-side offers effectively. Attractive designs, colors and appetizing graphics should do the trick, without much content.

Focus on Up-sells, Combos and Popular Items

Devise a lean menu with few items which can sell well. A running video or a playlist highlighting your popular items such as up-sells and combos will create demand as customers will be looking to snack quickly in these times.

Efficiency and Faster Table Movement

Given the social distancing norms and limited seating arrangement inside the restaurant, the efficiency of your staff in taking orders quickly, conveying the same and coordinating with the kitchen, becomes a cardinal point. The quicker the entire serving process happens, the faster are the chances of table turnovers, and you can get more customers even with a limited seating capacity.

Look to Increase Your Working Capital

At the end of the day sufficient cash at hand is crucial for running the business and for the purchase of the following day’s stocks from your vendors and suppliers. Therefore, innovate on fresh food items which you feel the customers would prefer, and sell them at a profit. Even if this means moving slightly away from your regular menu.

Have An Effective Pricing Strategy

You could devise a food spread consisting of both fast food and single item meals like steaks, seafood dishes; Mexican dishes such Burritos, Tacos, and Fajitas; Italian dishes such as Lasagna, Stuffed Macaroni & Pasta. The burgers and pizzas will give you the volumes while the meal items will give you the margins.

Social Media Marketing

As you re-open, reaching out to your customers is imperative. And for this, effective promotional and advertising strategies are imperative. Post your menu on Facebook and Instagram and place your marketing messages on all online platforms, including food apps and restaurant apps. Urge people to come. Communicate. Go beyond business.

Promotions In The Neighborhood

Place banners and standees on street junctions and cross-roads within a one mile radius of your restaurant. Announce you’re re-opening. Design graphics of your most popular items. Convey eagerness to serve the best quality food/snacks at an economy price. And of course, assure patrons of all safety measures taken by your restaurant.

Encourage Business Tie-ups

Since most businesses have lost much during the pandemic, it is natural to assume that they will help each other as they re-open. Hence, your restaurant can tie-up with local manufacturers and advertisers whose products/brands you can display on your digital screen. It’s a win-win situation for both. The advertiser gets a captive audience and you get to make some money on the side.

Merry business for Christmas 2020!

Posted on December 16, 2020 | by admin | Leave a Comment

Reopen Your Exotic Christmas Menu! Merry Business!!

As they say ‘every cloud has a silver lining’! The ongoing pandemic has inadvertently fuelled the desire in people to unwind themselves in various ways during this Christmas & Holiday season. Not that the pandemic is over. But by now people worldwide have accepted and adjusted to the new normal’s safety protocols in wearing masks, social distancing, sanitizing and the rest, while performing their diurnal duties.

We at DS Menu assume that you – our valued restaurateur – have reopened after some very difficult times, and with the necessary safety protocols. While we deeply empathize with you, it would also be our kind suggestion to look forward to better times, now that the Christmas and holiday season have opened up and your customers are more than willing to patronize your business once again.

Before we delve into offering some marketing pointers for your business, we wish to share some Christmas promotion ideas which could increase sales and engage customers effectively. These could be trendsetters!

Christmas Promotion Ideas For Your Digital Menu Board

Along with your menu items, you may add any of the following promotion/s to entice customers and accelerate sales and revenues. However, do take care to analyze the cost-revenue equation carefully before you commit to the incentives.

Free distribution of Christmas-themed masks to your customers.
20% off all Christmas-themed drinks provided this does not dent your bottomline!
Everyone who can recall five of your Christmas specials on your facebook post gets a complimentary coffee.
Customers who make at least a week’s advance reservations for Christmas Day get 10% off on certain items.
3-for-2 appetizers if purchased along with drinks.
Everyone who donates (a threshold amount) to a charity gets a coupon for a free alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink.
Bring a loved one and they get a complimentary dessert of their choosing, if the total meal purchase is above $100.
Everyone who buys the full Christmas Day menu gets a loyalty coupon for $100 redeemable within three months.
Complimentary Christmas cookies, goodies, chocolates and other gifts by Santa for self and family.

These promotions can be made effective from Christmas Eve right up to the New Year’s celebrations.

Marketing tips on the Christmas menu & sales

Make Effective Use of the Digital Menu Board: Announce your Christmas menu and new offers well in advance: assure customers of a memorable time with food and entertainment. Request for advance reservations for facilitating suitable seating arrangements.
Update Social Networking; Post your facebook, instagram, whatsapp and all other communication channels with the Christmas menu and message. Promote flyers and banners in your neighborhood. Announce your safety measures as well.
Decorate Your Restaurant For The Occasion: Place a berries wreath at the entrance door along with a pine cone; decorate your windows; hang fairy lights; bring in a Christmas tree. Put together a themed centerpiece and post them on social media. The ambiance matters as much to a customer as the food.
Christmas Special Menu (unique and creative): the items should be a mix of popular and innovative dishes with known ingredients. You may have a diverse spread and offers with Christmas breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. However, for best business try and keep the menu lean with potential of robust up-sells and entrees.
Christmas Menu (2); some suggestions: Roasted turkey and stuffing, roasted beef, chicken and duck. Honey glazed ham, mashed potatoes, Cranberry-apple gravy, Brussels sprouts with ginger and orange, Christmas pudding, Gingerbread topped fruitcake. Others such as Egg and ham breakfast sandwiches and glazed blueberry rolls for brunch.
Christmas-Themed Drinks: despite the ongoing pandemic customers will want to unwind themselves and special alcoholic drinks as well as cocktails along with hot chocolate and coffee would be most welcome. Suggestions: Margaritas, Hot buttered rum and Pecan pie martini!
Create Your Own Branding For The Event; along with the digital menu board you may add playlists and videos advertising your restaurant’s name and its brilliant track record. You may create your own hashtag and innovate suitable names for your menu items.
Entertain Your Customers Along With The Food: Suggestions: You may arrange a Caption Contest by posting a Christmas-themed picture and ask customers for a suitable caption, and then reward them when they come in. Also, you may arrange for ‘make a food wish for Christmas’ and offer the same at a discount. Live music could be great too!
Give Back to Frontline Workers; Suggestion: place a donation box in the restaurant which will enable customers to donate for your staff and also for health-workers charity in your locality. Customers will be encouraged to purchase more for a good cause. For customers who donate above a threshold gift coupons could be offered.

Restaurant Technology In The Post Covid 19 World

Posted on September 28, 2020 | by admin | Leave a Comment

Restaurant Technology In The Post Covid 19 World

While the restaurant industry emerges scarred from the Covid 19 pandemic, there isn’t any doubt that keeping safety measures in mind, the operational dynamics in restaurants, as also the dining experience for customers will change in the foreseeable future.

Change is the essence of life. Perhaps this axiom is best perceived with Einstein’s quote ‘Necessity is the mother of all invention’. Already, technology driven companies are burning the midnight oil in innovating new digital sanitizers, surface cleaners, latex gloves, face shields, designer masks and what have you.

Likewise, the customers too are eagerly looking forward to their ‘joie de vivre’ having being deprived of their delicious ‘a la carte’ menu in the last few months. Many are empathizing with their favorite restaurants, thus advocating loyalty and unstinted support. The one thing this pandemic has done is to bring human beings closer in every sphere of life.

Post Covid 19 we will see the restaurant industry worldwide adapting new business models and emerge into a different operational and technological landscape.

Apart from the 2.5 meters distance in table arrangements,

we enumerate some of these major changes which are happening now or will happen in the near future.

Reopning after covid 19

Digital Menu Boards

will play a greater role in not just showcasing food items but will also announce safety measures for customers. Some food menus too will see a shift towards real-time freshly cooked items (like BBQs). The chefs will play a greater role in videos and playlists.

Contactless Dining

for customers too, the restaurant experience in ordering, seating and payments will change while the fun and entertainment elements will remain. After all, good food and good times will always be cherished. And the restaurateur will ensure this.

QR code based payment after covid 19

Contactless Payments

Enhanced QR Code systems in menu item pricing will enable contactless payments. The plastics, credit cards, diners cards will be replaced by EVM, contactless tap & pay digitals, and mobile wallets. At cash counters (if any) surfaces will be sanitized regularly with a tray-like tool for transactions.

Restaurant Construction Changes

As this pandemic has accelerated a rapid demand for Drive-Through and Take-away foods, existing as well as new restaurants are constructing a sales counter as an extension to their premises through which contactless transaction and deliveries could be implemented.

Contactless Valet Service

Contactless valet service will help to make payment at parking lots while cutting the wait time and getting rid of the crowd. This will be particularly relevant for premium and upscale restaurants where customers will get this extra benefit on their commute.

Supply Chain Visibility

Food supplies technology process from the farm to restaurant kitchen to the customer’s plate will be made much safer with a GTIN Code placed on raw materials. This will enable better tracing and accountability.

Employee Health Safety Methods

Employee Health Safety Methods (1)

It has become mandatory for all restaurants to ensure daily health and temperature checks, provisions of disposable masks, gloves and the effective use of sanitizers. Voice ordering digital machines may come in to replace touch-less services.

Inventory and Storage

Ordering of supplies from tried and tested vendors will be better coordinated for freshness and safety. The ordering cycle will become shorter as the focus will be on freshly cooked items and up-sells. Better refrigeration facilities will be adapted.

Employee Safe Working Digital Tools (2)

Invention of the ordinary time-clock’s ability for temperature checks could happen. This apart, surfaces like POS Touch screen, a Biometric thumb scanner, and anti-microbial POS scanners could make their debut.

Customer Food Take-away and Deliveries

Safety measures for these can only be more emphasized as they go through the process of food preparation, packaging and storing at a proper temperature. New and safer packaging materials will come into the market.

Third Party Food Deliveries

While companies such as Zomato and Swiggy have safety processes in place, third party deliveries cannot fully be controlled by the restaurant. However, along with temperature checks, a digital log-in method could enable tracking, securing and recording the person picking up food packages for deliveries.

New Platforms in Advertising

As many are now working from home, commute is still restricted and ordering through the mobile phone is on the rise, most businesses will focus on sales locally. Hence, restaurateurs will advertise more on customer’s mobile phones, local city pages and by strategically placing banners in their neighborhoods’.

Major benefits of custom digital signage menu in restaurants

Menu Board Design Solutions For Digital Signage

Posted on June 18, 2020 | by admin | Leave a Comment

Menu Board Design Solutions For Digital Signage

In the fiercely competitive business world of today, Point of Sale displays can make or break a business. This is why you, the restaurateur, have spared no efforts to conceive new and fresh innovations in conveying your marketing message. Bright and bold electronic displays placed within the business premises can create a stupendous visual impact and make a big difference to sales.

Today, online technology has enabled marketers to design a menu board or any digital display board independently and quickly. Alternatively, there are online companies such as DS Menu who can custom design a digital menu board or any digital signage online. For details please see www.dsmenu.com.

Adapting to Online Solutions : conventions, which have for decades advocated the assistance of advertising agencies and freelance designers become redundant in this internet age. By opting to design the menu board online you save time and costs. In most situations, the discerning, collating, coordinating and completing the nuances of designing takes time, while all the time your customers have to adapt to the outdated paper menus.

Designing an effective and impactful menu board has always been and still remains the topmost priority of the restaurateur worldwide and particularly in the US. In recent years the progress of digital signage technology, with its cloud-based facilities and benefits has enhanced the value of designing the menu board for digital signage upon maximum effectiveness in driving sales.

Digital Signage Evolvement and Progress ; The advent of Digital screens in the market heralded a new era in menu board display and advertising. There was a need for an integrated platform which would obviate the expenses of advertising on television and outdoor media. While these media platforms have been effective to some extent, what was needed was an impactful Point-of-sales digital platform which could entice the target audience immediately with a powerful advertising message and appetizing food visuals.

High Powered Digital Screens along with the Media Player have become affordable by medium and small restaurants today, particularly in the US. As completion becomes more and more intense, each business is making a desperate endeavor to create the ‘perfect’ menu board and showcase the same on a digital screen. Hence, the LED and High-definition screens per se have become an all important digital hardware. Likewise, the Media player has become an important support as it plays the role of an intermediary between the computer menu inputs and the digital screen.

The Necessity Of Online Menu Board Design

Does installation of digital hardware necessarily entice your customers ?
Is the best LED digital screen enough to give you the best graphics ?
Does investing in an expensive Media Player guarantee you the best caption and punch line ?
Do the most expensive digital signage hardware guarantee you customers ?

The answer to these questions is a resounding NO.

Your investments in digital signage is not complete until you have the best menu design

Hence, no matter how sophisticated your digital hardware, it is imperative to first invest in the best online menu board design and creativity that will fulfill your hardware needs.
It is ultimately these menu board designs that will make the best digital display and entice your customers.
It is the live videos by your chef showcasing your food menu and playlists that will enthrall your customers
And this is where ds menu comes in. DS Menu provides you those unique menu board designs and creativity that will deliver you the most effective results by way of getting you loyal customers, enhancing your brand equity and increasing your sales.

Online Design Solutions By DS Menu

( With A Nominal Yearly Subscription Your Business Grows 4x ! )

100% Increase of Customer Base Within The first Four months :

We provide for exclusive menu board templates with fascinating designs and creativity. All keeping in mind your customers. Each of our templates are designed to entice your customer and increase your sales.

Easy and simple menu integration with the digital signage systems

You Can Design/Create Your Menu Board Within A Few Minutes : And reputed companies like Sign Menu and DS Menu are doing excellent work in servicing the restaurant industry worldwide, including the US.

Remote Control Facilitation: In an event where you are vacationing with your family thousands of miles away from your restaurant our menu board designs will ensure real time updating of menus by remote control. You can coordinate with your staff as well and also with customers.

Relevant Aspects Of Custom Menu Design for digital signage

No Technical knowledge Required On Your Part; DS menu and Sign Menu sites enable you to design your menus in as little time as five minutes and without any technical savvy on your part. And you can place them on screen on a day-to-day basis.

A digital platform for “360deg.” Business promotion

We Can Design Your Menu Board For You : When you brief us about your menu, we will make templates of several designs and show them to you online. You can edit/modify and choose from these . awe will download them and accordingly you can place them on your signage screen.

Best Screen Impact of Online Designing; The colors, designs, graphics and content that we will provide will be ideally suited for the digital screen. We will ensure that our designs will entice your customers to visit your restaurant and try out the delicacies.
Offer Most Effective Content For Your Menu Board : Captions, branding/logo designing are our forte. We’ll make you thrive as well with best catch lines and punch lines on your food menu, special discounts, food offers, combos, and much more.
Videos and Playlists of Food Menu/Offers : Particularly, the audio-visual dynamics of food videos and Playlists. Quite often, the main Chef is seen giving a live demonstration of a BBQ dish or a Do-Your-Own Pizza. Food offers and Combos, games, entertainment and a fun-filled ambiance enhances the brand equity of the restaurant and ensures it’s prosperity.
Halloween/Thanksgiving Day and other Event based menu boards : We will design for you for all occasions. Events/occasions gives both an opportunity to showcase our exquisite and unique skills in creativity. It’s all for optimum marketing impact and offer the customer value for money.
The Novelties Of Cloud-Based Features ; You can update your menu from anywhere, by a single admin, if you have chain stores in the cities or across many cities. Likewise, you can update your menu at real-time during the busy hours and offer customers their preferences while you make money !

Future Trends In Digital Signage for Your Business

Posted on September 28, 2019 | by admin | 1 Comment

While the exuberance and passion for deployment of digital signage continues unabated across many businesses, vendors and trade pundits are already anticipating the next wave of innovations , and how these will fit into their scheme of things.

In recent years however, innovations, new developments and upgradations in digital signage has been fast, without giving much breathing space to the many businesses they serve. Perhaps this was a synergistic parallel with fresh upgrades in mobile phones with its burgeoning ‘Apps’ culture and the frenzied embracing of social media sites by people worldwide.

Having discerned the present, let’s now endeavor to delve into the future. While it’s true that digital signage screens and menu boards have (and are) playing a pivotal role in enhancing sales, profitability and customer engagement across many businesses, there is space for fresh innovations too.

The report revealed that end users across the board have already deployed digital signage or plan to deploy additional digital signage in 2019.

54% of restaurants planned to deploy digital signage to more locations
40% of retailers planned to deploy digital signage in the future
63% of banks have deployed digital signage or plan to deploy it

Fresh Screen Shapes Apart From The Rectangle

So far the rectangular screens have ruled the roost in digital signage. But round, convex and curved LED screens will also be in huge demand in the coming years. They will enlarge the viewing angle, attract attention by their unconventional shapes and merge better with the architectural designs.

While its all about screen structures, panels, vertical resolutions , 4k Ultra High Definitions, and many other such technical innovations which are at play to make viewing better and better…..at the end of the day, most businesses should be happy to have invested in this new form of digital signage which will reap rich dividends in the form of enhanced sales and profitability.

As LED Technology matures, it poses fresh challenges to hardware and software engineers alike. Now that huge outdoor screens with a 360 degrees view have been customized on commercial buildings like hotel chains, educational institutes and banks, this will be extended to many other businesses with economical costs.

Artificial Intelligence And Digital Signage :

As digital screens and menu boards are doing their work, it has become imperative to measure and quantify the results. This particularly relates to the retail and the restaurant industries wherein the sales dynamics are a direct function of customer preferences.

This is where Artificial intelligence comes in. AI software will evolve further to group customers based on their psychographics and demographics and will be of invaluable help to all relevant businesses where profiling of customers is imperative for marketing strategies. Better analytics also assists advertising derivatives.

Personalized experience to customers. This new and novel service will engage customers to the business like never before. As human beings we all have emotions and it’s not really strange that most often we react to a robot and see him as a human being. When we enter a retail store a well-attired robot will greet us ‘hello, good afternoon’ and proceed to show us on a screen what all is available on that day. Further ‘seeing’ our attire he will analyze our profiles in a second and display the products that we are likely purchase.

AI puts data in context or creates personalized advertising, both of which are invaluable to the retailer.

Hardware Upgrades With Affordable Prices

It’s all about the relentless human endeavor in seeking to create the best visual impact on a digital screen. The latest in LED technology includes MicroLED, CrystalLED, 4K, HDR, HFR, Cloud, Software integration, API’s and Modularity. All these for facilitating that incremental sales at the end of the day. A few more companies along with the existing ones such as Samsung and LG will be motivated into manufacturing and marketing menu boards and screens, with the ever-enhanced resolutions most appreciated by the human eye. These upgraded screens will be available in the market and will meet the end-users’ needs given their budget and capability requirements.

In another development,computerized design imprints and textures will steadily give way to digital signage taking these illustrations to greater levels. The signage will create more light ,shading and movement on the screen to make it more vibrant.

Interactive Kiosks And Video Screens

Today customers demand technology,personalization, empowerment and freedom.

Interactivity on digital screens has become a mandatory part of advertisement campaigns today, particularly in retail stores. And this will grow further. Touchscreens play a pivotal part in engaging the customer and elicits his product/ brand preferences and his purchasing trends.

The healthcare industry has in recent times received a boost due to adoption of videos in various disciplins to enable specialized and reliable patient care. From invasive surgical procedures in endoscopy and laproscopy to surgeries and personnel training, live video steam from network cameras have immensely assisted the medical fraternity. Today, even remote assistance from experts during surgeries are possible. No need to invoke the support of God, one may assume on a lighter note !

Interactive kiosks are already in vogue and prevalent in many retail stores and restaurants. These essentially play a part in the purchase/ ordering process. At retail stores video screens run advertisements for brands expecting to catch the customer’s eye and engage him further and leading him to purchase . Now digital screens will go a step further by profiling the potential customer based on demographics and run advertisements suitable for him. This way unplanned purchase or impulse purchases will take place and enhance the sales of the business.

Digital Signage Installation

Posted on August 7, 2019 | by admin | 1 Comment

Increase your customer base by 40% and your profitability by 60% in just four months with DS Menu’s guide on digital menu board installation.

As the impassioned adoption of digital menu boards by the restaurant fraternity worldwide has gained momentum, the nitty-grittys on it’s installation at Point-of-sale locations deserves a detail mention. Further, technology today has unleashed sophisticated digital/LED screens and menu boards in the market for best audio-visual viewing pleasure. And that too at economical prices which medium and even smaller restaurant businesses can afford.

The Digital Menu Board – Hardware Options

The following are the easy hardware options :-

A Tv or a signage screen connected to an internet connection.
A Tv or a signage screen with a memory stick or pen drive.
A Tv or a signage screen connected with a media Player.

In recent years the use of the media Player has gained popularity among the restaurant fraternity. The digital signage player, also known as a media player, is a computer device that renders content to a TV, monitor, or other digital display. Any Tv that we see in the public space is usually powered by a media Player such as airport terminals, railway platforms, hotel lobbies, sport stadiums, and digital menus. It is available in the market for as low as $30 and as high as $1000. Among the leading manufactures are Screen Cloud and Enplug.

Digital Display Content

We all know content is king. And today, digital signage technology has brought about manufacture of sophisticated digital screens in the form of LED technology which facilitates the best presentation of menu boards with optimum viewing pleasure. It all boils down to enticing customers in the quickest possible time by showcasing a brilliantly devised menu board. The more the customers, more the sales and profitability. In this context, advent of internet and online services have opened up the landscape of digital menu boards. Hitherto, restaurateurs had to take recourse to offline services relating to menu board content, which was in most cases time consuming and expensive. Today, online companies specializing in designing and creativity of menu boards rule the roost thereby saving time and costs for the restaurateur. The benefits of online menu board design are the following :

Menu board design and creation online can be done in the matter of minutes.
Huge flexibility in design options as menu board inputs can be stored in a computer.
A gallery of menu board templates can be showcased for your choice and download.
The creative inputs namely the fonts, colors, icons, graphics, images and content can be demonstrated immediately.
Online menu creation can be integrated easily with sophisticated screens and media Players.
Cloud-based facilities in digital signage can be easily operated online by restaurateurs.
Videos, Playlists and animations can be devised to make the menu board effectively engaging for the target audience.

It is here that DS Menu deserves mention. A pioneer in online menu board creativity (since 2012), it rides on an impressive reputation for delivering the best menu designs for restaurants worldwide.

DS Menu EnhancesYour Digital Menu Board Systems

Digital signage technology has enabled the restaurant fraternity to adopt sophisticated screens and devices for a host of benefits. And we at DS Menu will take your menu board to the next level of display wherein you save costs as well as offer the best viewing experience for your customers.

We enable easy and simple integration with the signage systems.

You can create your menu board online on DS Menu website + connect it to a Tv/screen with a memory stick or pen drive. The content displayed on the screen will have the best viewing pleasure and impa

Create your menu board design from DS Menu
DS menu will create/design a menu board for you
Copy the menu board to a memory stick
Place the memory stick onto screen/TV
Display the content

Benefits:

Cost effective: Only screen and a memory stick needed.
Low maintenance: Any non technical person can design and handle this application without any hassle.
A vast Template Gallery and designer support provided by DS Menu.

We open your signage horizons to Cloud-based solutions

Menu Board creation with DS Menu + Smart TV with browser + Internetconnection.

Create your menu board design from DS Menu
Copy the URL and paste the URL to the browser
Display the content on the Tv screen

Benefits:

Instant menu content update at real times, a must-benefit for up-sells.
No need to download and upload the menu board after updates/ edits.
Physical presence on business site not mandatory. Can be operated from anywhere.

“While my QSR is in Melboune I have to travel a lot. Had been seeking ways to modernize the business with digital menu boards. Thanks to DS Menu’s cloud-based programs, am now able to keep in touch with my business with menu and content updates even when I am more than thousand miles away. Has enhanced sales by at least 25% in the last one year.”
John Donovan

Canberra
Australia

“My restaurant has a large menu. Posting the content and creating the design on a digital menu board was a challenge. Customers were getting confused. Many thanks to DS Menu for devising a structured menu with brilliant graphics. The results were there for all to see. Sales have zoomed 40%, and customer base by 65% in the last six months.”
Alistair Mc Creedy

Montreal
Canada

“My Pizza restaurant has a digital menu board and the business achieves a large weekly turnover. Sales are good. However, am unable to keep updated on stocks & raw material, particularly on the up-sells on a daily basis. Thanks to DS Menu’s unique design and graphics, real-time updating can now be done easily, and I can coordinate with my vendors accordingly.”
Alfredo Francesca

Milan
Italy

DS Menu : Your Best Cost-Saver

Simpler Signage Options:

For those of you restaurateurs who are operating on a shoe-string budget, or those who wish to save costs on hardware, we at DS Menu can help make things easier.

You can get your menu board connected to a Tv or a signage screen by doing away with a purchase of a media Player. This connect can be done with a memory stick, such as a Pendrive, and will still ensure optimum viewing pleasure for your customers.
For businesses who wish to avail of cloud-based solutions, your online menu board created with DS Menu can be connected to a smart Tv screen with browser and internet connection. Here too, you may do away with a media Player if you find it adds to your costs significantly.

Makes Redundant Advertising Costs:-

We devise exquisite graphics and content for your menu board for your Point-of -sale locations.You don’t need to spend on Tv or print or in any other medium. Your menu board content will suffice in enticing potential customers.
Once you are with us, you don’t need to seek menu board services offline. We offer you a vast gallery of templates at a nominal cost, in addition to all the neccessary tools that go into making an exquisite menu board.

Enhanced efficiency in the ordering process :-

Money saved is money earned. And we at DS Menu will facilitate cost-saving by designing your menu in a manner that will reduce the perceived waiting time for customers, will foster quicker ordering process, and improve the staff-kitchen coordination.
Your digital menu board, created by us, will enable you to promote your up-sells. It will also intimate the position of your inventory and stocks at real times such that you can be in touch with your vendors and coordinate your payment schedules accordingly. The benefit of real-time dynamics provides you an opportunity to assess your business at any point, accurately.

Restaurant Menu Design

Posted on August 1, 2019 | by admin | 1 Comment

For a restaurant to survive and thrive, a great menu design from the customer’s perspective is imperative. And as many of you QSR’s are burning the midnight oil on how to woo more customers, we at DSMenu can contribute significantly since we can assist you in creating an exquisite menu board online that will integrate perfectly with digital signage technology. In other words, when you display your menu board on a digital screen you will fetch more customers, more sales and more profits for your business.

In this persuit for perfection, great menu board designs also do the following:

They decrease perceived waiting time of customers by at least 25%.
They make the ordering process more efficient by 20 mins to an hour: from tables to the kitchen.
20% potential customers indulge in impulse purchases which enhances business by at least 25%.

Online menu board creation with DSMenu is most cost-effective

If you are currently using offline services for menu board creation, we offer you a much economical and aesthetically far superior tools for the job. We empower you to create your own menu board on our website. Or alternatively, we offer to create and design a menu board for you.

As a restaurateur, you would know that the quality of the food you serve is of prime essence, and a lot of thought and time must have gone into this. Hence, the menu display on a digital screen should reflect this level of detail,as well as be a visual representation of your theme, tone, and values as a restaurant.

Your menu board speaks for you. Would you want it slick and elegant ? Chic and sophisticated ? Or would you rather have it trendy and flamboyant with some finesse.

Facets And Dimensions For Digital Menu Board Design

This is with particular focus on your digital display of your menu board at Point-of-sale locations. As your business is dynamic, it is essential for you to discern the cardinal aspects of your menu board for maximum impact. After all, end of the day it is your sales that count. In this context we request you to focus on the following dimensions:

Know your customer

Your digital menu board, along with it’s marketing message must have a target audience which you can categorize in terms of age and income groups, demographics,social profile and psychographics. You may keep a questionnaire handy, as a feedback document, after they are done with their meals. The questionnaire could contain relevant information on their tastes and preferences, along with their contact numbers, email address and social media linkages. All these will assist you in profiling your customers.

Menu Layout

A very critical aspect, particularly when the display is on digital screen/menu board. It is estimated that 60% of your work in enticing the customer is done if your menu layout has adequate impact. You have to be sure how many precise items will be on the menu : how to layout the menu in a visually appealing way: which items to list first: the optimal ratio of food to drink items: why longer menu item descriptions sell more. We at DSMenu will provide you a vast array of template designs from where you can choose the most suitable layout for your digital menu board / screen, including the content.

Psychological Aspect of Menu listing

This is interesting. Your menu is like a resume. Particularly when illuminated on a digital screen indoors or at the entrance. So, first impressions count. Experts have revealed that almost 75% customers see from the middle of the menu and then travel to the top right, and then their gaze travels top left. For each menu heads they see the first and last entries. Of course,if a particular menu item is highlighted in a box or in a picture frame, this obviously stands out. Here then, typefaces and font sizes are relevant. We at DSMenu can advise you the appropriate menu listing design based on your menu items.

Colors for influencing customer mood and choices

Colors evoke moods and emotions. This is undisputed. Studies have revealed that almost 90% of potential customers are influenced by colors. Orange is perceived to increase hunger while yellow and red are dynamic colors which many burgers, pizza and Mexican cuisines adopt. Delicious seafood items can be adorned in blue denoting the sea. Certain shades of blue also represents calm, poise and tranquility. Likewise, salads presented in green makes it look fresh. While creating/designing your menu board we at DSMenu can offer you a spectrum of mix and match of colors/styles to choose from.

Chalk menu or Blackboard menu for digital signage

Graphics and pictures

An appetizing visual in a menu adds to the creativity. That said, it is also true that too many graphics may spoil a menu board, make it seem like over-selling. For QSR’s, graphics most effective since just one large picture of a juicy burger can entice the entire town. On the other hand, graphics for fine dining or full-service restaurants can be made more creative with appropriate sizes and colors. We at DS menu can help you create your own graphics and playlists from our vast gallery of templates, or else, our expert graphic designers can do the needful for you.

Menu Engineering (relating to prices)

This too is important and forms a part of menu design creativity. Prices of ‘decoy’ items ( items highly priced in order to entice customers on lesser price items) can be placed in a particular part of the board. Then also, discounts, up-sells, combos and other privileges can be presented accordingly. This is a part of menu listing and we can interface online and guide you on this, if need be. In a nutshell, we at DSMenu assist your restaurant business in creating/designing the most important aspect of your business- the menu board- which you can ideally display offline on a digital menu board/screen. We contribute value and aesthetics to your menu board which in-turn brings in more customers, more sales, and more profits to your business.

Digital menu boards

Posted on July 6, 2019 | by admin | 6 Comments

DSMenu offers you a platform to create digital display boards for your business using cloud-based custom templates and playlists feature.

Lowest price
always
With/No
hardware
Easy
to use
Massive
resources
Instant
Update

THE DIGITAL PLATFORM

With options of visual and audio-visual presentations, you can present your restaurant’s logo, brand name & offerings on the digital screen effectively.

A digital signage is visually compelling : it engages, entertains and informs
Enables Multi-location management by a single admin
The most cost – effective media platform for the salon business
Easy installation & operations

Thousand’s of menu board template

Excellent creatives Conceived by professional designers

If you log on to DSMenu marketplace, you will see a wide spectrum of templates from the Gallery offered – all free of cost ! You may choose a template that best fits your marketing message . DSMenu also offers the facility of modifying, editing or altering the templates as per your requirement, and assist you online in publishing the content onto your digital screen. A little knowlege in HTML on your part ( or someone who does) would help upload the final design onto your digital screen.

View Full Gallery

PLAYLIST

A playlist of your Berger shop enables a schedule ( or prioritisation) of the different types of Bergers which the digital screen will play one by one for your customers. Hence, you may highlight a special item on offer repeatedly or at select intervals, and the digital screen will showcase the same to your customers.

1
Choose board from gallery

2
Add/Rearrange frames easily

3
Set individual frame time

4
Set transition effect & time

View Playlist Gallery

Special Features

Update menu board anytime and remotely

Menu boards generally project a dynamic business. Items, services and graphics may need to be added or edited on a daily basis. Digital signage software helps you to do the needful. If , for example, you are away for a holiday with your family in the Bahamas and your restaurant menu board in New York needs to be updated – this can easily be done through your computer .

Manage multiple menu board at different location

Manage multiple location

Another marvel of digital signage software. Multi-location menu boards of shops/stores/restaurants can be monitored by a single admin system. Assuming that you have done the modifications on the template saved in your computer, the single admin system updates the incremental change and uploads the same onto the display screen. Infact, Sign Menu’s “cloud based programme’ enables you to monitor & manage your multi-location digital screens without you even being physically present at the business sites.

No Hardware, No startup cost!

The best part of ditital signage technology is that it obviates the need for hardware. Or rather, it entails the use of minimum hardware – only by way a Digital signage screen or a Smart Tv. Therefore, you do not need to invest in a media player.

Run without internet access

Digittal signage technology entails essentially a computer and a digital screen. If for any reason the internet service blanks out temporarily, the digital screen will keep running and can be monitored by the computer. Alternatively, a pen drive or a memory stick can also light up the digital screen with as much glittering effect.