5 Examples of Digital Signage for Auto Repair Shops
Why do some people choose one auto repair shop over another? Sure, prices differ from one auto repair shop to another. Distance and convenience are also other factors. However, the major difference between auto repair shops is the experience that they provide to their customers.
There are many factors that contribute to a successful auto repair shop. Skilled technicians, a clean facility, and friendly staff are some of the basic components that lead to success. But the need to stand out from the competition means that you need to go beyond the basics.
One of the best ways to make your auto repair shop stand out from the competition is by integrating digital signage into your marketing campaigns and as a way to improve customer experience and upsell products. Digital signage is becoming a must for successful businesses from all industries, and auto repair shops are no exception.
In this article we will go over some of the basics of digital signage, such as explaining what digital signage is and what is needed for your business to get a digital signage system set up. Then we will go over 5 tried and true methods for successful digital signage for auto repair shops, so you can start taking advantage of this versatile technology as soon as possible.
What is Digital Signage?
Digital signage refers to the use of digital displays, such as televisions, LED walls, and tablets, in conjunction with a digital signage solution, such as a digital signage media player, to display content on those screens.
One of the best things about digital signage is that the type of content that you can display is highly dynamic. Some examples of the type of content that you can display with digital signage are images, text, videos, social media feeds, animations, apps, digital menu boards, directions, interactive displays, and much more.
Just the sheer amount of versatility of this technology should start the wheels turning in your mind. Digital signage can be used for marketing, entertainment, dissemination of important information, and much else.
Steps for Integrating a Digital Signage System
The first step in integrating digital signage into your business is to purchase digital signage displays. These can include televisions, LED displays, tablets, smartphones, and even billboards. Different digital signage displays can be put the use for different purposes, and you will often want to have multiple types of digital screens to best fit your needs.
The next step is to get a digital signage solution. Digital signage solutions are generally divided into two types: cloud-based digital signage and hardware-based digital signage solutions. You will want to choose between the two depending on your needs.
Cloud-based digital signage solutions mean that you will use an off-base server to do tasks like digital signage content management, content creation, and content display through internet and wifi connectivity. With cloud-based digital signage solutions, companies offering this type of service will typically charge a monthly or yearly fee for use of their servers and software.
With hardware-based digital signage solutions, you will do everything on base. You will typically get a digital signage media player, along with the digital signage software and templates needed for content management, content creation, playlist curation, and display through HDMI cords or USB connections connected to your digital screens.
Many businesses prefer hardware-based digital signage solutions because you will usually only need to pay an upfront cost. One of the best options, however, is the digital signage solution offered by Loop TV because you get a high-quality hardware-based digital signage solution absolutely for free!
Another accessory that you will most likely want for your digital signage system is a wall mount for your digital display. Mounting your digital screens to the wall makes sure that your content is easily visible to customers. Moreover, mounted digital signage saves valuable floor space, and typically, looks more professional than digital signage screens on the floor.
Once you have these three pieces, you should be ready to get your digital signage system all set up.
Benefits of Digital Signage
1. Inexpensive Content Creation
Digital signage is far cheaper than traditional print, which means your marketing budget stretches much further.
You don’t require the economies of scale that print needs. One person can easily create a digital campaign, there is no need for print design, print production, distribution, and installation as well as the added hassle of disposal of print in a sustainable way.
Digital signage is also the perfect long-term advertising solution, digital displays can change content within seconds, without going through the whole printing process again and again.
2. Short Lead Times
Traditional marketing involves the design, print, distribution, and installation. You could easily be looking at 6 weeks from concept to launch. The same creative ideas can be in front of your customers in just minutes using digital signage at a fraction of the cost.
3. Change Messages Depending on Time and Day
Digital Signage gives you the ability to change your messages depending on the time of the day and the days of the week. If you think that a marketing idea might appeal to people in the morning while others might be more appealing in the afternoon, it is easy to set up your digital signage playlist so that you can change the messaging depending on these time differentials.
4. Digital Signs Increase Sales
With vibrant images and video plus target messages, the dwell time of digital signs is significantly longer than posters or other printed POS. High-quality graphics and state of art videos are going to catch customers’ attention and stay in their long-term memory As a result, their use can lead to an increase in direct sales.
5. Engage with Your Customers
Digital signage can be interactive especially when you use the latest touch screen displays. Ideas are endless. Surveys covering customer service or the latest products. Data collection campaigns use a sign-up form that sends customers a discount code. Interactive videos and quizzes can also be a great way to grab customers’ attention.
6. Enables Cross-Channel Marketing
Digital marketing on social media channels and online advertising can be tied in with your in-store digital screens using the same or modified creative material so that you are projecting a unified message. Digital screens can reinforce your online message providing familiarity to shoppers when they are in store thus building your brand.
7. Test Your Marketing Ideas Quickly
Digital screens can allow you to be more adventurous with your marketing message without committing a sizeable chunk of your budget. Because you can put up and take down different ads at the click of a button, you can be extremely effective in testing which marketing messages work best. Over time, you can hone your digital screen marketing strategy accordingly.
5 Examples of Digital Signage for Auto Repair Shops
Now that we have gone over some of the general benefits of digital signage for your auto repair business, we can move on to 5 concrete digital signage ideas that you can employ in your store to take advantage of these benefits.
1. Auto Repair Digital Menu Board
When a customer walks into your store, they may have just a general idea of what they want to be done with their car. They may be experiencing problems with the car or are simply coming into the store for a check-up.
The fact is, many people do not know about what it takes for car maintenance, and people are also often wary of suggestions of what should be done to their car because they do not want to feel pressured into making choices that they know little about.
This is why an auto-repair digital menu board can be so beneficial for an auto repair business. Customers can walk into your shop and be drawn to the digital menu board which lists the different services your business offers along with the estimated price. People will often see things that sound good and ask your customer representative about them.
This is a great way to upsell products and services. People will see the services that you offer and take the first step towards purchasing these services, rather than being told about them without asking.
Moreover, digital menu boards are great for reducing perceived wait times. No one likes to wait in line. This is as true for restaurants as it is for auto-repair shops. People have busy lives, and they don’t like to take more time in a store than they need to, especially if they are dealing with something as important as the functionality of their mode of transportation.
With digital menu boards, you can use eye-catching visuals to entertain your customers while they wait in line, and when people are entertained or interested, time seems to go by a lot faster. Reducing perceived wait times is a great way to improve the customer experience.
2. Inform Your Customers
Many people wish that they knew more about car mechanics, and this is never more true than when someone comes to an auto repair shop to get their car fixed. People know there is a problem, but when it comes to fixing this problem, they might as well be reading a book in a different language.
One of the ways that you can improve the customer experience and inform your customers is by using interactive digital signage screens that your customers can use by themselves to learn about what is being done to their car. Most people have had the experience of being told what will be done with their car and simply not understanding a word of the explanation. Words just aren’t enough when it comes to something as complicated as a car.
With an interactive screen or digital signage kiosk, your customers can click on content that relates to their car and be shown animated or video descriptions of what is going on with their car or what pieces are needed to fox it. This can be highly entertaining and increase the amount of trust a customer has with your business, ultimately helping to create a base of loyal customers.
3. Display Entertaining Content on Your Screens
When people come to an auto repair shop, they are often required to wait for extended periods of time. This is especially the case if their only mode of transport is the car that they have come to your shop to get fixed. This is why it is so important to keep your customers comfortable and entertained if they do not want to view the whole interaction with your business in a negative light.
Some ways to keep customers comfortable is by making coffee and tea machines available, as well as small snacks. People often don’t know how long they are going to be in your shop, and so they don’t come with the necessities for keeping themselves comfortable.
Another great way of improving the customer experience is by showing engaging content on your screens while providing comfortable sitting areas. You can display music videos or sports and much else. When you get a digital signage solution with Loop TV, you get a digital signage media player loaded with tons of entertaining content that you can choose from to entertain your customers.
4. Highlight Promotions
A great way to boost business is by getting your customers to take advantage of any promotions that your business is offering. Many people won’t know about these promotions, and for that reason, they won’t even ask about them. Even if they are told about the promotion from your customer service representative, they may just let the information go in one ear and out the other.
However, if you highlight your promotions on digital screens, then these displays will catch the attention of your customers and will often lead to more people taking advantage of your promotions, such as loyalty cards, sales, and more.
5. Increase Foot Traffic with Eye-Catching Displays
Much of what we have talked about has to do with digital signage inside of your store, but there is one other example that must be mentioned. Digital signage is an incredible way to get the attention of people who are passing by. With the ability to use such a diverse and dynamic variety of content, you can be sure to get more people interested in your business. Certainly much more than if you only have a static sign.
Level Up Your Business with Digital Signage
Digital signage is such a versatile and effective tool that can benefit an auto repair shop in so many ways. It can improve marketing, both in-store and out-of-store, and greatly improve the customer experience, leading customers to come back time and again.
Choosing the right digital signage solution for your business is essential for the success of your digital signage campaigns and integrations, and that's why it is important to go with a trustworthy and highly functional solution like Loop TV.