Recently, one of the things that have come to completely revolutionize how businesses project their offers to customers, especially in the food and beverage sector, is the invention of digital menu boards. These powerful, dynamic, and engaging displays replace traditional static menus, hence offering features such as real-time updates and eye-catching visuals, besides increased customer engagement. But probably one of the most frequent questions is: “What is the price of digital menu boards?” This blog will explore the numerous factors that come into play with the cost of digital menu boards, allowing you to make an informed decision for your business.
Factors Influencing the Price of Digital Menu Boards
- Hardware Costs
The hardware is one of the biggest costs to be invested in while setting up a digital menu board. It includes display screens, media players, mounting equipment, and any peripherals if necessary.
- Display Screens: Size, resolution, and type of display screens (LCD, LED, or OLED) make a significant difference in the cost. Higher-resolution screens and bigger ones are costlier as well, not to mention extra-advanced display technologies (such as OLED).
- Media Players: The media players hold and play the digital content on the screens. Their cost may differ according to their performance, storage capacity, and features available.
- Mounting Equipment: The mount type can be wall, ceiling, or stand. Also, its quality has to be added to the total cost.
- Software Costs
Among the significant factors in the cost for digital menu boards is software used to manage and display content on the boards. The price of such software includes the initial buying price and any subscription fees charged for subsequent use.
- Content Management System (CMS): A powerful CMS will facilitate updates of the contents, scheduling, and customization. The cost may differ depending on available features and the number of screens it can support.
- Subscription Fees: Either a monthly or annually charged subscription by CMS vendors that increases the overall expenditure over time.
- Installation Costs
Installation by professionals provides the right setup for the digital menu boards and operational excellence. The costs of installation may differ according to the layout complexity, the number of screens installed, and location.
- Content Creation
One of the most essential criteria to derive optimum value from digital menu boards is good quality content. The cost in this regard might be in terms of graphic designers, videographers, or buying pre-made templates or assets.
- Maintenance and Support
In order for the digital menu boards to run seamlessly, there is a need for ongoing maintenance and support. Some of the means toward this would include software updating, repair of hardware, as well as the provision of technical support.
- Additional Features
Some other features involved are the ability for touchscreens, interactivity, and integration with point-of-sale systems. These advanced features enhance customer experience but come at an additional cost.
Breakdown of Costs
To get a better sense, let’s lay out the likely expenses involved in the installation of a digital menu board:
- Display Screens: $300 to $2,500 per screen based on size and quality.
- Media Players: $100 to $500 per player.
- Mounting Equipment: $50 to $300 per mount.
- Content Management Software: Ranges from $10 to $50 per screen per month for a service subscription-based model, or a one-time fee ranging from $200 to $1,000 for a perpetual license.
- Installation: Ranging from $200 to $1,000, depending on complexity.
- Content Creation: The range is from $500 to $5,000 for initial development.
- Maintenance and Support: From $100 to $500 per year.
Case Study: Small Café
To illustrate the total cost, let’s consider a small café that would like to install two digital menu boards.
- Hardware: Two 40-inch LED screens ($600 each) + two media players ($150 each) + two wall mounts ($100 each) = $1,700.
- Software: CMS subscription for two screens ($30 per screen per month) = $720 per year.
- Installation: $500.
- Content Creation: $1,000 for initial content.
- Maintenance and Support: $200 per year.
Total Initial Cost: $1,700 (hardware) + $500 (installation) + $1,000 (content creation) = $3,200. Ongoing Annual Cost: $720 (software) + $200 (maintenance) = $920 per year.
Cost-Saving Tips
- Bundle Deals: Some vendors offer special deals if you are buying more than one screen or hardware and software bundle deals.
- DIY Installation: When the skill is there, one can carry out the digital menu board installation by themselves at no extra cost for installation.
- In-house Content Creation: Making content in-house with inexpensive or free design tools can cut down the cost of making content.
- Choosing the Right CMS: Select a CMS with just essential features needed—no unnecessary features just inflating the cost.
Conclusion
The cost of deploying digital menu boards will have a wide variety of factors related to it, including hardware, software, installation, content creation, and maintenance, among others. Understanding these costs and ways to squeeze more from your investment will put you in the right position when deploying digital menu boards so they can help in improving customer experiences and operational efficiency in your business. Whether you run a small cafe or a large restaurant chain, digital menu boards come handy with modern and flexible solutions to meet your needs for the display of your menus.
