Digital menu boards for restaurants have become a popular choice for looking to enhance the customer experience, streamline operations, and increase sales. But does it really matter that much? And if so, how do you make it work? 

Digital Menu Board Design: Why Care?

Investing in the design of digital menu boards is essential for modern businesses looking to enhance customer experience and drive sales. High-quality visuals and dynamic content not only make your offerings more appealing but also allow for quick updates and promotions, ensuring that your menu is always current and enticing. An effective digital menu board can reduce perceived wait times and improve operational efficiency by providing clear, organized information. In an increasingly competitive market, the right design can set your business apart, making digital menu boards a crucial element of your overall marketing and customer engagement strategy.

How to Design a Great Digital Menu Board for Restaurants

Designing an effective digital menu board for your restaurant involves more than just displaying your menu items on a screen. It requires a thoughtful approach that considers aesthetics, functionality, and customer engagement.  This guide will walk you through the essential steps to design a digital menu board that enhances the dining experience, promotes your offerings, and boosts sales.

Understand Your Audience and Goals

Before designing a digital menu board, it’s important to understand your audience and goals. Consider the following questions:

• Who are your target customers?
• What are their preferences and dining habits?
• What do you want to achieve with your digital menu board (e.g., increase sales, promote specials, enhance brand image)?

By understanding your audience and goals, you can tailor the design of your menu board to meet their needs and achieve your objectives.

Focus on Readability and Clarity

One of the most important aspects of a digital menu board is readability. Customers should be able to quickly and easily read the menu items and prices. Here are some tips for ensuring readability and clarity:

• Simple Layout: Use a simple and clean layout that organises menu items logically. Avoid clutter and ensure that there is enough white space between items.
• Legible Fonts: Use large, legible fonts that are easy to read from a distance. Sans-serif fonts are generally more readable on digital screens.
• High Contrast: Ensure that there is a high contrast between the text and background to enhance readability. Use dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background.
• Consistent Formatting: Use consistent formatting for menu items, descriptions, and prices. This helps customers quickly find the information they need.

Use High-Quality Images and Videos

High-quality images and videos can enhance the visual appeal of your digital menu board and entice customers to make a purchase. Here are some tips for using visuals effectively:

• Mouth-Watering Photos: Use high-resolution photos of your dishes that showcase their appetising qualities. Ensure that the images are well-lit and accurately represent the food.
• Dynamic Videos: Incorporate short videos that highlight the preparation process, ingredients, or special promotions. Videos can capture attention and provide a more immersive experience.
• Image Placement: Strategically place images next to the corresponding menu items to create a visual connection. Avoid overloading the screen with too many images, which can be distracting.

Highlight Specials and Promotions

Digital menu boards offer the flexibility to highlight specials and promotions in real-time. Use this feature to your advantage by showcasing limited-time offers, combo deals, and seasonal items. Consider the following strategies:

• Call to Action: Use eye-catching graphics and text to draw attention to specials and promotions. Phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Chef’s Special” can create a sense of urgency.
• Rotating Content: Rotate promotional content to keep the menu board dynamic and engaging. This can help capture the attention of repeat customers who may have become accustomed to the static menu.
• Time-Sensitive Promotions: Schedule promotions to appear at specific times of the day, such as breakfast specials in the morning or happy hour deals in the evening.

Incorporate Branding Elements

Consistent branding is essential for reinforcing your restaurant’s identity and creating a cohesive customer experience. Ensure that your digital menu board reflects your brand’s personality and style:

• Brand colours and Fonts: Use your brand’s colours and fonts consistently throughout the menu board. This helps create a unified look and feel.
• Logo and Tagline: Include your logo and tagline prominently on the menu board. This reinforces brand recognition and recall.
• Design Elements: Incorporate design elements that align with your brand’s theme, such as icons, patterns, and borders. These elements should complement the overall design without overwhelming the content.

Ensure Flexibility and Ease of Updates

One of the key advantages of digital menu boards is the ability to update content quickly and easily. Ensure that your menu board design allows for flexibility and easy updates:

• Content Management System: Use a user-friendly content management system (CMS) that allows you to make updates in real-time. This is particularly important for changing prices, adding new items, or updating promotions.
• Template-Based Design: Create template-based designs that can be easily modified without starting from scratch. This saves time and ensures consistency across different screens.
• Remote Access: Ensure that the CMS can be accessed remotely, allowing you to make updates from any location. This is especially useful for multi-location restaurants.

Test and Optimise

Once your digital menu board is designed and implemented, it’s important to test and optimise its performance. Gather feedback from customers and staff to identify areas for improvement. Consider the following steps:

• Customer Feedback: Ask customers for their opinions on the readability, layout, and visual appeal of the menu board. Use surveys or feedback forms to gather insights.
• Performance Metrics: Monitor key performance metrics, such as sales of promoted items, average order value, and customer dwell time. Use this data to assess the effectiveness of your menu board.
• Continuous Improvement: Based on feedback and performance data, make necessary adjustments to the design, content, and layout of your menu board. Continuous improvement ensures that your menu board remains effective and engaging.

Final Thoughts

Designing an eye-catching and effective digital menu board requires a combination of understanding your audience, focusing on readability, using high-quality visuals, highlighting promotions, incorporating branding elements, ensuring flexibility, and continuously optimising. By following these best practices, you can create a digital menu board that enhances the customer experience, drives sales, and reinforces your restaurant’s brand.