Digital Signage: Improving the hotel guest experience

by all | 5 April 2017 10:30 am

By Peter Saunders
Today’s hotel guests are familiar with digital signage. Indeed, it can be found nearly everywhere in hospitality facilities, as it has proven an effective method for providing property and regional information to customers. And in some cases, thanks to digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising, it can even be a profit centre.

Some hotel operators, however, still wonder if the medium is doing its job. With that in mind, the following are three tips for improving hotel digital signage and adding value to the guests’ experience.

1. Proper placement
For digital signage to be effective—whether it is displaying property details, promotions, regional events, maps or wayfinding information—it needs to be installed in a high-traffic area. One ideal place is near the front desk, where guests will see it when they check in. Other spaces with a captive audience include elevator lobbies, information desks and concierge stations.

To check whether or not guests will see the messaging, it is a good idea beforehand to take a day to watch how they flow through the hotel. This will help reveal the best places to display content.

2. Invite interaction
Hotel guests want to customize their experience. Digital signage content should allow them to do so in terms of both wayfinding and planning their stay. Touch screens are perfect for this purpose. They can draw guests in and let them obtain only the information that is important and relevant to them.

A well-designed digital sign layout is easy to understand, so guests can quickly find what they need. Additionally, the format and colours should complement the property’s brand standards and interior design, creating a harmonious experience rather than sticking out in a negative way.

3. Keep adding value
Relevant, up-to-date content is key to driving engagement. It is worthwhile to take time to develop interesting, timely information that is relevant to guests’ activities. When they are fully engaged, after all, they will be more open to promotional content and local ads.

Examples of timely and relevant content can range from the hotel’s own meeting room and event schedules to real-time flight information from nearby airports, complemented by traffic reports and weather forecasts. It may even be possible to offer airplane boarding pass printing via interactive kiosk.

Optimized digital signage is a win-win for hotel managers and guests alike. When done right, it can speak to users’ interests and anticipate their needs. And a guest who sees value in the displayed content is all the more likely to act upon marketing and promotional offers, to the benefit of the hotel.

With files from Flyte Systems. For more information, visit www.flytesystems.com[2].

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/digital-signage-improving-the-hotel-guest-experience/

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