Anywhere you go these days, you can be assured of one thing—you will see a screen. From TVs to computers to the astonishingly widespread smart phone, increasingly interactive screens are an expected part of our everyday lives. Even in a social setting, nearly everyone in a given group will be holding that lifeline of modern social media—the smart phone.
Business owners who keep up with trends will notice the ubiquitous nature of touch-screen technology, and that it is making the leap from smart phones and tablets to larger, interactive displays everywhere from airports to museums to your local technology retailer. Soon, all brick-and-mortar stores will be expected to incorporate multi touch kiosk technology as part of their customer attraction and interaction strategy.
What are the potential advantages of multi-touch kiosk technology? There are five main highlights: a familiar interface, customization of the shopping experience, durability of the display, division of labor between “man and machine,” and engagement with a continuous brand.
Intuitive Interaction
The universality of touch-screen technology means that you do not need to redesign the wheel. Customers are familiar with touching the screen to start, swiping to change screens, and other gestures such as pinching to zoom or icon tapping.
Individualize to the Consumer
A static display or a video playing on a loop means that the shopper will have to see products that may or may not fit his or her goals. Offering an interactive display with a menu, allows the user, instead, to go exactly to the product he or she needs, and to expand upon ideas within the scope of that product.
Stand up to the Elements
Multi-touch displays have strong glass screens that allow for technology to be placed in multiple places, at various angles and heights, and there are no moving parts to maintain. Unlike old school computer kiosks, which required keyboards and mice, and, therefore, there were more parts that could break and require maintenance, the glass display screen requires only cleaning. Screens can even be placed in environments traditionally not considered fit for technology, such as places where they might get food or water on them.
Help Your Salespeople
While face-to-face interaction is always the goal for brick-and-mortar retailers, this may not be possible or practical on a busy evening. Imagine touch screens that can answer questions, highlight features, and even offer customization options to your browsing customer while your salesperson is occupied with another customer. This kind of multimedia approach is the future of sales.
Continued Brand Experience
By providing a smart screen kiosk for the customer to interact with, you, as a retailer, are creating a seamless transition from the online experience to the physical consumer exchange. Potential customers can compare prices on their home laptops, continue looking for store locations on their smart phones, and end up in your store with every expectation of an innovative, intuitive touch screen to complete their retail experience.
Multi-touch kiosk technology is the advertising tool of the future. Retailers would be smart to get ahead of the curve and start investing in this powerful, persuasive tool.
