Digital Outdoor Menu Boards for the Drive Thru | How Much Do They Cost?
The cost of digital outdoor menu boards is subjective because there are so many variables to consider. Every drive thru digital signage installation is unique... Therefore, it's not a question of how much it will cost, it's a question of how much you're willing to pay.
You can buy a drive thru digital signage network on the cheap and get burned… Then again, you can pay a premium for digital outdoor menu boards with all the latest tech and still get burned. This is usually the result of being sold an over-engineered solution that you didn't ask for or never needed.
A cheap outdoor digital signage network for your drive thru lane can cost as little as a few hundred pounds. However, you will be paying to replace screens, media players and additional hardware frequently, incurring huge costs that will hit your bottom line and any potential return on investment (ROI).
At the opposite end of the scale, high-spec drive thru digital signage networks can run into the hundreds of thousands of pounds. There's a temptation to add components you don't necessarily need, based on the recommendation of 'experts'.
If you're willing to pay for it, suppliers will oblige, and it will be years before you see any significant ROI because you will still be covering the cost of your initial outlay.
What's a 'Good Price' for Digital Outdoor Menu Boards for the Drive Thru?
Price is wholly dependent on the type of solution and the provider you select for your project. There are two ways to approach the installation of digital outdoor menu boards:
- The fully integrated solution, which incorporates a screen, a media player and outdoor protection as a complete unit - meaning each piece of hardware does not operate independently, everything is built in to create one system.
- The flexible solution, which comprises a screen (of your choosing), a media player and an outdoor digital signage enclosure, with each piece of hardware operating independently of each other.
What's the difference in price? In terms of the initial investment, very little. Integrated solutions can start from anywhere between £2,000 and £5,000 per system, as can flexible solutions. However, it's the long-term price tag you have to pay attention to, and a little bit of research will highlight a massive difference.
Integrated solutions will cost you more, and here's why…. Should any part of a dedicated outdoor digital signage network fail - whether it's the screen, media player or the protective case - you would need to replace the entire system. Potentially, you could find yourself forking out another £2,000 - £5,000 per screen.
Even the cost of repair would set you back as it's likely that a specialist engineer would have to come out to rectify any issues. On top of all this, you will probably incur costs for extended warranties and necessary software upgrades.
In contrast, flexible solutions give you the freedom to replace individual hardware components at a much lower cost. For instance, if the screen fails you simply replace it yourself, and the same goes for the media player etc...
Your Supplier Plays a Big Part in Determining the Price You Pay
Ultimately, the true cost of digital outdoor menu boards comes down to your supplier. Either you select a provider that sells you what they think you want or you select a supplier who works with you to give you what you need.
For help getting started with digital outdoor menu board installation at the drive thru, download our exclusive eBook, which takes you through the basics...
