How to Use NFC Smart Signs for Your Business

NOVEMBER 24, 2020| SpeedPro Shawnee

NFC smart signs are one of the latest offerings from SpeedPro and are revolutionizing the way businesses connect the worlds of print and digital for their clients and customers. You can take advantage of this technology for your business in many ways.

WHAT IS NFC SMART SIGNAGE?

An NFC smart sign is named after the near-field communication (NFC) chip it contains. On the surface, these signs will look like any other sign. It could be a decal on a window, a small tabletop sign, or a large freestanding display. Whatever shape the sign takes, it will contain an NFC chip under the surface.

When a person holds their smartphone near the sign, the chip communicates with their phone to pull up an online landing page of your choice. For people with recently produced smartphones, this whole process requires no further assistance. Some older smartphones need an app for the user to communicate with NFC tags. When a phone is NFC-enabled, either through an app or automatically, holding the phone within about 4 inches of an NFC tag is all it takes to quickly pull up the programmed link.

BENEFITS OF NFC SIGNAGE

NFC signs offer some valuable advantages for businesses looking to expand their horizons when it comes to their signage. These signs:

• Merge your print and digital marketing efforts.
• Allow you to update or change the landing page whenever you want.
• Connect customers to a page quickly and automatically.
• Work in a completely touchless way.

All of these benefits make smart signage a major win for your business. You can expect to see more and more signs enabled with this type of touchless technology.

USES FOR NFC SMART SIGNS

So, how can you use smart signs for your business? There are limitless options for unlocking smart signs’ potential. Consider how you could use smart signs to make your business a more connected space and enhance your marketing efforts. Here are 10 NFC smart sign ideas for a variety of business types to get you started.

1. REAL ESTATE SIGNS

Imagine seeing a for sale sign in front of a home and then seeing you merely need to hold your phone near the sign, and you’ll automatically pull up helpful information about the property, including a virtual tour. Considering that 93% of home buyers consult online websites in their home search and 46% use yard signs to aid in their search, you can connect the two and engage interested buyers right away.

2. SELF-GUIDED TOURS

Museums, historic homes and similar locations can use NFC signs to engage and educate their visitors. You can still provide some information about exhibits on printed signs if you wish, but you can also encourage people to hold their phones up to the sign to connect to additional information online. These digital resources can go beyond text to include audio or video files, as well.

3. TOUCHLESS MENUS

Restaurants, coffee shops, and other establishments are discovering the value of touchless menus — especially as hygiene concerns have complicated the use of traditional menus. With touchless menus, there’s no need to print off stacks of disposable menus or continually sanitize laminated menus. Plus, you can update online menus regularly so menu items and pricing are always accurate. Touchless menus can also feature plenty of photos, nutrition information, and whatever else you want to include that is normally excluded from print menus for the sake of space.

4. CONFERENCE CHECK-INS AND INFO

NFC signs are also great for events. At a conference, you can use NFC signage to pull up registration or check-in pages online. You can also use NFC signs outside of various conference rooms so people can quickly pull up the schedule and sign up for various talks or panels if there is a cap on attendance. You can also link to any other pages attendees may find helpful, including restaurant or activity recommendations for out-of-town visitors.

5. TRADE SHOW MARKETING

Businesses use trade shows to reach new audiences, form new connections, promote new products, and more. Since your company’s booth has to compete with numerous booths around you — sometimes direct competitors in your industry — you need to embrace the most innovative ways of making your booth stand out. You can do that with smart signage. You could connect visitors to pages where they can watch product demos, read testimonials or enter contests.

6. PRODUCT INFO IN RETAIL STORES

Some products need a product demo to shine. If you’ve ever seen an infomercial on TV that made you realize you needed something you didn’t know existed just a few minutes ago, then you understand. This is why some stores incorporate digital signage into their stores that play product demos or other videos, like runway shows, that really sell a product. A great alternative to these screens is NFC signage that quickly connects people to videos online so they can learn more about your products.

7. WAYFINDING SIGNS IN MALLS AND COMPLEXES

Most wayfinding signs consist of directories, arrows, maps, and room labels. Since over two-thirds of smartphone users are already used to using their phones for navigation while driving, why not bring that same digital convenience into your facility? Rather than create a large printed map, you could use a smart sign that links shoppers to a virtual map, showing where they are and how to get to other areas in the mall or complex.

8. INFORMATIONAL SIGNAGE IN WAITING ROOMS

Healthcare facilities and other businesses that include waiting rooms often use this space to advertise relevant products or services to a captive audience. In an auto mechanic shop, it may be a particular brand of tires. In a dentist’s office, it may be a tooth whitening system. Rather than hoping a patient or customer will look into this product or service later, consider including an NFC chip so the person can learn more about it right then, right there on their phone.

9. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Any venue that hosts events, such as classes or concerts, can use touchless signage to keep people informed about upcoming events. Rather than printing off new posters and schedules for each week, month or season, you can use one sign that directs people to an online schedule of events. You can keep this schedule updated and even make it interactive if you want so people can purchase tickets or search for certain dates.

10. SOCIAL MEDIA CONNECTIONS

Any business or organization can use smart signs to connect people to their social media accounts. It’s one thing to tell someone to follow you on social media — it’s another to have an NFC chip pull up your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page right there on the customer’s phone with no effort needed. With 79% of Americans on social networking sites, connecting with more of your audience online can be a great way to promote your business and keep it top-of-mind for customers.

INTERACTIVE SIGNAGE DISPLAYS FROM SPEEDPRO

SpeedPro is leading the way with NFC smart signage and other forms of interactive, innovative displays. If you want to engage your audience in new ways, consider creating NFC signs that use one of the ideas above or capitalize on your own ideas for improving communication with your customers.