If you’ve recently created a digital tour guide app to enhance your on-site visitor journey, but you’re struggling with low adoption rates, it might be time to think strategically about your on-site signage and marketing.
Aside from newsletter announcements, social media posts, and other digital marketing avenues, on-site marketing is essential for increasing your app’s discoverability. Signage is one of the best ways to let visitors know about your app and give them an easy way to access it digitally.
Why Should You Have On-Site Signage?
Having a digital tour option is quickly becoming an essential element of a modern, seamless visitor experience. But in order to make that experience truly seamless, you’ll need to make sure that visitors can learn about and access your app.
Sites that have on-site marketing for their apps see a much larger adoption rate than those that do not. “One of our clients, the George Eastman Museum, had their app for years but saw a huge increase in usage once they implemented signage,” said Genevieve Hauck, Marketing Communications Manager at STQRY.
Visitors know that a digitally enhanced on-site tour can make their experience much more immersive, and they will take advantage of these digital tools if they can. They’ll respond to on-site signage to learn more about your site, which creates a deeper relationship and increases overall engagement.
Components of Effective On-Site Signage
The signs should have a few key elements to make sure the message is as clear and effective as possible for visitors. Arguably the most important element is a QR code linking to your app.
Whether you have a web app accessible from a browser, or a native app that users need to download, QR codes are an essential element of your on-site signage. They create that seamless, easy experience for your visitor with just a quick scan of their phone’s camera and a few taps.
Scanning a QR code is much easier than typing in a specific URL or searching for the app in the app store. The easier you can make this process for visitors, the better they will respond.
“We almost always see a huge uptick in web apps and website hits if the signage has a QR code because it takes visitors right to your app with just one tap,” said Josh Gilbert, Director of Customer Experience at STQRY.
Keep in mind that your visitors may not know what to do with a QR code, so your signage should also always have a clear call to action, whether that is a phrase such as, “Scan this code with your camera to use our app” or “Download our app in the app store! Scan now.” Making sure your call to action is clear also makes a huge difference in visitor engagement and satisfaction.
Aside from QR codes and prompts to download, your signs should also match your brand with the same colors, logos, fonts, etc. Customizing the signage to fit and flow well in your space will elicit a positive response from visitors as well. Adding a few extra pops of color or fun graphics to make it stand out can also work well. STQRY’s team can work directly with clients to customize their on-site signage.
Best On-Site Signage Placement
Aside from the signs themselves, you’ll also need to think about your strategy for placement on-site. You’ll want your signage in the most visible spot, which is usually the entrance. As visitors get acquainted with the space, they’ll immediately see this digital resource to help them through the experience.
You may also want to place smaller signs along the stops on your tour with prompts to use the app to encourage visitors. These can be customized to the stop, illustrating how the app can enhance that particular part of the experience.
If you have more of a gallery site than a tour, you can also set up additional signage at focal points throughout the gallery with prompts to find out more information about a particular piece. Essentially, “the more places people can see it, the more likely they are to download it,” said Gilbert.
Common Challenges
While an effective on-site marketing strategy is fairly easy to create with the right components and placement strategy, there are some minor challenges you may face that are worth mentioning.
“The biggest challenge we hear from clients is that they’re not sure if they have a right to place the signs. They figure that there will be some legal red tape to go through in order to get clearance to put up any signs,” said Gilbert.
This mostly applies to outdoor public displays, historic landmarks, or private residences, so if your site is not one of those, you shouldn’t see many (if any) other roadblocks. If your site falls under those categories, it might be worth taking the time to make sure you’re not in violation of any sort of legal code.
Pricing: What Should You Expect?
Effective on-site signage can be created with a modest budget. Depending on the size of the sign, most on-site signage can be created by STQRY for $49 per sign, with much larger signs priced at $200 per sign. These fees include both the design and any edits.
Remember to factor the installation of the signs into your budget, which may include some sort of stand or mounting device. You may also need to pay for maintenance of the sign as time goes on, especially in outdoor conditions.
If you want to place signs along the tour at different stops, or at different pieces within your gallery setting, you’ll also need to pay for multiple signs. Additionally, if your site has multiple entrances, you’ll want a sign at each location to make sure all of your visitors are aware of your app.
Simple Strategy, Major Impact
Make sure your visitors are getting the full experience of your space by integrating on-site signage telling people about your digital app. This simple addition to your marketing strategy can make a huge difference in adoption rates and visitor satisfaction.
Looking to enhance your on-site marketing strategy? Contact us!