Cost/Benefit of Owning a Digital LED Sign

Running a business requires time, energy and many skills – from bookkeeping and inventory to personnel management and customer relations. All that while keeping a close eye on the bottom line. So how can you justify purchasing an LED sign for your business?

The answer is simple. The benefits far outweigh the cost.

We want to drive people in. You can spend all the money you want on TV advertising or radio advertising, but there’s nothing better than at the point of sale. It’s based on impulse. People don’t know we have homemade ranch or some of the other food items. They’re on our menu, but it’s not out there for them to see. 
Tim LeFevre, Dairy Queen, Vienna, WV

It’s necessary for virtually every business to invest in some kind of signage. After all, you have to let people know how to find you. A static sign can do that just fine. That’s about it though.

A dynamic digital LED sign identifies your business location, too. But it is also an effective advertising medium. It does more than say “Here I am.” With a digital sign, you can advertise sales, highlight products, promote good will within your community and even advertise employment opportunities. You can keep the content fresh with community messaging, product images, weather updates and so much more.

A digital sign can also be an integral part of your multi-channel marketing campaign. Whether you prefer to push promotions on sale on social media, putting ads in the local paper, or if you’re a regular advertiser on the local TV and radio news, your LED display can amplify your advertising efforts.

You can just do more with a digital sign.

We hesitated for seven years to do this. I’d tell people who were considering it to just do it. The expense scares people but it’s already worth it to us. It’s fun and easy to use.
Tyler Thuringer, County Fair Food Store, Watertown, SD

But is it really worth the cost?

The short answer is YES. The thing is, the actual cost of your sign is in direct correlation with the sign you purchase. For example, a sign with a higher pixel pitch – or resolution – costs more. But if that’s the sign you need to communicate with people close up, or to clearly show your products, then it’s absolutely justified.

Both stores saw fantastic increases in sales. However, the one with the Daktronics board outpaced the location without an LED sign by double digits—5-10% more product movement. I have budgeted the other 3 stores to have installations for next year. If anyone has a need for those plastic panel numbers and letters that are put up with suction cups, they are welcome to mine – they are seeing their last days.
Dave Kirkhuff, McDonalds, St. Louis, MO

Also, how big do you need your sign to be? More square footage is a upfront higher cost. What sort of structure is it? A custom sign structure may be worth it, or you might want to keep it simple. It all depends on your business, your customers and your location.

It’s worth a conversation with your sign company or a Daktronics rep.

Daktronics also offers financing. Below are two examples of how you can make it work – one a small, low-resolution sign and one large, high-resolution sign.

Consider including your sign payments in your existing advertising budget. A digital LED sign brings in customers at the point of sale, so you could spend less on other ad media and apply those funds toward your lease payment.

To learn more about financing, see our Daktronics Finance Solutions brochure.

Daktronics provides more bang for your buck – for many years

If you start looking into digital signage, be sure you’re comparing apples to apples. We don’t claim that Daktronics will have the lowest upfront price tag, but you can expect your sign to look amazing for 10 years or more. We pride ourselves on providing customers with service, reliability, and unequaled support.

“Our commitment is to support the product for at least 10 years, and that includes parts even during the supply chain difficulties of today,” says Kelly Koenig, Daktronics regional manager. “From a performance standpoint, Daktronics has best image quality for that product lifetime. Most signs look good when they’re initially installed, but image quality degrades over time. Daktronics has tested and built our digital signs to last and look good much longer than most.”

Our customers will tell you that a Daktronics sign is a wise investment for businesses that plan to be around for many years.

The Daktronics board is higher quality than the competition. It’s a higher quality product and a better display.
Shane Copeland, 12^th Street Auto Care Center, Sioux Falls, SD

See if digital is right for you

If you’re ready to learn more, check out the many options available for your business.

Don’t forget, once you purchase your digital sign, Daktronics can supply you with professionally created content, or provide guidelines to help you or your staff create effective content that pops.

Let’s keep the conversation going!