You may find that there are a lot of options and specifications to consider when you are looking for an outdoor kiosk. This can be overwhelming as you may not know what exactly you should be on the lookout for. That’s why we’ve put together this guide, from all the frequently asked questions and stumbling blocks that we have found customers to experience, to help guide you toward finding the right solution for your needs.
If you have a specific question or are already looking to implement an outdoor kiosk, contact our team today and we’ll offer you expert guidance.
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What are the benefits of an outdoor kiosk?
What to look for in an outdoor kiosk?
How much does an outdoor kiosk cost?
What is an outdoor kiosk?
An outdoor kiosk is a digital display placed in an enclosure that is used to present your digital signage. These kiosks can be single or double-sided depending on your requirements, however, a double-sided outdoor kiosk would provide you with the maximum reach. Whichever you choose, you’ll be able to reach potential customers who are outside of your store, something indoor signage cannot do.
As mentioned, these kiosks are to be placed outside of your building and can be installed where you like. However, if your kiosk is not on your land you will need to get permission from the land owner or, if it is in a public space, the local government.
Outdoor kiosks offer a great deal of flexibility when it comes to the content you can display. Videos, images and animations can all be shown on the digital screen.
A wide variety of industries use outdoor kiosks to communicate with customers and promote their brand, including:
- Shopping malls
- Retail stores
- Universities
- Transport hubs
- Tourism information points
What are the benefits of an outdoor kiosk?
Increased customer engagement
Some outdoor kiosks come with PCAP touch screens which allow customers to interact with your signage. For example, your outdoor kiosk could have information about your different products. With a touch screen, your customers could select the product that interests them and learn about it without even having to enter your store.
Smart city and tourism kiosks which offer business directories and wayfinding features also make use of the touchscreen and encourage more customer engagement. If a visitor is unsure how to navigate your city or find a particular restaurant for example, then they can simply tap the location they are looking for and then be presented with a route. This provides a positive experience for your visitors as they will be able to find exactly where they want to go by themselves.
Another particularly effective way to utilise the interactive elements of an outdoor kiosk and increase customer engagement is to gamify your signage. Adding a basic game with a leaderboard will grab the attention of your customers and encourage them to return to try and beat the high score. All the while you are able to promote your brand with logos and imagery.
Non-stop signage
Outdoor kiosks are designed to run 24/7 with no downtime. This really helps you to take advantage of the wider reach that outdoor displays can achieve over indoor alternatives. Not only will you be able to promote your brand and products during your store’s opening hours but also long after it has closed for the day.
For example, many retail stores operate between 9 AM and 5 PM. Before and after these times indoor signage is much less effective, however, outdoor signage is still able to clearly reach anyone passing by.
With this, you can provide constant reminders of your brand to customers walking past your kiosk and encourage them to come back to your store when it’s open or make a digital purchase.
Flexible usage
Outdoor kiosks can be used for a wide range of different purposes including:
- Advertising
- Wayfinding
- Information points
The digital screen can display a variety of different content, such as videos and maps, which allows you to tailor your content for exactly what you need the kiosk to be.
A retail store in a highly-populated shopping area could use their kiosk to provide customers with a route to their store. City councils and local governments also use wayfinding on outdoor kiosks to provide help points for tourists and help them navigate the area.
Making use of the touchscreen, particularly for wayfinding and information points, can make them even more effective as your customers can quickly and easily tap on the information or location they wish to visit and then be instantly provided with what they need.
Learn more about the benefits of outdoor kiosks in this blog post.
What to look for in an outdoor kiosk?
IP rating
IP ratings (Ingress Protection) show the effectiveness of the enclosure of an electrical device, such as an outdoor kiosk, in blocking dust, moisture and liquids from entering. The first number reflects how well the enclosure prevents solids (e.g. dust) from getting into the device. The second number refers to liquid protection.
For an outdoor kiosk which will be open to all weather, it is important to have a good IP rating. IP 55 and IP 66 would provide you with good dust protection as well as solid protection against water. This would give you a kiosk that is weatherproof and capable of operating in an outdoor environment.
Brightness
Due to the levels of sunlight your kiosk will be under, it’s important to have a display with high-brightness capabilities. Brightness is what helps to counteract the light shining on your screen, as well as glare, to keep the content on your kiosk clear and readable.
It is recommended that you get an outdoor kiosk with at least 2000 nits of brightness to ensure that your audience has no trouble reading and interacting with your signage.
Digital signage platform
A digital signage platform will allow you to get the most out of your outdoor kiosk and allow it to be as effective as possible at communicating with your audience. It will allow you to have greater control over your content and make instant changes to your display.
PeakSignage gives you the power to make these adjustments from anywhere on any device with a modern browser. If you have a new logo and want to add that to the content shown on your kiosk, you can do this at home on your PC. Once you’ve made your edits, your kiosk will immediately update to show the new version of your content, with no downtime required.
For outdoor kiosks being used to help tourists in your city or as a smart city solution, LamasaTech has software for these. Wayfinding, local directories and local business promotion are all available with our solutions.
Contact us today and tell us about your smart city or tourism kiosk project.
Installation location
This is a very important consideration you should take into account when arranging your outdoor kiosk project. The ideal location will be flat, solid ground, as this will make installation easier and ensure that your kiosk is stable.
You’ll also need to power your kiosk. As it will likely be placed too far away from a power outlet your kiosk will be wired to the power during the installation process. An advantage of this is that it makes cable management much easier, as all the cables will be underground.
Another location-based consideration you’ll need to think about with outdoor kiosk projects is the permits and regulations of your local authorities. If your kiosk is going to be placed on public land, for example, if you are a retail store placing a kiosk on a town’s high street, you’ll need permission from the local council.
This means before you start installing your kiosk, you’ll need to contact the owner of the land. In most cases, this will be the local government and you’ll need to request permission to do so. If they provide you with the necessary permits, you’ll be able to go ahead with your project.
Use case
As mentioned above, you can use outdoor kiosks for a variety of purposes. This will help you determine what sort of kiosk you’ll need and any specific features.
For example, you may want your kiosk to provide a range of information including wayfinding and local business details as well as microphones and speakers for emergency calls. On top of this, you might want to offer more accessibility for those using wheelchairs. This would mean you’ll need a smart city kiosk with an additional side screen that provides low-level accessibility.
On the other hand, you may only want your outdoor kiosk to display your signage. In this case, you won’t need additional features such as a smaller side screen or microphone.
You’ll also need to consider if you are choosing a touchscreen option. If you do, then you should make sure that it follows ADA compliance to ensure that the interactive controls are accessible for those in wheelchairs.
Support
You will want to consider what support options your installer provides. You’ll want to go with a provider who offers assistance in the event of issues or if you have any questions.
At LamasaTech, we provide our outdoor kiosks with a standard 3-year warranty for your peace of mind. Along with this, you’ll have lifetime ticketing support so you can reach out to our expert support team to receive help and guidance at any time.
How do outdoor kiosks work?
Once your kiosk is installed, you can learn about this process in this post, you’ll be ready to start displaying your content. LamasaTech kiosks offer plug-and-play capabilities, meaning all you need to do to get your device up and running is connect it to the power and install your content via a USB drive. Our devices come with a built-in Android player which will be what runs your applications. This means you should keep in mind that any application you’d like to install would need to be compatible with the Android operating system.
You could also use a digital signage platform like mentioned above. This will allow you to schedule content and make adjustments remotely. You’ll then have no downtime at all when changing between different content as the display updates instantly. Our digital signage platform, PeakSignage is easy to use and user-friendly, with a simple drag-and-drop content editor. Learn more about PeakSignage here.
How much does an outdoor kiosk cost?
For a basic non-touch freestanding outdoor kiosk, such as the LamasaTech 55″ Guida Outdoor kiosk, the price will start at around $9000/£6000.
For the upfront cost, you’ll get a kiosk that is constructed and designed to operate in outdoor environments and will be protected against the weather. The fact that it is capable of this means that your signage and advertising will be able to reach a much wider audience. As a result, you’ll be able to increase your customer engagement and footfall by directing them to your store. Due to the increased traffic, this technology is therefore capable of generating more sales for your business, meaning you can recoup your investment.
With smart city and tourism kiosks, you can see an even quicker return on investment as you’ll be able to sell advertising space on your device, helping to generate additional returns.
The final considerations
You may find it daunting to begin with when starting your search for an outdoor kiosk. However, if you follow the considerations we’ve covered above you’ll be on your way in no time!
Ready to start your outdoor kiosk project?
We’d love to hear about your project, so get in touch and we’ll help you find the best solution for your requirements.
LamasaTech is a leader in digital display technology with over 12 years of experience. We support customers across a range of industries including retail, military and defence, government and public sector, technology, hospitality and education.
