A recent study is indicating that digital signage and smartphone based transactions are paving the way.
The outcome of the second annual Customer Engagement Technology Study has just been released and the results are looking quite positive for mobile payments, digital signage, and even social media marketing.
This research was conducted alongside a team from the University of Denver Daniels College of Business.
It also included the participation of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration. Its data included 143 results regarding the way in which hospitality and foodservice operators are able to provide their customers with engagement. It was conducted as a way to examine the evolution of customer engagement technologies with greater depth. These included social and location based marketing, mobile payments, and other digital and smartphone focused efforts.
Mobile payments was among the technologies that was found to be the most important in these industries.
Also examined by the study were the ways in which mobile payments, social media, location based technology, and digital signage provided more profound connections with guests, and the impact that they have on boosting sales. The report provides insight into a number of different tech categories for the restaurant and hotel industries.
The research examined a number of different forms of technology over various channels that are currently available. Among the key findings of this study were the following:
• By the year 2015, 91 percent of hotels and 85 percent of restaurants will have a mobile commerce website.
• Among hotel apps, 72 percent will provide the ability to make room reservations.
• Mobile apps for restaurants will include their menus 96 percent of the time.
• Twitter (78 percent) and Facebook (90 percent) are the social networks that are used most frequently by hotels and restaurants.
• The most interactive tool used by hotels (91 percent) and restaurants (89 percent) is social media.
• Interactive digital signage received a recognition of high importance and priority for both customer engagement and business impact for both hotels and restaurants.
• Thirty nine percent of hotels and 53 percent of restaurants intend to offer mobile payments by 2015.
