Successful Kiosk Deployment in a Crowded Marketplace

Anyone with a kiosk business that’s competing for consumer attention with other companies -- especially the big guns, like Redbox, Coinstar or Bank of America -- knows how difficult it can be to grab the eyeballs needed to make a kiosk profitable. Add to that the appearance of large format “mini stores” that operate like vending machines, but for high-end products, such as the ones Proactive, Benefit and Apple utilize, and standing out often begins to seem almost impossible.  So, what are some ways to increase the likelihood of a kiosk program’s success?

1. Location, location, location.  Yes, it’s a cliche, but it’s also true. And in this case, considering location well in advance -- at the time of product concepting -- has an impact in two different but important ways:
1. Does the kiosk need to be manufactured out of a certain kind of material due to the weather/climate or in order to withstand years of use by customers? Will it require special lighting to be seen/used correctly?  The environment in which the kiosk will be located will ultimately inform the design.
2. If the initial location isn’t resulting in consumer traction, will the potential to move it to another area be a possibility?  If this is the case, the kiosk should be designed with the assumption that it will need to roll or have some element of modularity so that it can easily be moved from one place to another if necessary.
   
   
   
2. Design. A kiosk must be designed as if you will only have one chance to make an impression -- because that’s not far from the truth.  The first time a potential user walks by your kiosk, they’ll most likely notice it, especially if they’re walking a path that they’ve often walked before, such through the entrance of a grocery store.  Their brain is more likely to notice something novel in the environment at that time, even if remains largely subconscious. Grabbing attention with lights, sound or bold color and signage are all options for getting noticed on a more conscious level.  However, this effect doesn’t last long, and the choice of whether or not to interact with the kiosk is made in a split second. How can you ensure that a customer will choose to engage, rather than walking right by? Make them want to reach out and touch it. When designing for a consumer audience, it’s easy to get sidetracked by a million different issues, but if the design doesn’t compel engagement, the kiosk may as well not exist.
3. It has to work, work well and work correctly every, single time.  It’s tempting to go for style over over substance in the race to be noticed, but if the kiosk doesn’t seamlessly provide a service that the consumer just can’t do without, it’s likely that you’ll end up trading long-term revenue for a quick flash of initial interest. Design your kiosk with customers in mind first and and foremost. The user experience must be one that the consumer is drawn to again and again. Repeat customers are the difference between profit and loss.

Clearly, it takes plenty of strategic planning and careful execution to deploy a kiosk program successfully -- we never said it was easy. RedyRef knows what it takes to give your company a greater chance of success in a crowded market. Simply submit a request for proposal online or call (800) 628-3603 today for more information.