Just as the internet has revolutionized commerce around the world, kiosks have done the same for businesses both large and small. A kiosk allows you to have a virtual store that can be setup almost anywhere, indoors and out, and allows you to sell products and services without having to hire extra personnel. A kiosk is also a great way to interactively show off and market your products to customers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How the Internet Has Changed Business
Traditionally, if someone wanted to set up a store and advertise, they would have to go through the hassle of finding space, getting the proper licensing, putting ads in newspapers and magazines, purchasing expensive ad time on television and radio, distributing flyers, and then just waiting. Today, through the use of the internet, someone can set up a business online within minutes and begin selling products and services. With internet marketing, customers can have targeted ads delivered to them all over the web. But, does this mean that traditional advertising is gone? As a small business, sure, you have the web at your disposal, but why not combine the internet with a physical presence?
Why Use Kiosks?
New, interactive kiosks make this a reality. With interactive kiosks, you can have a physical presence in stores, malls, and outdoors venues, virtually interact with customers, show off your latest goods and services, increase traffic to your business, all while doing so in a sleek and modern way. Kiosks can connect to the internet, allowing access to your website or sites, as well as allowing customers to sign up for e-mail newsletters for more info on your business, products, and services, as well as allowing customers to purchase physical goods, right there at the kiosk. This is like having multiple franchise locations all over! If you want kiosks in just your local area, you can do so, but the big picture thinking is to get kiosks placed all around the country, or even the world.
An Example of a Small Business Kiosk Success Story
Interactive kiosks have many functions that can serve small businesses in competition with the big guys. An example would be the start-up company, Red Box. Red Box is a company that rents DVDs through their interactive kiosks that can be found all around the country. Customers can rent a DVD and return it when they are ready, as well as pay for it, all at the kiosk. As a result of this, and other factors, many brick and mortar movie rental chains have gone out of business. And this is all because of a small kiosk business that found a way to use kiosks to market and sell their services rather than having brick and mortar establishments.
Additional Benefits of Kiosks
As a small business, you can also add services to your business through the use of an interactive kiosk. With a kiosk, you can sell services, schedule appointments, chat with customers, allow customers to order tickets or receive information, check in guests and clients, complete financial transactions, and much more. An interactive kiosk essentially becomes another branch of your office, only one that does not have to be staffed, and can be programmed to fit your company’s needs, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you’re a small business owner who has been thinking of ways to expand your business in a cost effective way, consider using interactive kiosks. These machines can create new customers while you sleep, as well as generate income from hundreds to potentially thousands of locations. Even if you don’t have a virtual product to sell, modern kiosks can allow you to interact with clients in ways that were impossible only a decade ago.
Jamie Sanders is a design consultant and content contributor for phoenixkiosk.com, a leader in the Kiosk industry. Virtually any service can be offered by an Outdoor Kiosk, from marketing surveys to solar monitoring.