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3 aspects of high-quality kiosk software

June 19, 2012 by Craig Martin — Client Contact, Reality Interactive, LLC

The user experience design, remote monitoring capabilities, and on-site care of your software solution will determine its effectiveness to serve you and your digital merchandising goals. When looking for a software solution you need to consider the following things about each of these three areas.

User experience

The user experience will make or break your campaign. It's the most important of all of the kiosk elements. Keep in mind, how and why you are interacting with your prospective customers. This will inform your design process and help achieve the results that you desire. Today's customers are knowledgeable and savvy, if the value proposition of using the system isn't great enough for them, they'll simply walk away.

When thinking about what you'll put on the screen, imagine what you would like the user to see. What are you offering that other sources aren't? Are you saving user's time, money or making their life better in any way? The interface design should bring something that the user cannot get elsewhere.

Unlike a Web environment, a kiosk solution can be narrow-casted to a specific audience, at a specific time and at a specific location. The software you select must easily communicate the value you bring that outweighs competitors.

Remote management

Once you've put all the work into create a stunning user experience, you'll want to make sure it performs well out in the field. When it comes to necessary elements, remote management is a close second to user experience.

A reliable remote management system will keep you informed on how well your units are running in the field. It will also indicate the system health and any necessary maintenance that needs to take place. You don't want to create a great user experience that the user never sees due to poor remote management. A quality remote management system will also allow you to check on necessary updates and the frequency of content changes.

On-site care

Even when you've selected a great software solution that indicates your brand's value proposition and selected a remote management system to monitor your software, there will still be issues that arise. Units may malfunction, need troubleshooting or need field service calls. You'll want a provider that's dealt with these issues in the past and is committed to keeping costs low while ensuring quality is high. Look for a provider who can demonstrate they have experience in these areas, and you'll have your software updating and functioning great.

About Craig Martin

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Craig Martin has over 15 years of experience providing Fortune 500 brands and retailers with innovative digital merchandising solutions. He founded Reality Interactive, LLC in 2004. Prior to that, he held senior business development positions at Media Right and Netkey. Clients over the years include BMW, Callaway Golf, PepsiCo, Bose, Lego, Leapfrog and others.

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