Is Wayfinding ‘Nice to Have’ or a Required Guest Amenity?

While some people seem to be naturally good at navigating new spaces, most of us can relate to the frustration of being delayed or even lost at a location. Not being able to find your destination in a busy crowd under time constraints—like at an airport—is the worst. It can be challenging to find someone willing to help you find where you’re going, especially if you don’t have much time to spare; a lack of comprehensive wayfinding certainly only makes matters worse. In these moments, it’s hard not to get upset and possibly even hold a grudge against the airport, mall, or facility that failed to make wayfinding more straightforward.

At Oppna Digital, we understand customer experiences are more important than ever across many industries. Consumers no longer base their loyalties on price or product quality. Instead, they stay loyal to companies due to the experiences they receive. For this reason, we believe no one should have to struggle finding their way through an airport, mall, healthcare center, stadium, university, or other large facility. After all, today’s technology offers a bounty of wayfinding solutions, including:

●        Digital Signage

Placing digital signage throughout a large property is a great example of a customer-focused wayfinding solution. These signs can do more than simply point your guests in the right direction; they can be used to post welcome messages, display advertising and emergency alerts, promote events, and so much more. 

●        Wayfinding Kiosks

Interactive digital wayfinding kiosks allow guests to view their locations, search for destinations, and receive optimized routes with step-by-step directions. Besides the dynamic mapping options, digital wayfinding systems offer many additional benefits, such as the ability to integrate with other digital solutions for a seamless omni-channel experience.

●        Mobile Apps

Integrating a mobile app with your digital signage or wayfinding solution allows guests to “take the solution with them.” Users can experience your wayfinding technology on the go, as well as receive communications such as event listings, promotions, and emergency alerts.

If you’ve been holding off on investing in digital wayfinding solutions, it could be to your detriment. Getting customers from where they are to where they want to go is an expectation, and when you don’t meet customers’ expectations, you’ll inevitably lose some of those customers. Interactive digital wayfinding is an innovative way to communicate with your guests and provide a more enjoyable experience while they are in your space.

At Oppna Digital, we are finding interactive digital wayfinding is becoming less of a “wow” factor and more of an expected feature in today’s market. Our strategy is to provide a rich user experience on both interactive wayfinding kiosks and mobile apps, as well as complementary cross channel digital media. For more information about our services, give us a call at 651-237-5677, or fill out this form to request a demo!