Digital Signage – making the right purchase

Increasing sales and customer loyalty is the dream of every business owner. Of course there are many ways to go about this, but I want to give you some thoughts on how to go about finding the best digital signage package for you.

Digital signs are useful for this reaching and engaging with consumers in a number of different settings. From retail spaces to dentist waiting rooms a digital sign can offer content that is completely relevant and of interest to the viewer. Of course there are more discussions about how you can build that content, but I will go into that another time.

When considering a digital signage package/purchase for your business there are a few things you should keep in mind. Remember that you are buying equipment that demands constant use, and you don’t want to splash out on something that will collapse in a couple of years. So consider the following and you should be OK.

• Check that any signage equipment you purchase gives you good brightness and power efficiency. These displays are on a lot so you want to make sure they can perform, don’t consume energy like a power hungry dictator, and have been tested for use in this context.
• Make sure that content is easy to update, whether locally or over a network. Better still, check that you have a clear upgrade path so that you can expand capabilities as your ROI increases.
• Don’t purchase what you don’t need. Remember if you’ve got a clear upgrade path you can add elements as you need them. There are some amazingly sophisticated offerings available on the market, but ask some soul searching questions to find out whether you really need them all to get started. Often you will be able to put together a rather sophisticated signage package with all sorts of interactivity and network capabilities without having to pay monthly costs, so do some research and you will definitely benefit.
• Think about a content strategy before you buy. If you are going to need to add news feeds and instant text updates then you may need to consider a software solution. If you have video marketing materials or interactive displays that don’t need to be changed often you may not need such software, and you will find there are vendors who supply content management software for their products for free, so check them out too and see if this works for your situation. Again, remember that if there is an upgrade path you can increase your capabilities later without having to go back to the drawing board.
• Lastly, look for data management. You need to know how your efforts are working. If you can’t see how it is working for your business then you can’t know if the investment was worth it. Data logging facilities on digital signage equipment and software are important so ask about them and what you can do. Reputable companies will offer you help and advice about strategies for measuring performance to help you make an informed decision.

These are just a few tips to help you make the purchase that will work for your business. Hopefully they will help you or your colleagues to choose the best digital signage solution. So good luck joining the fast growing world of digital signage.