Investing in digital signage is a big step for your business. You want your screens to entice customers, inform employees, speed up menu choices, and increase basket size – finding the right digital supplier is one of the biggest factors in your success. To help you in your search for the best digital signage options for your business, here are ten questions to ask before taking the step.

Four questions to ask yourself before investing in digital advertising screens

Before bombarding your digital screen supplier with queries, it’s important to ask yourself these four questions.

1. What is my goal?

Your ultimate goal will determine your budget and your requirements. For example, a goal to direct event visitors to the exit may dictate a smaller budget than a goal to increase in-queue purchases by 30%. Ensure that your goal is SMART (specific, measurable, accurate, relevant, and timed) and then jump to question two.

2. How am I going to measure my goal?

Deciding your goal’s metrics will enable you to measure your success and, importantly, measure the return on investment from your digital signage.

3. Who is my audience

Next, you need to determine who your audience is. This will affect everything from screen size and placement, to the type of content and screen functionality. For example, a digital screen aimed at keeping children entertained while their parent’s shop will be lower and more interactive than a screen enticing a passersby to walk into your store.

4. What type of content will engage my audience

Finally, and closely related, is the type of content you need to engage your audience. Do you want GIFs, movies, interactive games, or real-time feeds?

Once you have answered these four questions, it’s time to start quizzing your digital screen supplier.

Six questions to ask your provider before investing in digital advertising screens

Buying your first digital screen can feel a little overwhelming and a lot unfamiliar – leading to impulse purchases and regretful decisions. Following these questions ensures that you make the right choice for your goals.

5. What screens do you supply?

Starting small – ask what different types of screen the supplier sells. While you might only be buying a small and simple screen now, you might want to buy a smart LED screen in the future, and you’ll want to know that you can use the same equipment, hardware, and supplier when you do.

6. Is the software web-based?

While desktop-based software isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it does require communal access to a computer and regular updating. Web-based software provides flexibility in who can access the system, where and when you can use it, and how it’s updated. Whatever the digital screen hardware and software used, always ask for a demo to ensure that it’s easy to use, that you can schedule content, and that multiple users can access it if required.

7. What are the available workflows

Having the right workflow for your goal is essential, and the workflow appropriate for a retail digital advertising campaign might be entirely different from that required for corporate office digital signage. Enquire about the available workflows and, again, ask to see how they work.

8. Are there templates built in?

You might have a highly skilled design team ready to get started or be building campaigns yourself – either way, in-built templates are extremely useful for creating, aiding, and replicating designs. Take a look at the available templates to ensure that they are of superior quality, suit your needs, and are easy to tailor. It’s also important to ask what appears on the screen when there’s been a system error or break in internet connectivity.

9. Does the software integrate with other systems

Want to display a live Twitter feed, real-time news, or emergency broadcasts? Your digital signage software will need to integrate with other systems or apps – ensure that it does by asking before purchasing.

10. What support will be available

No one wants to be handed a digital display and told to get on with it. Enquire about ongoing support with installation, training, product updates, errors, and future expansion – and find out if these come at an additional cost.

The top question to ask before investing in digital signage

“Show me your best work.” If you want to know the true capabilities of the digital screen and supplier you have your eye on – ask for examples of their work and the benefits achieved. You’ll be glad you did.

Happy screen shopping!