3 Digital Signage Failures And How To Avoid Them

When digital signs are done properly, they’re a highly effective asset for any company or operation.  But when they fail, the impact can be damaging.

Poor content, inappropriate placement, technological problems, installation errors, inadequate maintenance - there’s a lot that can go wrong.  Luckily, all of these issues can be fixed fairly easily but to minimise the negative impact of digital signage failure on your business, it’s obviously best to get it right from the start.

Here are three of the most common digital signage failures and how to avoid them:

Content is probably the single most important aspect of your digital sign.  Content informs and entertains the viewer yet many operations don’t pay enough attention to it. 

Content creation involves much more than the simple reformatting of information - it’s an art form.   Content needs to be refreshed regularly to ensure maximum impact yet very often, the responsibility of managing it falls under the auspices of the IT department which generally doesn’t have the appropriate marketing and communications expertise and experience. 

Visuals that are too rapid, too many blinking images, poor grammar, ambiguous messaging, outdated content, promotions that are no longer valid, messages that are too long or too complicated will turn people off.  Customers don’t want to be bombarded with an overwhelming kaleidoscope of images and words.  They want fresh, compelling and relevant information, so it is important to have a) a good content management system and b) have someone with the appropriate skills in charge of creating and managing the content on a continuous basis.

A malfunctioning digital sign creates the impression that the company doesn’t care. 

It’s not only frustrating for customers to come across a touchscreen that doesn’t work or to see a sign that is damaged physically, it’s a message that the operation really doesn’t care about them. 

Choosing quality products from the outset will go a long way to minimising the risk of this happening, but it is worth investigating software that monitors the performance of the sign and which sends a message to the controller if things go awry.  This will enable a swift and customer-friendly response and will help to dispel any negative perceptions about the company’s attitude to quality and service.

You can have the best digital sign in the world, but if it’s installed badly or positioned incorrectly, it’s a waste of money. 

Imagine a sign in a window which is bathed in sunlight all day - or one at the entrance to a retail outlet which faces east and gets the rising sun for much of the day.  A professional digital signage company knows that sunlight can overpower a conventional screen and reduce the images and words to a shiny nothingness. 

A professional digital signage company will advise on the best location where clutter will be minimised and where the impact will be greatest.  Things like the height of the display, its positioning relative to other media, store traffic patterns, road and pedestrian traffic (in the case of outdoor digital signs) and importantly, the position of the sun all need to be taken into consideration when choosing locations for digital signs. 

LED technology is the most effective way of ensuring that the vivid colours of your digital sign stand out in all weather conditions - even in direct sunlight.  If you want to avoid the common pitfalls of digital signage, talk to the professionals at iCATCHER.

iCATCHER is a leader in the design, manufacture and installation of premium quality LED digital signs in Perth, meeting the needs of retailers, hotels, restaurants, fast food outlets, businesses and the sport and educational sectors who want to present powerful, visually engaging, dynamic and relevant experiences to their target market.

For more information on digital signs in Perth, get in touch with iCATCHER through their website, www.icatcher.com.au or by calling 0416 053 335.