You did your best not to make any digital signage mistakes. You’ve done your research. Picked an awesome content management system and it comes with a rockin’ digital signage player.
Your commercial screen’s set up and it looks great on your wall. You’re golden right? Except you just got your latest sales figures in and they’re not looking too rosy. And now you’re wondering why you bothered with digital signage in the first place. Don’t despair! You’ve probably made some rookie digital signage mistakes that wiped out your strategy. But once you know what to look for, it’s easy to get your digital signage back on track.
#1 Audience-related accidents
Of all the digital signage mistakes out there, this is the biggest. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (and again). Your target audience is everything. The people you want to reach determine everything you do with your digital signage. Serve them well, and they’ll pad that bottom line of yours in return.
So make sure your content is what they’re looking for. Put yourself in your target audience’s shoes. Customize content based on their needs – and remember needs change according to age and demographics. Teens and senior citizens are attracted to different content. Athletes and high-powered professionals respond to very different messages. Customers and staff need to see different information on your screens.
And don’t forget to place your screens where your target audience will see them. Hygiene regulations shouldn’t be in the path of diner patrons. So stick a screen in the break room for that kind of content. And put another screen with your fancy new digital menu board or daily specials where your customers can’t miss it. A screen hidden behind a towering shop display might as well be switched off. Seems plain as day? Silly digital signage mistakes like this happen. A lot.
#2 Content calamities
This one’s another whopper when it comes to digital signage mistakes. Content is king. So don’t get yourself beheaded. Because if your content ain’t cutting it, your bottom line will suffer. This means you have to go that extra mile to put out excellent content. Customize playlists, tell a story, optimize your show layouts. It will attract more target viewers which translates to happy paying customers. And please don’t leave outdated info on screen. A sale that ended yesterday will lead to bored customers today.
#3 Monitor mishaps
Your screens have to be in tip-top shape. And I’m not talking about running off to get something pricey and top-of-the-line. Because you really don’t need to. What you do have to do is make sure they’re all running properly. No black screens. No error messages. Everything’s got to be plugged in.
I can already hear a bunch of you saying you’ve got lots of screens up in many locations. You don’t have the time to physically patrol them all. The good news is you don’t have to. Digital signage solutions like Yodeck have a cool monitor status feature that tells you if everything’s okay. You’ve got updates that let you know if your monitor is online and if the HDMI cable is connected. It even tells you if the TV screen is on or off. There’s absolutely no excuse for wonky monitors.
Remember: if customers see your screens are out of order, they won’t bother looking anymore.
#4 Screen placement problems
Optimal screen location can be the difference between making a sale and a customer walking out. Why? Because if your screen isn’t where people can see it, it won’t matter what content you’ve got playing. So what do you do?
Install your screens at or above eye level. They’ll grab people’s attention at that height. But don’t stop there. Make sure that noon glare doesn’t hit the screen right when your target crowd walks by. And keep in mind your ambient lighting might shine at a weird angle too. Pro tip: Keep your screens wheelchair friendly. A few well-placed screens for disabled people show you care about all your customers, no exceptions. It’s especially important if you’re using screens in schools and for wayfinding.
What’s next?
So you’ve made a few fatal digital signage mistakes. Everyone does. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Now you know what pitfalls to avoid with this useful guide. And your digital signage strategy is back on track. Which means that huge discounts on football gear will garner enough customer interest to sell out your stock.