13 Mar What to Look for When Choosing a Retail Digital Signage Provider (And the Questions You Must Ask)
Digital signage is now accessible to businesses of all sizes, and not just big box retailers. Your local independent boutique, pharmacy, or cafe on a shopping street will likely have a digital display instead of a printed poster advertising their products. The digital displays do more than just take the place of the printed posters; they do their jobs incredibly well, are much quicker to set up, and have much more flexibility than printed posters.
If you are considering making the change or upgrading your current system, one of the most important things to consider when looking for a digital signage provider is how you will be able to take advantage of your new acquisition. If you choose the right provider, then you will have a great new form of advertising that will increase your sales, enhance the overall customer experience, and provide you with many benefits that will pay for itself many times over. If you choose the wrong company, you will have a contract with a digital signage company whose products are difficult to use; whose software is not functioning properly; whose equipment will not run consistently; and whose customer service is never available once you sign the contract.
This guide will help you determine what is most important to look for in a digital signage provider, as well as what type of questions you should be asking each of the vendors you are considering before entering into a contract with one of them.
1. Hardware Quality and Reliability
Although the display is the most obvious component of any digital signage system, what’s behind the screen can be just as critical. Commercial displays are built for continuous operation 16 through to 24 hours per day 7 days a week, whilst consumer TVs generally are not. If a supplier sells you a TV for home use but markets it as a system, then they could be compromising you.
When looking at your supplier, be certain that their displays are commercially rated. Look for displays with a brightness rating of +500 nits in indoor conditions, and for window-facing installations that will be affected by sunlight, much higher; look for reliable media players and clear definitions of the hardware warranty. If a component fails, you do not want a blank display on a busy Saturday with no replacement arriving for two weeks.
Questions to ask:
– Do you manufacture commercial-grade displays? And what is the brightness rating?
– What is your warranty on hardware and what is the replacement process in the event of a hardware failure?
– Do you provide the media player, and will it be built into the display or will it be separate?
Content Management System
You will spend the majority of the time managing your digital signage network using a content management system (CMS). CMS software must be user-friendly, dependable, and suitable for the purpose intended. The best CMS options allow you to remotely update all screens, pre-schedule content, create playlists for different parts of the day, and manage all screens from one central location.
Do not choose a CMS that requires you to contact an IT professional each time you want to change an advertisement. Your staff should be able to log-in, make changes to content, and publish to all screens within minutes and without any technical experience.
Look for a CMS that works directly with other tools you already use. Some CMS options link directly with point of sale systems to provide real-time pricing, current available inventory, or with updated menus automatically. Some CMS options also link to social media feeds, weather forecasts, or dashboards for loyalty program tracking. Each of these links turns basic screen(s) into true dynamic marketing tools.
Questions to ask:
– Can you update and schedule content without the assistance of an IT professional?
– Can multiple zones be shown on a single screen with your CMS?
– What integration options are available for point of sale systems and third party platforms?
3. Installation and Ongoing Support
The quality of a provider’s service after a sale is equal to, if not more important than, the product itself. The installation of digital signage systems can be of varying complexity depending on the combination of hardware, software, and the type of display device. An example of this would be installing a screen on a counter versus a network of multiple displays throughout a large store; the latter requires more experience from the provider.
Make sure to find out who will actually perform your installation. Many providers will outsource this work to subcontractor companies, creating inconsistency in quality and accountability. Providers should also conduct a site survey before any installations begin in order to determine what cables will be needed, where the power source will be located, how the displays will be mounted, and how the connection will be made between each unit and the display. Poor planning during the site survey stage will result in expensive errors on installation day.
In addition to poor pre-installation planning, also pay attention to how your provider handles support after installation. Do they have a dedicated phone number for support? What is the company’s response time commitment? Will they perform remote diagnostics to troubleshoot issues with your display or software without sending a technician?
Questions to ask:
-Do your own engineers carry out the installation, or do you use subcontractors?
-Do you conduct a site survey before installation?
-What is your support model — phone, email, live chat — and what are your response times?
– Can you diagnose and resolve issues remotely?
4. Flexibility and Scalability
Your Digital Signage solution can grow and change along with your organisation. What works great today with two screens, must also work just as well to manage and control 15 screens in three locations three years from now.
It is important to ask questions about adding new screens to your existing infrastructure. How will changes in the number of screens affect the pricing structure? Is there a cost associated with each screen that is added? Is the additional cost reasonable? Additionally, can you show different content on different screens (e.g., one screen showing an ad promoting shoes while another shows an ad promoting clothing) OR is it a “one output fits all” type of scenario? A good provider should have a tiered pricing structure in place for you, which allows you flexibility in growing your business while not penalising you for it.
Questions to ask:
-What is your pricing structure as I add new screens?
– When I add screens for different stores, will I be able to upload & manage content for them all from the same account?
-Will the Digital Signage solution I purchase work with different screen sizes (e.g., low & high Re); different screen orientations (e.g., portraits & landscapes); etc.?
5.Contract Terms and Total Cost of Ownership
Regardless of the cost of hardware, the initial costs are only a part of what you will actually pay at the end of each contract. There will be additional monthly or annual software licenses, cloud hosting, and support fees that will accumulate over time resulting in the actual cost of ownership being far greater than you may have anticipated. It’s important to get a detailed breakdown of costs from all vendors over a 24- or 36-month term before signing anything so that you can compare all the differences between vendors.
Be particularly cautious if the vendor is trying to lock you into an extended contract for their services. If they are willing to offer shorter terms, it is likely that they have a strong level of confidence in the success of their own service. If they still want you to sign up for 36 months before you have even had an opportunity to evaluate their service in your facility, it shows that they are probably not very confident in the likelihood of being retained as your vendor based upon the quality of service provided.
Questions to Consider Asking:
-Total Cost of Ownership over 24 months (Software & Support Fees)
– Length of Contract and Exit Conditions
-Are there Setup Fees, Content Creation Fees, or Any Hidden Charges?
Final Thoughts
Selecting a digital signage company is an ongoing collaboration rather than a single transaction. Great digital partners have extensive experience with both retail as well as consumers, and they’ll help your business get maximum value from the provided technology long after it has been installed. Take your time, ask tough questions, and do not be persuaded by an impressive sales demonstration as if that were sufficient to thoroughly analyze and review the product you are purchasing. The best companies will gladly answer all of your questions; poor companies will be challenged to provide satisfying responses to them.
If this post got you thinking, Wipath can help you take the next step. Reach out today for a free consultation.
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