6 mistakes to avoid when choosing a digital signage provider

6 mistakes to avoid when choosing a digital signage provider

Getting the digital signage right can help businesses expand their reach. So, choosing a provider that can assist with content management and offering the right displays for the signage is important. Additionally, the right digital signage provider offers exceptional support. So, to choose such a service provider, one should carefully assess the services they offer, their responsiveness, and their plan for one’s business. Further, one should avoid the following mistakes while choosing a provider: 

1. Focusing on low costs
Of course, setting a budget and sticking to it is important. However, when choosing a digital signage provider, one should avoid letting price be the sole deciding factor. There are low-cost digital signage solutions available in the market, but one has to consider factors like do they provide end-to-end services that can help businesses reach their target audience in the most effective manner. Nevertheless, good digital signage solutions do not have to be costly. One can get in touch with manufacturers who are ready to work with a flexible payment plan. This can help you save money by eliminating the need to pay intermediaries.

2. Not defining objectives
Setting clear goals is one of the first things to do while planning a digital signage campaign. Clearly defining the objectives of the campaign is of utmost importance as this will help in communicating with the provider. This means they will know exactly how to help the business meet its goals. For instance, in the plan they share with digital signage providers, businesses can describe the target audience, the specific type of content they want for the signage, and the marketing goals they wish to achieve via the signage. 

3. Overlooking software and hardware compatibility
One should also ensure that the software and hardware (displays and mounting solutions) are compatible with each other before the campaign goes live. One can ask for trial runs to ensure the signage runs smoothly without hiccups.

4. Ignoring service needs
Digital signage is not limited to displays, it needs media players, mounting systems, software, support services, cabling, and other components to work. The right provider will offer end-to-end support and assist with acquiring all the equipment. When the campaign is running, businesses will need adequate support to gauge the effectiveness of the signage. Further, the signage could require tweaks and troubleshooting. The provider should be able to help the businesses get through any hiccups throughout the campaign and help resolve any issues that affect the functioning of the signage.

5. Overlooking permit and region-based assistance
Every region has its zoning laws in place that need to be complied with while putting up signages of all sorts. A digital signage provider will secure permits on behalf of the business. However, an end-to-end service provider should ideally offer location-based data to businesses. This information includes updated traffic count and real-time data on exposure so businesses can understand how visible their signage is. Based on these results, businesses can make decisions to continue with the digital signage or change their design or message to improve visibility. So, businesses should go with providers that offer additional data and assistance along with permits.

6. Not consider content management tools
Digital signage providers are also responsible for content management, which involves the use of software to design and deliver the brand message and interact with the audience. The right provider should work with user-friendly software that supports multiple formats and offers features like scheduling and data analytics to gauge content performance. The right content management system gives businesses and signage providers the option to create, program, share, and update content as and when required. This also makes digital signage a highly adaptable form of marketing, unlike static signs. So, it is important to consider the content management services a provider offers before signing up with them.

Additionally, one should choose a provider that gets all technical aspects right to maximize the visibility and effectiveness of the signage. For instance, the provider should get the placement as well as the angle of the signage right. So, the signage must be easy to view and read. Further, one should get the display size right. They can see if the provider offers enough hardware options to choose the best possible tools for the business.