Key factors that make Digital Signage important

Digital signage has undoubtedly earned its place in today’s modern retail scene as an important element to consider when thinking about the success of the business. As we have discussed in previous blogs, it has been shown how much more effective digital signage can be compared to traditional signage as it is not static and it is a lot more cost efficient in the long term. 

We have also discussed the important factors to consider when thinking about installing digital signage and the benefits it can bring in your retail store. One of the most important ways to make your digital displays a lot more effective is to create eye-catching content that will grab shoppers attention and increase sales in your store.

Other important factors to consider of course, is the design of your signage and the more technical aspects in order to make your digital signage a success.

Determine your goals before choosig the placement of your signage

Before installing your digital signage there are many things you need to take into consideration as part of your strategy. So for a start ask yourself those questions to determine your goals and come up with the right strategy before choosing the placement of your displays. 

• What path does your audience take through your store?
• What areas receive the highest amount of foot traffic?
• Where does your audience spend time waiting around?
• Where do you have extra shelf or wall space?

As you go through these questions, remember that digital signage shouldn’t be placed in an area based on the fact that you have some empty space to fill. You want to strategically place your signs so that a large audience will see them.

1. Shopping area

In most stores you will find areas that are dedicated to different products, such as clothing or accessories. Place your digital signage next to the products and in the center of the area so that customers see them as soon as they walk in. Installing digital signage in each area will help promote each product more efficiently as it will offer extra information about the products as well as relevant promotions and ads. For instance New Look wanted to enhance the customer experience in their store and enlisted inurface media to strategically place the signage across the store to ensure their latest adverts, offers and campaigns are always seen next to the relative item in the store.

2. Window dressing

Window displays are meant to capture shoppers’ attention and bring as many of them as possible into the store. The competitiveness in the highstreets and shopping malls is higher than ever. So it is absolutely crucial to enhance your window display with digital signage and eye-catching content that will make a greater impression to the passers by and bring more sales in your business. Sports Direct understood that in order to grab shoppers’ attention at the busiest highstreet in the world, Oxford Street, they couldn’t just rely on the bespoke screens we installed for them in each shopping area in the store. Enhancing their window displays with our innovative Rotating LED Pillar display those screens would be impossible to miss. The LED pillars have the ability to function as 2 large-scale LED screen displays or 8 individual rotating LED pillars. Working together the screens rotate in one fluid motion to display animations symmetrical on both sides. Content can be easily updated in real time and in line with campaigns or based on customer response.

4. Cash Registers and Point of Sale

Cash registers and point of sale displays are potentially one of the most essential placement options for retail as this is the final point of a customer’s journey. Customers spend from 1-15 minutes and sometimes even more, depending on the store and how busy it can be. Most importantly digital displays at point of sale reduces perceived wait times, helping to reduce frustration and therefore boost customer satisfaction. Customers there are more likely to view ads and promotions there, because they are bored. Some studies have even shown that digital ads at cash registers can increase sales on the next visit, even if customers don’t act on the ad right away. Our team at inurface media always keeps the cash desk screen as a priority as this is an effective way that has worked with all of our clients.

Digital Signage can reduce perceived wait time at checkouts by as much as 35 %

A different way to incorporate digital displays as a point of sale is with our bespoke POS touch screens we installed with success for several of our clients, such as Dr Martens. For this project we installed a touchscreen totem that functions as a locked down version of the ecommerce site giving customers the whole range of products Dr. Martens offer at the touch of a screen. Customers can then also purchase products directly from the screens and choose whether to have them delivered to the store, and extend the customer experience to another visit, or directly to their home. Not only can the screens act as an ecommerce site, but their dual functionality also means during down time when they aren’t being used by customers, they can display latest campaigns and adverts.

• Avoid Decompression Zones

Decompression zones are areas in stores where customers walk in and aren’t typically paying attention to anything.  In most stores, this is within the first 5-15 feet of the door. If you walk into a large store, you’ll usually notice these areas are largely empty except for greeters or welcome signs. Why? For the simple reason that most people are “decompressing.” They’re adjusting from being outside, in another shop, or otherwise doing something else. In conclusion any digital signage you place in these zones is likely to be wasted.

Placement Tips

Now that we discussed the best possible areas to install your digital display there are a few more tips that would be helpful to consider together with the points mentioned earlier. We discussed that the placement of your digital signage is important and some of the locations might need a careful placement to work and drive revenue.

• Think outside the box

Make the most of empty high trafficked areas in your store. Many stores are now seeing that   having digital signage in unique areas such as changing rooms like the one we installed for Sports Direct can capture attention and increase customer engagement.

• Consider the distance

Measure the average distance from the viewer to the screen. Make sure the text and images are large enough to be viewed from the farthest distance.

• Consider the lighting

Next, consider lighting to make sure consumers can read the screen with the light available. Avoid locations where there is too much ambient light (if this is the best location, be sure to opt for a high-bright screen) as sunlight can wash out the image on the screen, making the content difficult to see.

• Consider the height

A person’s field of vision is roughly 75 degrees below eye level and 60 degrees above, so place your screen within this vision range.