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Trying to decide on a digital signage design for your business can be difficult. Between choosing the type of screen, its placement at your location, and the actual content on the screen, there are dozens of decisions to make.

So if you’re getting ready to create a new digital signage design, use these tips to make your decisions and decide on a look that works best for you and your business.

Choose the Best Placement

Do not purchase your digital screens and then decide where you want to place them. Don’t try to fit the space to the screen. Instead, figure out where you want to place your sign and then purchase the best screen for the position.

Look around your location and consider where signs could best benefit your customers and staff. Some popular placements include:

  • Facing outside a display window
  • Near the doors on the exterior of your location
  • Near the doors on the interior of your location
  • Behind service counters
  • In waiting rooms or seating areas
  • On end-caps or product displays
  • Near check-out lines
  • Above highly trafficked walkways

Once you pick your signage placement, other design considerations will be much easier.

Choose the Best Screen Size

When you know where you’re going to position your screens, you can then decide what size screen you need.

Choosing the right screen size is similar to selecting the proper television screen for your living room. Measure the distance from where the screen will sit to the location where the audience will view it. Then, use this chart to select the screen size that matches the distance.

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These measurements will give you a good idea of what type of screen will best serve the space.

Choose the Best Screen Type

We highly recommend using commercial, high-definition LCD screens for your digital signage.

LCD screens are superior to plasma televisions because they require less power, have a longer lifespan, and weigh less than plasma TVs. Plus, plasma screens have a “burn-in” effect which causes them to deteriorate and lose luminosity when they are on for long periods of time.

We also recommend using commercial grade screens instead of consumer models. Commercial grade models are designed to withstand constant use and will last longer than consumer models. Commercial grade models may cost more, but they will pay off in the long term.

Choose the Best Content

Once you decide which screens to use and where to place them, you need to choose what content will fill your content playlists. We recommend basing your content plan around the following formula.
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This formula allows you to use your content to connect with your audience and promote your products without appearing pushy or overly promotional.

As you create your digital signage content playlist, we also recommend the following tips:

  • Spend time getting to know your audience before creating content so you can clearly identify the content they want to see.
  • Spend time clearly defining your goals before creating content so you can identify what content will best help you reach your objectives.
  • Create an appropriate content length loop that matches the amount of time customers typically spend near your sign.
  • Frequently incorporate call-to-actions so your audience knows what to do after watching your content.
  • Make a plan for how often you will need to update and revise your content.

We recommend that you list your content needs and then work with professional copywriters, designers, actors, and animators to turn your ideas into a polished final product.

Choose the Best Sound

Some digital screens come with attached speakers. Others are wired into speaker systems or broadcast through in-store overhead sound systems.  

As you select settings for your audio, consider all of the sounds that surround the speakers. Be sure that ambient noise and competing audio won’t drown out the sound. Also, ensure that the sound is loud enough for viewers to hear clearly. Or, decide if you don’t need sound at all and instead, can just play standard overhead music.

Choose the Best Add-ons

Once you choose your main content for your digital signage design, decide if you want to add on any bonus content elements.

Bonus content elements may include:

  • Screen wraps that frame your content
  • Information tickers that display text below your content
  • Branded images that appear around the content

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The extra content can be static or pre-made like the main content. Or, it can be live streams such as newsfeeds, weather streams, and social media feeds.

There are many factors to consider as you select your digital signage design, and each of the details impacts your screen’s ability to connect with your audience and increase your ROI. So if you’re setting up a new design for you digital signage system, it might be time to take some advice from the pros.

Create the best plan and get all of your questions about digital signage design answered by scheduling a free digital signage assessment with Spectrio.

During your no-obligation consultation, a representative will review your specific needs and match you with the digital signage specifications that will best meet your goals, budget, and needs.

Schedule your free digital signage assessment today.