You may consider using digital signage software to actively change the displays on the digital signs throughout your business. It’s easy to use, totally customizable, and can be harnessed for countless applications – but it also tends to be expensive, especially if you’re bundling it with new digital signs.
What makes digital signage software worth the money? And how can you make sure you see a positive return on investment (ROI)?
Digital Signage Software: The Basics
Let’s start with the basics of digital signage software. As the name suggests, digital signage software is designed to help you manage the content on your digital signs – the monitors, video walls, and other digital screens in your business environment that serve functions like motivation, wayfinding, data visualization, and advertisement.
With the help of digital signage software, you can publish messages, add photos, include videos, and make adjustments, so all your communications are active and effective. You can set up data feeds for things like weather and events that will update automatically. Your digital signs can cycle through content playlists, and you can set up schedules and timers so the appropriate messaging is displayed at the appropriate time.
The Value of Digital Signage Software
Why is digital signage software worth the money?
For starters, your digital signs can be used for a variety of applications, such as:
- Data visualization. One of the most popular uses for digital signage is displaying data in a visually engaging format. Through charts, graphs, and real-time data displays, you can showcase what’s happening in your business or make a compelling case for a customer who’s about to make an important purchasing decision.
- Wayfinding. Signage is also important for wayfinding. With interactive digital signs, you can show events and staff directories, help guide visitors where they need to go and keep employees connected to the physical space of this environment.
- Motivation and inspiration. If you have a team of employees you want to motivate and inspire, the messages on your digital signs can help you achieve that goal. Motivational imagery, messaging, and videos can communicate complex ideas in a relatively short period of time. Think of this as functioning like a “next-generation” motivational poster; when one of your messages becomes obsolete or grows tiresome, you can simply swap it out for something else.
- Culture and engagement. Employers also find value in using digital signage to promote organizational culture and employee engagement, as well as customer engagement. You can showcase your brand values, mission and vision, and other brand identity elements, making it much more relatable and accessible to all relevant audiences.
- Emergency communication. Digital signage software also helps you with emergency communications in your business. If your business ever experiences a catastrophe or crisis, you can relay instructions and information to the people who need it.
Overall, taking greater control over your digital displays can improve:
- Safety. Workplaces with active digital signs tend to be safer than those without digital signs. You can provide instructions, display important warnings, and even communicate with people during an emergency. Overall, your employees and customers will be better informed and easier to direct, which is vital during crises and emergencies.
- Engagement. Digital signage also improves both employee engagement and customer engagement. This is your opportunity to show off what makes your brand unique, give people more interactive experiences, and ultimately help them build better relationships with your brand.
- Communication. No matter what you want to communicate or with whom you want to communicate, digital signs can make communication easier. You can incorporate visuals, rotate different messages, and experiment with different displays to figure out what works best for your target audience.
- Positive experiences. Overall, greater control over your digital displays can lead to more positive experiences for both employees and customers. You can help people find what they’re looking for, make them laugh with a joke, provide them with detailed information, prove your value through data, or just remind people that your organization cares about them.
Finding the Right Digital Signage Software
Digital signage software is often, but not always, worth the money. That’s why it’s so important to shop around for different types of software and compare and contrast them. Take a look at the core features offered by each competitor, evaluate the overall costs, scrutinize usability and overall user experience, and estimate how long it would take to train someone to use this platform.
Digital signage software isn’t an equally valuable investment for all businesses. Some businesses may not have much of a need for digital signs. Others may be operating with a tight budget and limited physical space. Still, if you can benefit from digital signs in any way, the right digital signage software can improve your messaging, your consistency, and even your time and cost-efficiency.