There are no simple rules of thumb as to how much a digital signage deployment will cost, but you can rest assured that depending on how elaborate your installation, things can get pretty pricey very quickly.
Imagine budgeting thousands of dollars creating high-quality content, buying the latest interactive touchscreen displays and paying for networking and other installation costs. Then the day finally arrives to “flick on the proverbial switch,” and everything goes swimmingly, or so you think.
When the time comes to measure sales figures, interactive engagement, ROI or other analytic metrics, it turns out that the numbers don’t paint a rosy picture, and it’s because the screens were not placed in an effective location. Proper screen placement is necessary for the content to reach the customers in the most effective way possible.
Fortunately, there are ways to get better interactive digital signage results by avoiding common placement scenarios like these:
1. Placing displays too far away from merchandise
One of the biggest end users in the interactive signage landscape is the retail sector. Its primary goal is to encourage customers to spend money and buy products. But when an otherwise great interactive signage deployment ends with a call to action for customers to buy one or more sale items, and those items are located on the other side of the floor, the signage is not effective, because the product is not within arm’s reach.
2. Screens too far above eye level
Another huge placement mistake is to deploy screens in the middle of an otherwise busy aisle above eye level. Even though there may be many customers walking by, they’re unlikely to look up for any amount of time if they have to crane their necks to view content. And remember: The content is designed to be interactive. Placing displays where users have to make an uncomfortable effort to interact or watch the content will probably result in a negative impression in the customers' minds about the signage, even if it’s displaying useful, relevant content.
3. Placing signage in harshly lit environments
Some digital display manufacturers are getting really good at producing flat panels designed to be deployed under bright light and rugged conditions. But the truth is that the majority of manufacturers are not quite there yet as far as products meant to be used under harsh environmental conditions. So if there’s too much ambient light in the immediate area during daytime hours, and the screens are placed near windows, it’s likely that images on the screens will be washed out and make it hard to see and interact with content.
4. Not taking advantage of waiting areas
Any area where customers have to wait for any length of time is a good spot for digital signage. In hotel lobbies, interactive signage can be placed as an alternative to the staffed check-in counter or near elevators to give guests something to watch as they wait for the elevator to arrive. The same can be said for bank lobbies, ticket counters, subway platforms or any other place with heavy traffic and decent wait times.
Having well-defined goals of what your interactive digital signage is meant to accomplish will help with the placement of screens and avoid some of these common scenarios.