An Introduction to Digital Signage

Welcome to the world of digital signage, where eye-catching screens display pictures and videos to grab your attention. It’s a modern way for businesses and places like stores, offices, and airports to share information with you. You’ve probably seen these digital screens in many places, and they’re not just pretty to look at – they can be really useful too!

Digital signage is like having a giant TV screen that can show all sorts of things: ads, announcements, news, and more. It’s not just static pictures; it can have moving images and cool animations too. The best part is that all this content can be changed and updated from far away. That means businesses can show you the latest offers or important news without having to be right there in front of the screen.

Imagine walking into a store and seeing a bright screen showing you the newest products or a special sale – that’s digital signage in action! It can make places more interesting and fun, and it helps them tell you what’s going on.

In this guide, we’ll explore how digital signage software and hardware work, why it’s so popular, and all the cool things it can do for businesses and places you visit. Let’s dive in and discover the magic of digital signage together!

The components of digital signage

Digital signage can mean many things, but most digital signage systems are made up of these components:

1. Display Screens: Digital signage starts with the display screens, which can be LED, LCD, or OLED. These screens showcase the multimedia content to the audience and are the visual centerpiece of any digital signage setup.
2. Media Players: Media players are devices that connect to the display screens and play the multimedia content. They process and decode the content to be shown on the screens. Media players can be external devices or built into the screens themselves.
3. Content Management Software (CMS): The CMS is the heart of digital signage. It is a software application that allows users to create, manage, and schedule content. It enables users to upload images, videos, and other media, organize them into playlists, and set specific display schedules.
4. Content Creation Tools: Content creation tools are software or applications that help users design and develop the multimedia content for digital signage. These tools can include graphic design software, video editors, and animation programs.
5. Content Distribution and Scheduling: This component allows users to distribute content from the CMS to the media players and schedule when specific content should be displayed. It ensures that the right content appears on the right screens at the appropriate times.

Overall, these basic components work together to create an effective and engaging digital signage system that communicates messages, entertains audiences, and enhances the overall experience in various public spaces.

Let’s take a concrete example:

You run a coffee shop. You display your basic menu image on a screen. But with an advanced Content Management System (CMS), it’s like a dashboard to manage your content and playlists where you can also manage and configure many other things:

• Upload, manage and display your content and determine when you want to show it.
• Advertise a cold beverage when it’s hot outside or a hot beverage when it’s warm using a live weather feed. All of this is done automatically depending on the temperature outside.
• A product is not being displayed when it’s out of stock, all because you integrated stock management data into the CMS.
• Manage everything/ every visual displayed from a distance and apply it to all your different locations.
• Your staff has still the ability to make changes from a desktop or mobile device. Because you don’t need to install an app, the CMS is available from a mobile phone as well.
• You can display your live social media feeds; customers can see their contribution in real-time.

All of this and many functionalities are possible with advanced digital signage software. What you need to look for is an intuitive, easy-to-use CMS. No need to be a super techy, geeky person to know how to use QL Digital Signage Software from Navori. It’s been designed by our in-house engineers with non-tech-savvy end-users in mind.

Cloud-based digital signage

Cloud-based digital signage refers to a digital signage system where the content management, storage, and distribution are handled through cloud-based servers over the internet. In this setup, the digital signage software and content are hosted on remote servers provided by a cloud service provider.

With cloud-based digital signage, users can access and manage their content from any internet-connected device, such as a computer, tablet, or smartphone. They don’t need to be physically present at the location of the displays to make updates or changes, making it highly convenient and flexible.

Overall, cloud-based digital signage offers a flexible, efficient, and scalable solution for businesses and organizations to deploy and manage their digital signage networks with ease and effectiveness.

Finding the right digital signage company to work with

Finding the right digital signage company is crucial to ensure a successful and effective digital signage deployment. Here are some steps and tips to help you in your search:

1. Define Your Requirements: Start by identifying your specific needs and objectives for digital signage. Determine the number of screens, locations, and types of content you want to display. Having a clear understanding of your requirements will help you find a company that aligns with your needs.
2. Research and Shortlist: Look for reputable digital signage companies through online research, customer reviews, and recommendations from colleagues or industry peers. Shortlist a few companies that seem to have a good track record and positive customer feedback.
3. Check Experience and Expertise: Look for companies with a proven track record in the digital signage industry. Check their portfolio and case studies to see if they have experience working with businesses similar to yours.
4. Explore Solutions and Features: Assess the digital signage solutions and features offered by each company. Make sure they can cater to your specific requirements, such as content management, scheduling, interactivity, analytics, and remote management.
5. Hardware Compatibility: Ensure that the digital signage company’s software is compatible with a wide range of hardware and media player devices. This flexibility will allow you to choose the best hardware for your setup.
6. Budget and Pricing: Obtain detailed quotes from the shortlisted companies and compare their pricing. Make sure to consider both upfront costs and ongoing expenses for software licenses, maintenance, and updates.
7. Trial or Demo: If possible, request a trial or demo of the digital signage software to get hands-on experience with the system and understand its usability and functionality.
8. References and Testimonials: Ask the company for references or testimonials from their existing clients to get insights into their overall satisfaction with the service.

What digital signage hardware do I need?

These hardware components work in tandem with digital signage software to create a complete digital signage system. Some of the essential digital signage hardware components include:

1. Display Screens: These are the visual centerpiece of digital signage. Display screens can be LED, LCD, OLED, or other types, and they showcase the multimedia content to the audience.
2. Media Players: Media players are devices that connect to the display screens and play the digital content. They can be standalone devices or built into the screens themselves.
3. Mounts and Enclosures: Mounts and enclosures are used to securely install and protect the display screens and media players. They ensure the hardware is properly positioned and safeguarded from damage or theft.
4. Cables and Connectivity: Cables and connectors are essential for connecting the media players to the display screens and ensuring proper communication between hardware components.
5. Touchscreens (Optional): In interactive digital signage setups, touchscreens allow users to interact directly with the content, enhancing audience engagement and providing a personalized experience.
6. Sensors (Optional): Some digital signage systems may incorporate sensors like motion detectors or proximity sensors. These sensors trigger specific content based on user actions or movement.

Digital signage hardware plays a critical role in delivering captivating and engaging content to the audience, making it an integral part of any digital signage setup. The choice of hardware components should align with the specific requirements and objectives of the digital signage project to ensure a successful and effective deployment.

In conclusion

Now that you understand what digital signage entails, it’s time to take action. First, you’ve made informed decisions about your digital signage software provider and the most suitable hosting model for your needs. You have put the necessary display, hardware (if required), and CMS software in place, equipping yourself to move forward. Furthermore, you’ve completed your training and acquired the essential knowledge and skills to make the most of your digital signage solution. As you embark on this exciting journey, your creativity knows no bounds. Whether your business focuses on wayfinding, messaging, marketing, or outdoor advertising, digital signage offers a versatile tool to captivate your audiences. It has the power to influence customer behavior, drive decision-making, and elevate the overall viewer experience.

About Navori Labs

Navori Labs, a Swiss software innovator, delivers premium digital signage and AI-driven marketing analytics solutions to businesses and organizations worldwide.

What differentiates our software is the fact it’s developed by our own team of engineers. For the last 20 years, Navori Labs has steadily invested in research and development. This lets us bring to market unique products that outperform other software solutions. It’s also why we back our products with professional maintenance contracts and support services.

We pay a lot of attention to our software’s simplicity, user-friendliness, and ease of use. Our software is designed for non-technical users, under the expert guidance of our in-house artistic director.