Digital signage is a great addition to your in-store marketing efforts. Eye-catching graphics and displays that pop can make your shop atmosphere more interactive than ever before.
Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the excitement of adding this technology to your business, and easier still to make some fatal digital signage mistakes that transform your signs from a positive addition to a huge customer turnoff.
Learn more about the most common digital signage mistakes, as well as how your business can avoid them, below.
Mistake 1: Content Overload
Even though digital signage affords you a new medium through which to display your message, be it a killer sale or a new product you think your customers will love, you need to scale it back. The eye can only take in so much information at once, after all. Crowding your digital display with too many graphics and large chunks of text creates “visual clutter”. Simply put: If you display too much at once, your customers will take one look at the screen and decide it’s not worth the effort to decipher what’s important.
In order to make the most of your digital signage, use a “less is more” approach. If you have a large message to convey, consider a larger display or multiple smaller screens to get the point across to your customers. Brevity, clarity, and succinct wording are powerful when working with digital displays.
Mistake 2: Repetative, Unengaging Messaging
You want to reduce visual clutter, but you also want to keep your message fresh. By breaking up a larger message into several smaller displays or multiple slides on one screen, you keep the display eye-catching and increase customer engagement. If your displays all say the same thing over and over, you’re not using your digital signage to its full potential. The longer you hold your customers’ attention – and the more you engage them – the larger the payoff will be in increased sales.
There will come a point, though, when you want the customer to stop watching and start shopping. Engaging customers too much while failing to include a call to action runs the risk of losing customers to their own thoughts.
Mistake 3: Poor Placement
You don’t want your message going above your customers’ heads – literally. Customer comfort is key, so if your customers have to crane their necks or crouch down to see the display, you’ve already lost them. Customer engagement with digital media is highest when you make things easy for them.
Mounting your display at or slightly above eye level means they don’t have to work hard to get your message: it’s there, it’s easy and they can take the whole display in without an iota of physical discomfort.
If you implement touch screens and interactive media in your digital display marketing, you must be even more cognizant of screen placement. Not only do your displays nave to be easy to reach, but they need to be accessible to multiple demographics, including those in wheelchairs or using mobility aids.
Mistake 4: A Lack of User Friendliness
If you’ve got an interactive digital display, you’ll naturally want to tell or show people how it works. When confronted with new or unfamiliar technology, many people are hesitant to jump right in for fear of causing an error. Even if the bulk of your customer base is made up of tech-savvy consumers, you’ll still have a certain number of customers who will be hesitant to engage with your digital marketing efforts if they don’t know how it works.
By posting clear instructions and offering excellent customer service to those who need a little more help, you’ll not only increase customer engagement, you’ll also create a more positive shopping experience for your customers.
It’s also a good idea to post clear policies on digital signage for customers and employees, making it clear what can and cannot be done to or with the displays. For every tech-fearful customer, you’ll end up with one or two who think it’s okay to use your digital display to try and check their social media sites. Shutting down that behavior before it starts is the best way to handle those customers who aren’t respectful of your property.
Mistake 5: Forgetting to Service Your Signs Regularly
If you’re not servicing your hardware and upgrading your software regularly, you’re making a big mistake. Think about how often your home computer needs cleaning, then imagine dozens, if not hundreds, of people using your very own personal keyboard every day. It would get pretty grimy, pretty fast, right? Keeping any input devices clean and keeping your digital displays functional is necessary if you want to keep using them. Just like a home computer, digital signage maintenance includes hardware and software components.
The physical hardware you use in your digital marketing displays may not need to be replaced very often, but it should be cleaned regularly and inspected for damage or wear. The software you use determines how efficiently and effectively your message gets across to your customers. Technology changes fast, so keeping software updated will help deliver the best customer experience.
Mistake 6: Overwhelming Your Customers’ Senses
Digital signage is a visual medium. If you’re going for store ambiance, chances are pretty good that you’ve already got fully licensed in-store music playing along with a custom scent that fills your shop. Avoid sensory overload by keeping digital signage limited to being a purely visual medium. This means no loud music, sudden noises, or anything that might destroy the carefully crafted atmosphere you’re using to keep your customers engaged.
Again, it’s all about appealing to your customers in a way that will keep them turned on, tuned in, and engaged. Adding noise to the mix sends some into a panic and keeps others from forming a cohesive train of thought. Your goal of keeping customers focused on your message is out of reach if you assault their senses.
Digital Signage Mistakes Are Avoidable
It’s easy to make a mistake, especially if this is your first foray into the world of digital signage. By pairing up with a company focused on helping you make your shop a beacon of customer service and positive experiences, you’ll increase your chances of getting it right. Spectrio can help you optimize your digital displays and avoid the mistakes that many retailers make with digital signage.
Schedule a demo with us today to see how!