Why digital displays for advertising?

When it comes to capturing the attention of your audience, digital screens are the best solution. Thanks to its high brightness, any picture can catch viewers’ eyes with juicy colors. What other strong points does it have? 

• Any type of content: Broadcast videos, animated messages, photos, slideshows, social media posts — anything that comes to your mind is possible with digital screens.
• Any size and shape: By combining clusters into a single large screen, you can create a single monitor with a complex configuration.
• Flexible to your needs: Choose the digital signage software that will meet all your business requirements. With Displayforce software, we can create a unique solution just for you. 
• Easy care: Digital displays do not require deep cleaning: it is enough just to take care of the front part.

You may have already started looking where to buy a perfect digital screen, but you may also be spoiled for choice, as there are too many solutions on the modern market. Let us make it easier for you: in this article, we have collected all the necessary information about the best commercial screens of various types and uses. 

Indoor LCD display

This is classical digital signage that is usually hung on the wall to broadcast some content and attract viewers. Such displays have a wide range of screen sizes from 19 to 55 inches, usually in landscape format. LCDs are eco-friendly, as they are designed to use less energy, but still they manage to keep high resolution. 

Commonly used for indoor advertising in restaurants, retail locations, or hotels.

But keep in mind that some of the older LCD models may be cheaper but they also may have limited viewing angles due to their technical specifications. So if you want digital signage to accomplish your goals, consider getting new LCD screens. 

Indoor LED screens

These are huge seamless LED panels that are hard not to take notice of. They consist of many separate sections, called cabinets, which are installed on a pre-prepared metal structure. When it comes to size, the sky’s the limit. LED screens are also flexible in shaping: they can be curved, or even have the most non-standard shapes. 

Best used for large open spaces, for example, in malls, at exhibitions, at airports and railway stations. LED screens are also perfect for outdoor advertising. In that case, they are usually additionally equipped with protection against dust, dirt and precipitation.

But keep in mind that the cost of an LED screen can be much higher than that of an LCD display. However, it is offset by high brightness and image quality.

Floor-standing digital signage

Like a digital display, but on the floor. Such stands are usually of vertical format, from 35 to 75 inches, looking like a huge smartphone. They offer great visibility thanks to wide viewing angles, so that the image on the screen can be seen wherever a person is, and they can even be double-sided. Also, such stands are great for transportation as the wall is not needed: they can be placed anywhere on the floor.

Best used for large open spaces when there’s no way to place displays on the walls: hotel lobbies, malls, exhibitions, etc. 

But keep in mind that by placing stands, you run a greater risk of screen damage in case of crowds. To avoid this, when buying, you should take into account the quality of the stand in order to protect yourself from unnecessary expenses in the future.

Digital menu boards

In the modern era, images speak louder than words. Digital menu boards are created to provide customers with fast information and help them to make a purchase through images alone. Such boards can display HD images, videos of food, etc., or advertise rotating promos. It’s hard to resist a video of a juicy burger on a big screen. 

Digital menu boards can be in portrait or landscape orientation, from 32 to 55 inches. They’re often located next to each other to represent a single space. 

Best used in restaurants or cafes to attract the attention of customers. Digital menus are usually located above the cash registers, containing the main menu, promotions, combo meals, and other information that stimulates purchases. 

But keep in mind that customers need a line of sight to digital menus. That may be a problem when the place is crowded, so make sure that your boards are placed correctly for customers to enjoy images of delicious food. 

Interactive touch screens 

This is a much deeper level of communication between brands and customers. There is no better way to get information than interacting with it directly. Customers can interact with touch screens in a familiar way: pinch, zoom, swipe, etc., just like they do on their mobile phones. Touch screens are able to respond quickly and intuitively. They can be positioned vertically or horizontally, hung on the wall, or placed on a stand on the floor. Like classic screens, they can be from 15 to 55 inches in diagonal.

Best used to help users find a product, order an out-of-stock item, find the way to the restroom, or see the details of a promotion being offered.

But keep in mind that touch screens should be placed indoors, without much natural lighting, as when direct sunlight hits them, the brightness is insufficient and content can be difficult to see. Consider buying a more expensive touch screen to avoid such issues. It will be used more often and delight your customers.

Self-checkout kiosks

This is an automated self-ordering and payment system. Such kiosks are used to speed up the ordering process, reduce queues and waiting time at the checkout, increasing customer loyalty and the total number of purchases. Usually created on the basis of a 27-inch vertical touch screen. Often equipped with very durable glass with the possibility of up to 10 simultaneous touches. While the kiosk is not in use, it may display advertisements, promotions, and other informational content for visitors.

But keep in mind that even though self-checkouts can reduce queues, they may be inconvenient for some customers. You should consider the different demographic characteristics of your audiences: for the elderly, it is usually much easier to communicate with actual humans rather than trying to operate a machine. 

POS digital displays 

These are digital tablets of a small size (from 10 to 15 inches), installed directly at the point of sale. POS digital displays show relevant promotions and info right next to the product you sell. This will catch the attention of the viewer and influence their purchase decision in a much more effective way. Different POS software programs have their own management system that allows you not only to manage promotions and ads throughout one store, but a whole chain of stores with just one click. 

But keep in mind that you need a reliable internet connection for a POS system to perform smoothly. If your store doesn’t have the best connection, or your store is mobile and you don’t always know whether you’ll have a good internet connection, there may be problems running a POS system correctly.

Digital shelf edge displays

This is an innovative way to place prices all over the store. No more inaccuracies and manual work: show real-time prices in just one click with bright juicy animations to create a memorable shopping experience for your customers. The prices can be changed anytime, so you can use dynamic pricing strategies to change labels based on the time of day or competitor activity, adapting them to different target audiences. 

But keep in mind that digital shelves are new to the market and thus there can be a small selection of software for it. In addition to choosing it, it also takes time to learn how to use it and truly understand the full scope of features and functionality. 

Digital Window Displays 

A digital window display is often the first impression a customer will get of a retail store. As the face of your store, it plays a key role in customer engagement. Digital displays are sure to catch the viewers’ eyes and stand out from other retail businesses in the area using attractive, dynamic images. It is important for such screens to be sunlight readable, so they are made with specially increased brightness to be clearly seen in any weather or under any indoor lighting. They most often have portrait orientation and a large size, from 43 to 75 inches. In addition, they can be double-sided so that information is displayed both outside in windows and inside the room.

But keep in mind that it is important for such displays to show a really bright image, so it should not be obstructed with direct sunlight and must stand out from other retail businesses in the area. To accomplish these goals, consider using LED screens, which may demand higher costs at first, but will increase your sales in the long run.

Video walls 

This is a collection of digital screens combined into a single system, displaying parts of the image and video as a whole. The dimensions of such walls can reach up to 32 square meters. Because of the displays’ size and clarity, video walls create a WOW effect that plays a crucial role in marketing and branding. In spite of the large format, video walls are flexible in transportation, as they can be easily disassembled into smaller displays.

But keep in mind that for the image to be bright and engaging, you have to be careful with screen selection. LCD screens may be cheaper, but also the quality is lower. Plus, a video wall consisting of several LCD screens has one unpleasant feature: the black bars where the screens are put together. These bars disrupt the overall picture and divide it into individual small segments. LED screens would be more suitable at this point, but more expensive as well: they are not visible for the viewer, as the single cabinets do not show any bars that connect the compartments. Therefore, the image can be viewed as a whole and will leave an impression on the viewer. 

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To sum up

Digital signage brings your business to a new level of communication with your customers. A whole world of new advertising opportunities opens up to you. Launch tailored messages throughout a chain of stores, set new promotions with just one click at any time of the day, adapt any content to your target audience, and create a memorable shopping experience for your customers, increasing their loyalty and your sales. 

Now that you know what types of commercial screens are available and what purposes they can be used for, let us help you to find the perfect unique solution for your business. We’re looking forward to bringing you the latest innovations.