10 digital signage best practices

We live in a universe where technology is rapidly advancing, and almost everything is becoming digital. No one could have envisaged touch screen cell phones a century ago, and no one could have imagined digital displays a decade ago. Nonetheless, they are one of the most effective methods for presenting information to buyers today.

Digital signage should pull both customers and passers-by in. The objective is to entice them, promote a product, and deliver information. While this is certainly advantageous, it is only successful when implemented appropriately.

Selecting the right location, catering to a particular audience, and making sure the content on the screen is easy to view and understand are all tactics that will make your digital signage succeed. It’s also critical to consider accessibility and visual appeal when creating content for your company or organization. Here’s our list of best practices that will help you design engaging and successful signage projects.

1. Less is more

When it comes to digital signage best practices, less is more. It’s critical not to overload the viewer with too much information. The goal of digital signage is to provide a clear message to the audience in a short amount of time. Remember that your message will only play for 8-12 seconds. When deciding what to include in your material, keep this in mind.

It should never be a chore to read your signage. Stick to a bit of several words and rewrite your message till it’s as brief and concise as possible.

2. Consider contrast and legibility

Planning for the correct viewpoint will be beneficial to the overall success of your message. If the viewer cannot distinguish your design pieces, your message can be missed. Legibility is primarily determined by contrast; insufficient contrast reduces legibility, whereas good contrast enhances it. Ensure there is a lot of difference between your background and foreground colors, especially when it comes to text.

Use text that contrasts well enough with the background to be legible to people with low eyesight. Use a color contrast checker like WebAIM to evaluate the contrast between your text and the background.

Using a larger font size, keeping content fresh using only one or two types of fonts, and maintaining contrasts for background and foreground helps to make your content more legible. Use short and eye-catching content so that it will attract more customers.

3. Follow the 3×5 rule

The words on the screen convey a clear and straightforward message. Don’t overcrowd your graphics with text. Maintain a large text size for easy reading at a distance, and get only the most necessary information. Apply the 3×5 rule. Either have 3 lines of text with 5 words or less per line or have 5 lines with 3 words at max.

4. Have powerful visuals

Humans are visual creatures. The visuals are, without a doubt, the most significant aspect of your signage. It would help if you always considered the visuals you employ in your signs, ensuring that they enhance your display rather than being a distraction. Never overload your presentation with images; this can confuse your audience and cause your message to get lost in the shuffle.

Here are a few guidelines for generating excellent visuals:

• Experiment with different sizes, fonts, colors, and shapes in your designs.
• Use a border to draw attention to the center of your sign.
• Use common aspect ratios such as 16:9 or 4:3.
• Match your images to the resolution of your character.
• Examine your displays from the standpoint of your viewers.

5. Use information hierarchy wisely

The most crucial information that most viewers will read is the headline. They might not read the rest of the message; therefore, the headline should be clear, simple, and appropriately convey the message’s substance. This text should be the message’s most significant and boldest piece of information. For each statement, remember to include a “Call to Action.”

While displaying text or visuals, always include headings and subheadings in a hierarchical pattern so that the customer can have a clear view of your message.

Information hierarchy has three elements:

• Heading
• Body content
• Call to Action

Remember that the heading should be more significant and bolder than body content. Also, do not forget to include Call to Action for generating more leads.

6. Have a solid and clear Call to Action (CTA)

Make sure your Call to Action (CTA) message is perfect if you use your digital signage displays to persuade users to do anything specific. Make your objective apparent with a brief and concise call-to-action phrase. Always be precise when providing places, dates, and times.

Here are some examples of short but powerful calls to action:

• Join our community
• Learn more
• Find out more
• Be the best
• Sign up now

It is significant because your call to action is your finest opportunity to motivate your audience to take action. A solid CTA can be the most crucial aspect of your display, and a fantastic one can boost sales and inspire spectators to become customers. CTAs are what transform a piece of information into an effective marketing tool.

7. Be in the right place

There are typically three locations where your signage can be received: the point of transit, the point of wait, or the point of sale. Taking the viewing pattern of your digital signage into consideration definitely increases the effectiveness of your message.

Point of Transit

Digital displays at points of transit should be five words or fewer and easily understood at a glance. People in transportation usually rush and will not respond well to interactive content. Calls to action, event notices, and regular reminders are some display examples.

Point of Wait

At a point of waiting, signage might be longer and more engaging. People who spend a long time in waiting rooms or lobbies are more likely to attract exciting material. Waiting areas are ideal for interactive material such as directories, files, calendars, and news.

Point of Sale

Because consumers are usually standing in a queue, the content shown at a point of sale can be longer. Point of sale is also a perfect spot to assist people in making a purchase decision. Promotions, daily specials, and sales are excellent content choices for a point of sale display.

8. Be in the right place at the right time

Consider the nature of the place as well as the time. Schedule your playlists to alter based on the area’s dynamic in which your display is located. 

Transitions between pages, for example, may occur less frequently at a dental office because these venues usually move at a slower pace. In this case, viewers want to regularly check in with the display between activities such as reading a magazine or checking email. 

However, transitions should often occur in a crowded hallway because viewing time is substantially shorter, needing information to be presented swiftly and concisely.

9. Make sure that your signage is accessible

Digital signage is covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and there are some standards to follow to ensure that your digital signs comply with the law.

Any interactive signage containing interactive features such as keypads, buttons, or touchscreens must be accessible to individuals with impairments. The following are some of the ADA’s regulations, which can be found online:

• Any interactive signage must be no higher than 48 inches off the ground.
• Any interactive signage must be within a 10-inch radius of the user.
• Any screen enclosures or digital signage fixed on the wall shall be no more than 4 inches from the wall.
• Any wall-mounted display or section must be between 27 and 80 inches from the ground.
• All numbers on a numeric keypad must be in order, and the number 5 key must have a raised bump.

This is significant because ensuring that your digital signage is accessible to individuals with disabilities is a simple approach to ensure that your message reaches the widest potential audience. Noncompliance with ADA rules has substantial implications, including lawsuits and heavy fines.

10. Keep updating your content

People tend to become blind to the same stuff when they see it repeatedly. Change the content on your digital signs frequently to keep your target audience engaged. Refresh your design so that anybody who views it thinks it’s a whole new display.

This is critical since altering your content regularly maintains it fresh and keeps viewers interested. If you keep displaying the same basic stuff on your televisions, your audience will lose interest and quit watching, whereas new information will appeal to a broader range of clients and keep their attention.

Conclusion

To sum up, remember that 90% of the information delivered to your brain is visual, and people retain just 65% of visually presented information after three days. Following these recommended best practices will help you get the most out of your digital signage and avoid common digital signage mistakes.

Digital signage systems are incredible modern tools that may be utilized for almost any purpose you can think of. With several benefits, all you have to do now is not believe in digital signage myths and find out how to use the technology to its full potential. Once you’ve mastered it, you’ll be able to communicate with and inform your customers in a whole new way.