The value of the digital signage display market is growing at a rate of around 7% a year as more businesses make the change from static to digital signage. It’s currently valued at $5.3 billion. Why are so many organizations making the switch to smart digital signage? Static signage is no longer able to engage with customers the way digital signage can. Digital signage offers a more engaging experience to customers who are now used to–and expecting–a digital experience.

Digital signage is more than a video screen, though. It’s a sophisticated system that allows businesses to update content on a digital display. This can help businesses more immediately meet the needs of customers in a way that boosts their ROI. From retail to healthcare, organizations in every industry are taking advantage of the power of digital signage to spread information, increase brand awareness, and deliver content in a more powerful way.

Digital smart signage takes it a step further. Smart signage creates even more innovative solutions that allow businesses to respond to changes automatically, delivering an even better experience for the customer. But is it the right solution for your organization? Learn more about smart digital signage, what makes it smart, and what the benefits could be for your business. 

What is Smart Digital Signage?

Smart digital signage is digital signage that’s partnered with smart software platforms that update and manage content. Traditional digital signage requires manual updates to the sign’s content catalog. With a smart digital sign, users can update the content remotely via an internet connection. Some smart signage platforms even update content for you automatically, based on various data points and triggers. Smart digital signage can be anything from a video wall to a small screen outside a conference room.

What Makes Digital Signage Smart?

There is a big difference between digital displays and smart digital signage. Essentially, though, these differences boil down into four main points: 

• Remote management. Digital displays force you to update on-site, either directly at the sign itself or via a PC kept on the premises. Smart digital displays will have a content management platform that allows you to update them remotely. You can update content from anywhere that you have an internet connection. That means you can update them from your desktop just as easily as you can update them from your phone on the beach. 
• Content scheduling. Instead of manually updating content when you need to change the signage, a smart display allows you to schedule content updates as and when you need them. You can get as granular as you want, too. Schedule content for the holiday season in July, or advertise specials at a restaurant during happy hour every Wednesday. The software will make it easy to schedule content in advance, freeing up your time for other tasks.   
• Business applications and data integration. Data integration is where smart signage really shines. You can use data sets to trigger updates to the signage. For example, you can update meeting room usage on the fly as team members book spaces on the company calendar. Or you can advertise how many special offers remain based on data from the cashpoint system. The software makes it easy to integrate data sets and create triggers for new content updates.
• Security. Traditional digital signage was easy to hack, making it a target for digital vandalism and disturbances. Smart signage makes security a top priority, though. Software and digital display hardware provide multiple layers of protection to keep out unwanted hackers while giving those with access an easy way to update. 

As artificial intelligence and smart signage platforms continue to advance, smart digital signage will get even smarter. That means the capability of these signs will only get better for business owners who start embracing the advancements now. 

What is Smart Digital Signage Software?

Smart digital signage software updates your digital screens, providing businesses with a comprehensive and efficient solution to manage their signage content. Cloud-based digital solutions, in particular, offer several advantages over traditional digital signage systems, such as cost savings, remote accessibility, and easy scalability. Good platforms should offer cloud-based CMS, user-friendly interfaces, and reporting features to facilitate a seamless content management process. To better understand how to leverage digital signage software, let’s delve deeper into some key aspects.

Cloud-Based CMS

A cloud-based CMS provides the convenience of updating digital signage content from anywhere with an internet connection. This remote accessibility makes managing your digital signage network more efficient and allows seamless collaboration among team members.

User-Friendly Interface

The smart digital signage software should have an intuitive user interface, making it easy for staff members with varying technical expertise to manage content effectively. A user-friendly platform reduces the learning curve and streamlines the content management process.

Reporting Features

An essential aspect of smart digital signage software is its ability to provide detailed reports on the performance of your signage campaigns. These analytics help you make data-driven decisions for optimizing your content strategy, adjusting your messaging, and improving your ROI.

Data Integration Capabilities

Smart digital signage software should be able to integrate with other software systems and applications.  API integration allows businesses to automate content updates based on real-time data, such as inventory levels, weather conditions, or social media feeds, further enhancing customer engagement. For instance, a multi-location retail business could integrate its inventory management system with its digital signage software. This integration would allow the software to automatically update product information and availability across all locations in real-time.

Scalability and Flexibility

As your business grows and evolves, so should your digital signage software. Choose a platform that can accommodate your expanding needs, from adding new screens and locations to incorporating advanced features and functionalities. Remember, the goal is to create engaging, targeted content that resonates with your audience while streamlining the management process for your team.

Looking for smart digital signage software that offers all of this and more? Learn more about EnGage CMS.

Benefits of Smart Digital Signage

There is a reason the smart digital signage industry is booming. Organizations are seeing first-hand the benefits of installing dynamic signage in their facilities. This is about more than just looking good; it’s about maximizing internal and external customer engagement to boost ROI. Here’s how:

Catch Customers’ Attention with Captivating Displays

Static signage is easy to overlook, no matter how well-designed it is. Printed signs are no match for the lure of someone’s tablet or smartphone. But a digital display is. With bright, easy-to-read, and top picture quality, organizations can capture attention even in crowded, busy environments. Digital signage case studies show that smart signage can help do things like boost average sales amounts. 

For instance, ComQi created immersive, interactive touchscreen displays to bring an information database to life for a leader in the tourism industry. These displays were then placed in high-traffic tourist locations such as attractions, visitor centers, airports, retail destinations, and hotel lobbies.

Featuring high-definition images, videos, and information in six languages, the signage drove brand awareness. The boards helped visitors connect with tourism information by virtually exploring nearby attractions, accessing maps, previewing menus, sharing content, and even booking their tickets.

The beautiful displays engaged and excited new audiences of tourists, increasing visitor engagement with the featured events and attractions. The digital signage’s immersive format allowed the company’s partners to showcase their offerings more effectively, leading to higher conversion rates for those featured in the displays. 

The increased signage engagement ultimately enhanced the visibility and reach of both the company and its partners, demonstrating the value of smart signage in capturing customers’ attention and improving overall brand awareness.

This is just one of the many ways smart digital signage can be used to benefit brands. Read on to explore more advantages. 

Create Custom Content

Smart displays allow you to instantaneously update your signage, ensuring your content remains fresh and relevant. The smart signage software can even do it for you. Integrate custom content updates with tweets, Instagram posts, or even something as simple as the weather. Content management platforms make it easy to manage your customer content with a few clicks so signage updates are easier, faster, and better than ever. With smart digital signage software, you can also automate these updates to reduce inefficiencies and ensure consistency across displays.

Going further, this software lets you control and update your signage across multiple locations with just a few clicks. This feature makes signage updates easier, faster, and more efficient. These platforms also offer robust content creation tools that enable you to design visually appealing, engaging, and interactive content for your displays.

This level of control and flexibility allows businesses to quickly adapt to changing trends, customer preferences, or even local events, keeping their signage relevant and engaging for their target audience. This results in a more dynamic and captivating digital signage experience tailored to customers’ specific needs and interests, ultimately leading to increased customer engagement and satisfaction.

Instant Troubleshooting to Maximize Uptime

Digital displays are only useful when they are working. A broken or blank sign can actually hurt an organization’s reputation, so uptime matters. Smart displays offer real-time troubleshooting solutions, giving users notifications that something is wrong and taking action to correct it. This can help maximize the uptime of the display, thus maximizing the impact of the signage and making it more cost-effective. 

Industries are embracing smart digital displays for a reason. They work to attract customer attention, provide better information, increase engagement, and give businesses more powerful marketing options. If you’d like to learn more about putting smart signage in your facility, get in touch with the ComQi team today to learn more about our powerful digital signage solutions.

Enhanced Customer Experience 

Smart digital signage can enhance customer experience by providing dynamic, engaging content targeted to a specific audience.By tailoring content to the specific interests and needs of the customer, businesses can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Increased Flexibility 

Smart digital signage provides businesses with increased flexibility in marketing and advertising. With the ability to quickly update content and messaging, companies can easily adapt to changing market conditions or promotions. This versatility means businesses can be more agile in marketing efforts, allowing them to respond to new opportunities or challenges more quickly and effectively.

Elevate Your Communications Strategy with Smart Digital Signage

Smart digital signage is rapidly becoming necessary for businesses looking to engage customers and drive revenue. With captivating displays, custom content options, and instant troubleshooting capabilities, the benefits are clear. Digital signage helps organizations of all sizes and industries increase brand awareness, promote products and services, and provide helpful information to their customers.

If you want to implement smart digital signage in your business, the ComQi team is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our robust digital signage solutions and how we can help you transform your business with smart signage technology.