FAQs

Q?

What are the most common places Digital Signage is used?

A.

Digital signs are used for many different purposes and there is no definitive list. However, below are some of the most common applications of digital sign:

  1. Public information– news, weather, traffic and local (location specific) information, such as building directory with map, fire exits and traveler information.
  2. Internal information- corporate messages, such as health & safety items, news, and so forth.
  3. Product information– pricing, photos, raw materials or ingredients, suggested applications and other product information - especially useful in food marketing where signage may include nutritional facts or suggested uses or recipes.
  4. Advertising and Promotion– promoting products or services, may be related to the location of the sign or using the screen's audience reach for general advertising.
  5. Brand building– in-store digital sign to promote the brand and build a brand identity.
  6. Influencing customer behavior– directing customers to different areas, increasing the "dwell time" on the store premises, and a wide range of other uses in service of such influence.
  7. Influencing product or brand decision-making- Signage at the point of sale designed to influence choice e.g. Signage to help shoppers to choose dresses inside a fashion store [13] or devices that on a computerized shopping trolley helping the customer locate products, check prices, access product information and manage shopping lists.[14]
  8. Enhancing customer experience– applications include the reduction of perceived wait time in the waiting areas of restaurants and other retail operations, bank queues, and similar circumstances, as well as demonstrations, such as those of recipes in food stores, among other examples.
  9. Navigation– with interactive screens (in the floor, for example, as with "informational footsteps" found in some tourist attractions, museums, and the like) or with other means of "dynamic wayfinding".

Q?

What type of content can I use on my Digital Sign?

A.

Content for digital signage can include text, photos, eye-catching motion graphics, video clips, live feeds, HTML Slideshows, Direct .jpgs and other assets to connect with your audience. Popular content categories include, event schedules, weather, news, sports scores, stock tickers, infotainment, survey results, testimonials, room or office locations, and much more.

Q?

Why should I purchase a licensed feed when there are so many free RSS feeds?

A.

Many RSS feeds including those from Yahoo and other popular sites are intended for use on web sites only and are monetized by the provider via google ads. RSS providers frequently change their XML structure so as to break feeds that violate their terms and conditions. To ensure that your feeds are stable, consistent and license compliant you should always purchase a licensed fee, this will minimize support issues and insure that your company is compliant with the content providers.

Q?

How do I manage my Digital Signage System?

A.

Digital Signage is a simple 4 step process; involves a large flat panel display screen, a signage player, and cloud-based, remote management software. Display screens located in different locations (floors, buildings, campuses, towns, or even countries) can be managed and monitored remotely from a centralized location.

  1. The signage player is connected to the internet using wireless or Ethernet cable, and to the display screen using the HDMI (or DVI) cable. Each display screen requires its own digital signage player / device.
  2. The web-based CMS, which can be accessed from anywhere using a web browser, allowing users to upload and/or create content, playlists and templates. The content can be organized for playback as per a schedule.
  3. Once configured via the CMS, the player downloads and displays media files on the screen. The screen can be split into multiple regions (or zones) with different content, with slides like weather, text ticker, live traffic, RSS etc.
  4. The CMS affords remote access to schedules, content or playlists. To update or to create a new playback schedule, simply log in to the software (from any location) and create/update/edit the content as needed.

Q?

What is the meaning of “Above the Fold”

A.

In the early days of publishing, ‘above the fold’ was a term used for content that appeared on the top half of the front page of a newspaper. When newspapers were displayed on a newsstand, the headlines and lead stories that appeared above the fold were the most visible, and catchy headlines and vivid imagery were commonly used to attract readers’ attention, convincing them to buy the paper. As publishers moved their businesses online and web design evolved in the 1990’s, the term continued to stick. Today, the fold no longer refers to an actual fold in a newspaper, but the bottom of a browser window, or approximately 600 pixels from the top of the page.

Q?

Why is “Above the Fold” important?

A.

Content layout and placement is important because content that appears above the fold is what is first visible when the user loads the page. It is the prime real estate that gets most of the attention from users.

Because of its high visibility, the content that you place above the fold should be the content that is most important to achieving your business goals. The content should immediately grab the user’s attention and present them with the content that they are looking for so that they don’t bounce and visit another site.

When it comes to advertising, placing ads above the fold improves their visibility and generates more ad revenue than ads that are placed in less visible locations.

Q?

What is a Digital Signage CMS?

A.

A Digital Signage Content Management System (CMS) is a computer application that allows for the customization, scheduling, monitoring, and deployment of content across a network of digital displays. Think of your CMS as mission control for your digital signage network. Content management systems can be accessed using your computer in one of two ways, depending on your digital signage software provider:

  • Web-Based/Cloud-Based –Your content management dashboard is hosted on your provider’s website, with all of your data saved in the cloud.
  • Desktop Download –Your content management dashboard is a downloadable program that runs on your computer’s desktop.

Most modern providers offer a web-based CMS. Through the website, you will have a username and password to log in and access your dashboard. A major benefit of using a web-based content management system is the ability to log in to your dashboard from more than one computer, which also makes it easier to get multiple users started.

Q?

What will a Digital Signage CMS allow me to do?

A.

Digital signage content management systems are essentially the control system for the content playing on your network. Generally, a digital signage CMS will allow you to, browse, create and customize content within your CMS dashboard, you’ll be able to browse and customize various content feeds for your display. Data Call’s content offerings include, news, sports, weather, financial, infotainment and much more, visit our content pages to learn more at: http://www.datacalltech.com/content-feeds/