Digital signage has come a long way since the days of LED displays with scrolling text messages in shop windows. Falling costs of flat screen technologies, coupled with increased storage capacities and use of Web-enabled back-end systems have brought digital signage into the mainstream: while retail outlets have been early adopters, you’re now just as likely to see a digital display in a hotel lift, a doctor’s surgery or a taxi.

As a result, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to digital signage. The simplest installation can involve a single screen, connected to a storage mechanism such as a memory card or DVD player. At the other end of the scale, multi-screen signage can be deployed and managed across a number of sites, with centralised management of how display content is downloaded or streamed onto display devices. 

Compared to posters, cut-outs and other printed display options, once a system is in place it enables simpler control, faster updates and simpler distribution. To really be worth doing however, digital signage solutions need to take viewers to places that print media and static displays cannot go. For a start, animated and video displays can be more compelling than their static equivalents: a screen showing a beautiful lakeside comes to life should there be ripples at the water’s edge.

At the same time a clear opportunity exists for far greater levels of interaction and sensory engagement, as compared to traditional media. Devices can sense passers-by or react to direct input to make for a more welcoming experience – for example by causing display information to change, a voice to speak or music to play. Screens can help purchasers with decision making by providing appropriate advice, stock checks or offers in real time.

Getting digital signage right is more than simply translating print images to a digital screen, or indeed being seen as a conduit for video and animated content. Indeed, it requires a completely fresh look at the customer experience, depending on where people are and what they are doing. For example digital content in window displays or at train stations will have a relatively short opportunity to engage an audience, compared to an in-store display which allows for a much higher level of interaction. The location itself also needs to be taken into account – for example, it is not always possible to incorporate audio with display content, in either noisy or quiet environments.

As technology develops, new opportunities exist to enable even higher levels of interaction. For example, augmented reality capabilities can combine existing content with live video to enable new ways to engage with customers. This can be as simple as projecting a customer image onto a video of a beach scene, or showing the location of the changing rooms. People can interact with digital signage using their own mobile phones, through Bluetooth, text messaging or Twitter. And advances in motion sensing devices can further enhance the experience.

While the only thing limiting the potential of digital signage may be the imagination, it is worth remembering that its success is best measured in terms of how well a solution engages an audience, and how this translates into action. This is not about simply investing in digital technologies however good they are, but designing and deploying a compelling interaction.