Where to Place Your Digital Signage Screens for Maximum Effectiveness?

This article will provide businesses with strategic insights on where to place digital signage screens to maximize viewer engagement and impact, enhancing the effectiveness of their visual communication efforts.

Digital screen signage systems offer a technological advancement when it comes to marketing and displaying pertinent information for businesses of all sizes. No matter the industry in which your business is, when you have digital signage display screen material you need to make sure that it is installed strategically for optimal business impact.

The right placement can dramatically increase visibility as well as effectiveness for any campaign but, the converse is true such that incorrect placement can take away from the efficacy of your material.

Understanding the Basics of Digital Signage Placement

What are the different types of digital screen signage systems? Understanding this will help you determine the importance of screen visibility and foot traffic pattern analysis based on the way in which you plan to use your digital screens.

Types of digital signage systems

Digital signage systems refer to digital screens on which you can display different information. There are several types, including:

• Indoor digital signage screen options
• Outdoor digital signage
• Video walls
• Menu boards
• Wayfinding stations 
• And more

Figuring out the type you plan to use will influence where you want to install your digital signage screen for optimal success.

Let's look at a few examples based on screen visibility and foot traffic analysis for placement decisions.

A large shopping complex has several businesses within it and wants to create a wayfinding station with a digital signage screen. Customers have regularly complained that they have issues getting around and finding the location of smaller businesses or new businesses without a central information sign.

In this example, a foot traffic analysis would reveal that the majority of people enter from one of two locations depending on where they parked, which would indicate that the wayfinding digital signage screen would need to be installed at either entrance. More importantly, screen visibility would need to be at average eye level for adults who are coming through the doors, which would indicate the need to install a digital signage display screen about 44 inches above the ground. Screen adjustment or secondary screens would also need to be considered to comply with any ADA requirements.

Now, let's look at a different example.

A busy front office wants to utilize digital screen signage systems for entertainment purposes, providing a video wall for those who are waiting in the lobby. 

For this company, audience engagement would be contingent upon the viewability of the sign which means that the screen needs to be high enough up that it can be comfortably viewed while sitting in the lobby chairs. It would need to be at such a height and angle that seated patrons don’t have to crane their necks to watch.

This company would be better off installing their screens much higher up, closer to the ceiling, and tilted downwards several inches at an angle.

High-Impact Locations for Digital Signage

When utilizing digital screen signage systems, companies need to be aware not just of the type of screen they want to use but the most high impact locations for those digital signs. 

The majority of companies will benefit from focusing on high-traffic areas such as:

1. Entrances and Exits
2. Point of Sale locations
3. Waiting Areas
4. High-traffic areas like hallways

But what does this look like for different sectors?

Sector-Specific Placement Strategies

For the retail sector, a digital signage screen might be best installed where most people can comfortably view the information while standing because they will be walking through the store while shopping, and the brighter or more visible that content, the more likely they are to see it and act upon it.

This would mean establishing strategic digital signage display screens around things like point-of-sale systems, near entrances, and in high-traffic areas where large aisles come together.

For the healthcare sector, the needs and designs of each digital screen signage system will determine the correct placement. Doctor's offices that want to include useful information about appointments or office locations might install standing units in the entrances at 44 inches high so that people can view them when they first walk through the doors but also install screens for video walls and other entertainment in large waiting areas.

Technological Considerations for Placement

When you are evaluating the use of digital screen signage systems you also have to take into consideration the environment where this will be displayed.

For starters, you need to determine whether your signage will be displayed indoors or outdoors. If you are utilizing indoor digital signage, you can get away with repurposing a traditional television or even a screen for personal use as your display center. 

However, if you are installing something outdoors it needs to be ruggedized with things like waterproofing functions or a secure base where things like wind and foot traffic won't knock it over. For this you'll need to invest in commercial screens.

From there you'll need to determine the durability needs you have as well as considerations for lifespan, warranties, and brightness. Different residential televisions have limited brightness parameters compared to commercial, purpose-built digital signage but you can choose an investment option that works best for your company.

Other technical considerations for the placement of your digital signage screen include installation needs such as:

1. The availability of nearby power sources
2. Connectivity
3. Security

You might decide that a high traffic area near the entrance is a great place for a digital screen only to realize you don't have any available outlets and running a power cable along the hall would be dangerous.

Conclusion

There are many key factors to consider when choosing effective digital sign placement. Understand the type of digital signage you want, what purpose it will serve, and, from there, any technical considerations. When you are installing your digital signage, take into consideration high-impact locations that will achieve the best visibility and interaction from your customers or clients.