Even when used in its most basic form, digital signage delivers something appealing. A simple rectangle of digital content can transform a visit to the shop into a unique customer experience. It becomes even more exciting and special when we add more innovative and exciting elements into the mix. Here, we talk about the types of displays you can use, as well as external technologies which are compatible with digital signage, offering you several roads to take.
Transparent displays
With a futuristic appearance, transparent displays can really add that modern touch and offer a toolset for creating a unique customer experience. For a start, there are quite a few benefits which go beyond the display. As they’re transparent, they don’t obstruct the view of the surroundings. This means they can blend in more naturally with the environment. It’s a great feature for showcasing products, where a transparent display can act as an overlay providing product info. As always, things get even better if the display is interactive.
Interactive transparent displays are excellent at providing information on-demand. For example, in the storefront or near a product display, the transparent layout offers an unobstructed view of the product. Only when the customer wants to access additional information, they may bring it up on demand and laid over the examined product. Read more about the benefits and examples of transparent displays!
Curved displays
Significantly more subtle than their transparent counterpart, curved displays deliver a degree of elegance, alongside a pleasant visual appeal. Curved displays certainly should be used in a tasteful fashion, given their impact on the viewing angle. As you can imagine, the viewer standing precisely in front of a curved display will get the best view. While this might sound limiting for a wider audience, it offers a unique experience to the select few who find themselves at the right place. Thus, use that advantage accordingly! Install curved displays with viewer positioning in mind. As they enter the store, come to view a product, or at the center of experiential retail in a flagship store, position the display to deliver maximum impact.
Curved displays are ideal for product showcases, creating a truly unique customer experience and elevating the overall impact on your consumer base. Furthermore, they provide greater engagement, as well as a modern appearance, leaving a lasting impact. Read more about curved displays for inspiration on how to best use them in your own business.
3D digital signage
By now, it’s likely you’ve encountered a 3D digital signage campaign outdoors or on social media. It typically consists of digital signage placed across corners, evoking the sense of three-dimensional scenes when viewed from a specific angle. This innovative use of digital signage is guaranteed to attract attention. As such, it’s ideal for creating hype and exciting the viewer when—and this is important—it’s well-made.
We’ve written about this topic before and covered several truly amazing examples, so check them out! While extremely visually appealing, this sort of content typically requires a large screen layout which can cost a lot. Furthermore, given its nature, it truly is only useful for flashy ads and hype-building content. You won’t find too many uses outside of that, so keep that in mind before you decide to make a big investment into this particular tool. It’s definitely powerful, but only if you invest in it with a very precisely planned campaign.
Explore compatible technology
Digital signage has grown to a point where it can interact with many other technologies available. And yes, this goes beyond touch screen displays! For a start, beacon technology is an excellent way to deliver targeted messages to users based on their location. Digital displays can easily connect to mobile devices via NFC technology or QR-codes. Motion sensors can connect to displays, triggering content based on detection of movement or its absence.
Re-use old displays
Some time ago, we wrote a fun article on re-using old digital displays. After many years in the business, you likely went through several upgrades of your interior, big or small. We all feel it’s quite a shame to throw out technology that still functions but doesn’t fit today’s standards. Perhaps your screen is too small, doesn’t support high quality resolutions, or you simply found a better one.
If this is the case for you, take a look at our ideas on re-using old displays. Here’s a brief rundown:
- Make your old displays interactive (with touch screen overlays or QR-codes)
- Re-use displays specifically for visuals and eye candy
- Enrich your storefront
- Transform old displays into magic mirrors
- Build entertainment displays
- Sell them! (as a last resort)
- Invest in low resolution displays
Enrich any display with digital signage software
Digital signage software has truly evolved in recent years. There are so many uses available to build a unique and exciting customer experience. For example, we recently covered a variety of examples of screen layouts, giving you an idea on how to section up your screen and organize the content on it. Some content apps even handle screen division for you, providing smooth transitions and elegant visuals.
Whether you use displays which are transparent, curved, 3D, video walls, or even old displays with lower resolutions, the content is what matters. With digital signage software, you can ensure the content appears in the best possible way on the hardware of your choosing. Explore OnSign TV (for free!) to see what quality digital signage software is all about!
Cover image by neymark195.
