If someone told you there was just one single product that would improve your company’s efficiency, increase employee engagement, expand customer satisfaction, save time and money, and boost the bottom line, then you’d buy it, wouldn’t you?
Digital signage has become ubiquitous, and organizations without it are being left behind. Today, your employees and customers expect modern communications from your organization. So, if you aren’t using digital signs for your business, it’s time to seriously think about it.
Quick Answer: Is Digital Signage Worth It for Business?
Yes. Digital signage provides measurable ROI through cost savings (eliminating print costs), improved efficiency (instant communication updates), enhanced employee engagement (up to 30% productivity increase), and better customer experiences. Most businesses see payback within 2-3 years.
Key Benefits of Digital Signage for Business
- Improve organizational efficiency through unified communications that reach all employees instantly
- Increase employee engagement and reduce turnover with recognition programs, performance dashboards, and transparent goal tracking
- Significantly reduce environmental and office costs by eliminating paper, printing, distribution, and disposal expenses.
- Boost customer satisfaction with interactive wayfinding, reduced perceived wait times, and real-time information
- Streamline workflows with centralized content management across all locations, managed by as few as one person
Improve Efficiency
Digital signage has been proven to be an effective supplement to organizational communications because traditional media has limits. No matter how well you publish your messages, some people just don’t receive them or aren’t paying attention when they do.
To communicate with people, you have to get their attention. TV, computers and smartphones have trained us to look at screens for information, so digital signage is a natural choice for reaching large audiences.
Different viewers are reached in different ways, and digital signage is extremely versatile. Some people learn better from reading, others do better with audio and video, and experiential learners need interaction like touchscreens. Because digital signage can do all of these things, it helps get information across to all the learning types.
Companies use it to welcome visitors, show meeting schedules, or tell employees what’s for lunch. Maybe the west elevator bank is out of service for repairs, or the HVAC system is being overhauled; digital signs let people know instantly. As the day comes to a close, screens might show local weather and traffic, so that people can plan their commutes. What you show is really only limited by the amount of stuff you can imagine and create.
One reason organizations struggle with efficiency is that employees are sometimes confused about what the corporate mission is, and what procedures and policies need to be followed. Make sure you have messages on your displays that clarify and explain these things. If you already have some of these messages, maybe they need to be re-tooled to be clearer. Or maybe your messages are fantastic, but people just aren’t retaining the information. Think about finding memorable ways to present what you need them to know.
Humor is often a good way to get things lodged in people’s memories. Instead of simply outlining what a policy is, show the pitfalls of not following it in a funny way. Storytelling also helps with retention – having a long-tail campaign involving a character who constantly gets into difficulties because he or she doesn’t follow the procedures (with some sort of tag line, like “Don’t be a Barney – do X instead”) would certainly get people interested and help them remember what they’re supposed to do.
Organizations that have large facilities, or even have multiple locations, often put a lot of pressure on their HR departments to inform and engage the entire staff in a timely fashion. This can be very difficult, without the proper tools in place.
Highlight current benefits offerings, deadlines for paperwork and other crucial, time-sensitive information, while also using your digital signage to achieve other goals as well.
You’ll get far more message saturation with your displays than with emails (that are most likely either never read or looked at once and then forgotten). And seriously think about your designs for these promotional messages. Make sure they stand out and are different from the purely informational messages. Choose brighter backgrounds, or different layouts from your usual corporate communications. This will draw people in, even if they have become used to simply “phasing out” the regular messages on display.
Increase Engagement
One of the most common uses of digital signage is to display events, and yet participation in things that aren’t mandated can sometimes be disappointing. This might be because people just aren’t interested, but it could also be that people just don’t find out about things until it’s too late. Employees may not come to the company holiday party or participate in the blood drive because they do not know about it. It can be very difficult to send corporate information to every person on the staff and pushing out several emails a week as reminders just doesn’t seem to be enough.
Digital signage is everywhere your audience is, so they get exposed to information over and over again. Extend your influence to any place employees congregate – break rooms, shared offices, elevator banks.
Many workers report feeling undervalued by their employers, and that feeling can’t help but bleed over into their work. They become demotivated and so less productive. They may even begin to look for opportunities elsewhere.
Multiple studies show that engaged and motivated employees are more productive, stay with their companies longer, and have more original ideas that benefit the organization. Digital signage creates a sense of unity in the company culture – the screens are everywhere your employees are, and they quickly get used to looking at them for information they need. While the content they’re getting is mainly text, the brain processes it visually. This is one reason why supporting the message with an appealing visual is so important.
So, recognize achievements. These could be hitting targets or deadlines, but don’t forget about the little things as well. Use your digital screens to let them know that their work is being noticed. Display leaderboards and shout outs for landing a big contract, or for going above and beyond the call of duty. Mark work anniversaries, and spotlight employees so everyone gets to know one another. When there’s a new hire, make them feel part of the team with welcome messages. Anything you can do to motivate and recognize your teams will result in higher morale and bottom-line results.
If you don’t know if your employees feel appreciated or not, ask them. Conduct a brief, anonymous survey to see how they feel.
Utilizing RSS feeds to stay updated on the industry as a whole is essential for your employees’ success. It allows them to see their work as part of a larger picture, beyond just their daily tasks. By displaying relevant news items through separate messages or in a scrolling ticker, you can keep your teams informed and motivated. This approach not only helps in managing high-performing teams but also supports effective communication within the organization.
Every Team Benefits
Digital signage keeps everyone in the loop, regardless of where they fit into the organization. Executives can see bottom-line results. Accounting can be kept in the loop with current metrics, quarterly sales figures, progress towards quotas and more. IT and networking teams can see dynamically presented data by integrating dashboards, social media and webpages, and calendar programs. Inspire your workforce with information on products and services currently on offer or launching soon. Highlight new pricing and distributors and keep everyone updated on the latest promotions. Include and encourage your factory floor with safety tips and updates, training opportunities, current inventory information, new delivery procedures and critical KPIs.
Sales teams often have a special place in an organization. In many cases, they are on the road at least part of the time and might start feeling like they’re apart from the rest of the company. Use your screens to showcase top performers, whether they’ve closed a big sale or turned a small order into something much larger. Keep track of progress towards goals such as sales targets with real-time performance data presented in easy-to-understand graphic charts. This level of transparency not only motivates modern workers but also meets their expectations for companies they dedicate their time to.
For people who may be struggling, this data can help you quickly refocus on objectives and get the most out of every team member. By effectively managing performance metrics and setting clear goals, you can guide your team towards success and create a high-performing environment that supports both individual growth and overall business success.
Introducing a little friendly competition into the mix can truly elevate the selling process. After all, salespeople are already competitive by nature. By implementing gamification techniques, you can inspire individuals and teams to strive for excellence, ultimately boosting sales performance and overall employee satisfaction.
Your digital signage can even allow your team to communicate with each other. Employee-generated content lets them share stories of their successes, showing people that, while everyone has the same goals, there are many methods and styles available to get that sale. This lets you create a supportive environment where individuals can showcase their best strategies for achieving success.
To truly optimize your team’s performance, it’s essential to conduct an internal study or survey to understand how your people are utilizing their time when they are not actively engaged in selling. By identifying areas where time can be better managed and tasks can be streamlined, you can leverage digital signage to create a more efficient process for them. This will ultimately free up more of their valuable time to focus on contacting potential clients and driving successful outcomes. By implementing these strategies, you can effectively support your team in achieving their goals and building a high-performing sales force.
Work-Life Balance
Happy employees have a good work-life balance. Health tips, current information on traffic and public transportation, weather forecasts – these are all value-added items that are easy to include on your screens, making your signage more relevant to your audience. Your digital signage can include information on in-house events, like team building, but also things happening away from work – a good concert in the area, the opening of a new restaurant, a family day in the city park. Tickets and coupons to venues and events outside the workplace can be prizes in gamified contests.
Interactive displays also allow for more choice and agency with your audience. Use digital signage touchscreens with interactive wayfinding and directories, energy dashboards and real-time shuttle mapping. Embed an amazing amount of information in just one place and then give them the tools to get what they want quickly. This lets them know that you value their time.
Adding digital signs to your alert notification plan can also ensure that everyone is kept safe in case of an emergency. CAP notices can automatically trigger alerts on screens with updates and instructions, and routine testing of your alert system reminds people that their safety and wellbeing are important to the organization.
Customer Satisfaction
Customer service is there to energize and support your clients. Show those employees recent promotions, queuing systems, CSAT levels, call center data, new product or service tips, training and webinar schedules, and more.
You may also have clients come to your facilities from time to time. This is a perfect opportunity to reinforce your organization’s mission and values, but also streamline their visit, making it a more pleasant overall experience.
Showing queuing data on digital signs reduces perceived waiting times, further adding to people’s satisfaction and improving the visitor experience. Interactive wayfinding, directories and info kiosks in public spaces can reduce the burden on lobby staff, allowing people to find their own way. This lets visitors browse the information they want in their own way, at their own pace, and frees up your workers to provide more personalized service.
Screens can also advertise new products, services, limited time offers and loyalty programs to everyone who comes to your venue. You can even sell ad space to nearby vendors, integrating your business into the local community and adding more value for visitors, as well as turning your business signage into a profit center.
Save Money and Time
Digital signage isn’t as expensive as you may think. Even though big screens are most common, you can use desktop monitors and even smartphones as digital signs – anything that can show a digital image can be a digital sign – so you can start with screens you already have to keep your costs down and give yourself flexibility for expansion in the future.
One major savings with digital signs is that you don’t have to print anything. It’s all digital. You’re not just saving the cost of paper and ink, but also the time spent designing and laying out, printing, distributing, and later removing and disposing of flyers, memos, posters and everything else. A US company with 100 employees spends around $48,000 a year on just creating, disturbing and then disposing of paper. And sometimes that paper doesn’t get thrown out but stored. Some estimates say that 50-70% of office space is used for documentation filing and storage. Adding in that cost brings the average total in the US for 100-person company to over $60,000.
Digital signs are just that – digital. Most displays today are energy-efficient, with improvements being made all the time. Many companies are starting to use ePaper for room and desk booking and other space management tasks. These use so little power that a single battery will last for five years or more.
You’ll also save your staff time, which means more productive employees and money for your organization. Visual messages don’t require graphic designers since most use templates. They can be scheduled quickly, then retire automatically.
While some companies have a whole team to run their digital signage, that might not be necessary. You can show unified communications across your building, campus or in offices across the globe – all managed from a central content management system. You can allow one person, a team or multiple groups to contribute and manage your messages. Even a fairly large digital signage deployment can be maintained by a single person if it’s set up properly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Business Digital Signage
How much does digital signage cost for a business?
Digital signage costs vary widely based on screen size and deployment scale. You can start with existing monitors to minimize upfront costs. A 100-employee company can save $48,000-$60,000 annually on print communications alone, providing strong ROI within 2-3 years.
What types of businesses benefit most from digital signage?
All business types benefit, including corporate offices, manufacturing facilities, professional services, financial institutions, and multi-location enterprises. Any organization needing to communicate with employees, customers, or visitors can leverage digital signage effectively.
Can digital signage integrate with existing business systems?
Yes. Modern digital signage platforms integrate seamlessly with calendar systems (Exchange, Office 365, Google), data dashboards, RSS feeds, social media, and business intelligence tools to display real-time information automatically without manual updates.
How long does it take to implement digital signage?
Implementation timelines vary by scale. Small deployments can launch within weeks, while enterprise-wide rollouts may take several months. A properly configured system can be managed by a single person, even across multiple locations.
Does digital signage really improve employee engagement?
Multiple studies confirm that engaged employees are more productive, stay with companies longer, and contribute more innovative ideas. Digital signage fosters engagement through recognition programs, transparent goal tracking, real-time updates, and unified company culture messaging.
What content should businesses display on digital signage?
Common content includes company announcements, event schedules, employee recognition, KPIs and dashboards, meeting schedules, emergency alerts, wayfinding, weather and traffic, industry news, safety information, and benefits reminders. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Getting Started with Digital Signage for Your Business
Digital signage solves so many issues that it seems like a no-brainer. It helps make your organization more efficient, improves employee morale and engagement, can increase customer satisfaction and buy-in, and save you both time and money.
If your company doesn’t have it yet, use some of the arguments listed here when talking with the C-suite and others you need to convince to get the ball rolling. Talk to who you need to talk to, take a look at different digital signage companies, look at the pros and cons of different software platforms, choose one and then get going.