Digital signs are becoming more popular and more common, and there are many different varieties. A one-line message can alert your waiting customers to new products or special deals. A television-like display can show product demonstrations or in other ways convince your customers of the benefits of your products.

There are many different solutions for different industries and budgets. When your goal is making the most of digital signs, remember to:

1. Consider any new sign purchase as part of your overall branding and marketing campaign;

2. Make sure digital content of any electronic display sign is in keeping with content on your website;

3. And be clear about the goal of your signage and don't just get it because it's cool.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find out what factors are important in your choice of electronic signs

Are you aiming for an audience that passes by in cars or customers who are sitting or standing in a waiting area? How far away from the sign will people be when they view it? What do you hope to accomplish with your sign? These questions all have an effect on which sign is best.

I recommend: Read 10 things to consider as you shop for a digital sign at LED Sign Authority. Learn several factors to consider when choosing an electronic sign at the Grandwell Industries website.

Learn what options you have when it comes to digital advertising

Different options exist depending on your budget and whether you want indoor or outdoor signs. A one-line light-emitting diode (LED) message sign is a low-cost option. High-end options include multiple full-color digital displays placed throughout your place of business.

I recommend: Read articles about many aspects of the digital signage industry at SignIndustry.com. Click on several options to read articles about digital media solutions from AT&T. Watch online videos and demos about the benefits of digital signage systems from DT Research.

Consider leasing a digital display or digital LED sign

Leasing allows you to spread out the cost rather than pay it all up front. You also may find it's less of a financial risk to lease electronic digital signs.

I recommend: Read about the advantages of leasing digital sign equipment compared to purchasing at ElectronicSigns.com. View pricing for LED display signs from LED Signs Online.

Get help with digital sign content

When you choose a digital video display sign, or a series of such displays, quality content is important. Make sure you understand how the company delivers content to the display signs and make sure any wiring and other infrastructure will be feasible. Consider the cost of purchasing content, if you plan to do so, in your overall budget.

I recommend: Get information about SmarterSign Manager and the premium content library you can access if you employ the services of SmarterSign. Compare two levels of solutions at Helius, one of which includes templates for content creation. Read tips and hints to help you succeed with your digital sign purchase from WireSpring Technologies.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider selling advertising space on digital signs in your business to other companies. This might pay for the cost of your advertising while also promoting your business.

While neon electronic signs are visible night and day, digital video broadcasting to internet protocol (DVB-IP) for electronic signs offers your digital advertising something a whole lot better - absolute power over the creation of your digital sign, messages and video for digital advertising.

DVB-IP is your choice for digital signs, especially if your business wants superb management potential for its digital advertising display. Best of all, DVB-IP means that your digital signage can be done remotely! Manage, monitor, customize and update your digital signage with presentations, videos, text and advertisements from any computer – any time, any place. When buying DVB-IP:

1. Consider your budget for digital signage.

2. Shop the competition.

3. Ask for a trial period to test their digital advertising technology. Make sure you’re using the product you want for your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Explore different providers of DVB-IP and digital signage

Each provider of digital signage is different, so determine your needs before you start looking. For example, if your business is a retailer, and you want to keep customers in the store longer, you might consider an interactive touch-screen kiosk in your store. By having an interactive touch-screen, you engage the customer's interests and create for them a superior shopping experience!

I recommend: UCView boasts their product takes only 15 minutes to set up. Rise Vision, Inc., publisher of "Rise Display Network(rDNA)", provides a tutorial demo online of their product in action if you wish to compare their product’s ease-of-use with UCView. Rise Display Network (rDNA) is a complete LCD digital signage software, totally customized by the user, accessible from any computer, any internet connection. Although Rise Vision has been in business only 15 years, their product is a prodigy in the world of digital signs. To use the rDNA appliance, you need a Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2. Vista is currently not supported. To see more details on the minimum requirements visit the company's system requirements page.

Educate the world about your business through digital sign management

Educate the world about your business, advertise your product, and train your employees.

I recommend: Check out ADFLOW Networks on the web before you buy from another vendor. This company is right on target when it comes to strategic advertising. Tour their website, then call and ask for consulting. Compare their professionalism with other vendors.

Explore what LED and kiosk providers have to offer

If you're looking for a permanent LED message display or video board, look for companies with a good reputation. eSign and Netkey Webpavement, are both great providers of LED and kiosk solutions.

I recommend: Visit eSign's website and download their brochure. When you visit their site you will have to select either outdoor digital signs or indoor digital signs from their menu, then browse through their technical specifications (specs), and then download the brochure. Read it over and decide for yourself if this is the company that should provide for your signage campaign. Also visit Netkey Webpavement's website. Try their 30-day evaluation period to test their signage product and services.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Explore the concept of strategic advertising. It can improve the results you get from your digital business signs or digital LED sign.

Digital signs are becoming a premier method for getting the message of a business out into the world. Outdoor or indoor digital signs can broadcast a message with emphasis, whether it's single-color lit LCD scrolling setups or full-scale pixel digital displays. Businesses in all kinds of industries rely on these innovative, high tech tools to show off and highlight sales, events, or anything else they want to get across to the public.

Digital signs come with their own host of products, features and accessories for helping to maximize this kind of tech sign solution. Digital signs supplies and equipment help keep messages dynamic, assist with instant programming, or provide weather-proofing for digital advertising signs that can do the job in these kinds of situations:

1. When a company needs a little more visibility beyond their store front or in a public open space.

2. When a business has a specific sales or event message that needs to be seen, not just heard.

3. When managers are thinking of financially astute ways to spruce up a business, boost an image and add traffic to a store area.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get remote solutions for digital signs

Some shops rely on having remotes for their electronic signs, to help deal with time sensitive use of power or to change messages or functions rapidly. Managers keep these devices or features accessible to make the most of their digital sign installations.

I recommend: Find remote controls and more for signage from Minicom Digital. Or look for more remote solutions for digital signage from companies like BetaBrite that offer robust product catalogs for getting your message sky-high.

Look for more audiovisual supplies for digital signs

Other websites can sell audio devices for digital signs in sports venues, more lighting for dimly lit spaces, or all kinds of other helpful accessories. Browse these product sites to find solutions for a specific business need.

I recommend: Find a range of accessory applications for LED signs at this LED Signs shop. Find bells and whistles for certain types of LED Signs at AlertUS Tech.

Get options for weather resistance for digital signs

Another common accessory for outdoor digital signs is handy weather-proofing solutions: these digital electronic display sign setups are often delicate installations, and durable wall shields or other devices help keep these promotional power tools in good condition.

I recommend: Find weather protector devices for digital signage at SunlightLCD, including heavy-duty installations for keeping screens water resistant. For mass transit signage and smaller accessories for a digital display solution, try Digital Signage LCD.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When preparing to use digital signs, always check for local laws about using these kinds of dynamic promotions near a roadway or any other area where legal issues may apply.

If you want to display your marketing message to a wide audience, but don’t want the low-tech and static medium of traditional billboards, print ads or simple signs, digital signs might be right for you. If you want to change your marketing message often, desire multimedia ads or are interested in clear, crisp images in your ads, digital signage might be a good option. Learning digital signs key terms helps you to understand the types of digital signs available to you.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Digital signage

Digital signs make use of displays that allow you to include a moving marketing message and allow you to change your marketing message regularly. Digital signage is an umbrella term for many types of digital signs that can offer you this advantage. Today, digital signage is rapidly increasing in popularity as an advertising medium.

I recommend: WiseGEEK has a useful explanation of digital signage, including an explanation of the types of signs available.

LCD signs

LCD (liquid crystal display) signs are flat panel displays that use liquid crystal-filled pixels in front of a source of light. These signs can be quite portable and use little energy. They can be used to create small signs or several LCD panels can be combined to create large signs and displays.

I recommend: Entech Signs has a detailed, illustrated definition of what LCD digital signs are and how they work.

LED signs

LED (Light Emitting Diode) signs use semiconducting material to create images when light is passed through the material.

I recommend: Supersign has a detailed explanation of LED signs and displays, including information about the advantages of such signs.

Electronic billboards

Electronic billboards are similar to traditional billboards except that instead of having a marketing message painted on (the way traditional billboards do), electronic billboards are essentially large digital displays that can display multiple or moving images.

I recommend: Connectedsign has a comprehensive definition of the electronic billboard.

Scrolling message signs

Scrolling message signs are typically LED signs that offer a moving text message. Usually, these signs are quite small, but since the letters on the sign move, advertisers can fit in a much larger message than the display area. This sort of digital sign is best for text ads and marketing messages, rather than images.

I recommend: Led-display-signs.com has a comprehensive definition of scrolling message signs.

OLED displays

OLED (organic light emitting diode) displays or signs are made of organic molecules, which are in thin films and create light when electricity is applied. OLED displays are increasingly used for digital signs because this technology allows for high definition images.

I recommend: HowStuffWorks has a detailed, illustrated definition of OLED displays.