Almost all businesses are now actively involved with technology and digital signage is one of the most adopted technologies.
To remain relevant in the highly competitive marketing world, businesses are investing a considerably large budget on digital signage screens to get the most out of their branding.
One of the reasons for this is that most shopping has moved online, making it more technology-oriented.
In this guide, we’ll tell you why it’s important to have a content management system (CMS) and how to go about choosing the best digital signage software.
What is a Digital Signage CMS, and Why Do You Need One?
Digital signage CMS is a central platform that is very crucial for digital signage. Think of it like a brain, a central network of information.
Digital signage refers to a modern display screen that may be applied in different areas such as cinemas, educational centers, etc.
If it’s interactive, it allows customers to explore the different products available through smart touch.
A digital signage content management system (CMS) brings your displays to life and can be used to manage devices such as:
- Digital standees
- Interactive digital kiosks
- Video wall solutions
The project managers ensure that the media is edited before uploading.
These systems provide security protection to safeguard your content from hackers.
Additionally, they support multiple users, so the software can be assigned to multiple admins to manage.
10 Factors on How to Choose an Ideal Digital Signage CMS
There are hundreds of digital signage solution templates in the market. Choosing the right one requires that you look at a couple of factors. Here are the main considerations to make:
1. Content
The most important thing to consider when choosing digital signage CMS software is what sort of content you’d like to display.
Make sure that you have a clear idea of the role this system will fill. Think about the content’s purpose, tone, and volume.
The different types of content that can be created should range from text, images, and videos. End users should also be able to transition smoothly between different types of content using a digital signage player.
The CMS should allow you to create content from scratch and should also come with pre-existing templates.
Even if a CMS proves to be very user-friendly, creating fresh content can take up a lot of time. This is how pre-existing layouts can help.
Lastly, the system should support interactivity and real-time content uploading.
2. Automation and Scheduling
Does the CMS allow you to set it to operate automatically? If yes, what automation features does it offer?
Automation enables a completed task to recur automatically on your terms or a system that allows scheduling lets you set different times for tasks to complete.
These two features are built for convenience.
Scheduling systems allow you to set your schedule for when you want to display the content.
This automates content delivery, eliminating the hassle of working at certain times like holidays.
3. Hardware & Integration
The digital signage system CMS you get will not work in isolation.
It should be compatible with any media player and digital signage screens of different shapes, sizes, and resolutions.
Apart from the actual hardware, you might need to integrate the solution with third-party data sources. This will make the CMS the central hub for your hardware network.
Since it’s not always easy to determine what integrations will be needed, select a digital signage system that allows you to scale up, preferably one that supports a face recognition system.
4. Installation
Determine the installation requirements ahead of time before you invest in digital signage solutions.
Ensure that you’ve gotten the necessary training by watching tutorials. If there’s a manual or a step-by-step guide read through for instructions.
What is the installation process like? Is the software a cloud-based CMS or a desktop download?
Another thing that you need to check is the setup process. Is it simple and straightforward, or do you need a professional to help you out?
5. Customization
The best digital signage software should be customizable to fit your business needs.
A high-quality content management system CMS should be malleable, allowing your IT team to create its features to their liking.
Ensure that the system you choose can be tailor-made to suit your needs.
Customized software that has been specially developed for your company differs from that which is available for use by the general public.
It is ideal for marketing agencies that heavily rely on retail digital signage display.
6. Remote Monitoring and Troubleshooting
With proper digital signage content management, you should be able to monitor everything on your screens from a remote location.
You should also be able to manipulate all your digital signage screens from a remote location. This means that if you want to schedule posts, you would not have to go anywhere near the digital displays themselves.
Furthermore, you need to find out whether or not you will be notified if you need to troubleshoot the content management system.
Live status updates that are remotely accessible help you ensure that your devices are always working well. This feature is convenient and saves energy and time.
7. Security
In the digital age that we’re living in, security should be a top priority for every business.
Recently there has been a spike in cyberattacks, and people are now choosing to use their network or media players where data is safe, unlike on a cloud-based platform.
While no one is immune to such attacks, you need to put measures in place to minimize the risk. Some of the security solutions you can implement include 2-factor authentication and IP address restriction.
8. Maintenance
Every content management system will require software updates from time to time. So, you need to check whether or not it has an auto-updating feature.
Do you get notified when there’s a pending software update on your interactive kiosk? Find a digital signage solution that allows you to maintain your devices.
By devices, we’re referring to all digital signage video wall templates and media players within the digital signage network.
The better you take care of them, the longer they’ll serve you.
9. Costing
There is free digital signage software and solutions that charge by subscription fee for complete control.
Free, open-source CMS software sounds enticing, but you need to do your homework regarding the operating costs and risks.
The majority of cloud-based systems prefer billing on a monthly basis according to the number of devices in your network.
Digital signage CMS may also have higher costs up-front, but minimal costs following the primary setup. This tends to be what many companies lean toward.
10. Scalability
Do you have multiple locations that need their content managed? If yes, check if the digital signage Malaysia CMS you choose can handle updating to not just multiple devices but more than 100 devices across multiple locations.
Find a CMS that seamlessly handles possible changes in your marketing campaign as you grow.
Planning for future business growth is very important – find a CMS that can scale to either cover more signs or change the kind of content that you’re displaying and add more features that are more suited for larger businesses.
3 Key Benefits of Digital Signage CMS by REV Interactive
Digital signage solutions provide interactive displays that can be tailor-made to fit your specific business needs.
Digital signage software Malaysia by Rev Interactive is an ever-changing technology that is slowly changing the way businesses interact with their customers.
Let’s take a closer look at how interactive smartboards benefit users around the world:
1. Scale Up and Boost Reach
Digital signage display provides a flexible marketing channel that helps businesses showcase multiple promotions and grow.
This enables businesses to present their products to people who haven’t entered their store yet.
Creative, dynamic, and exciting content captures more views and attention and is easily shared online, thus reaching a wider audience.
2. Gain Complete Control
In addition to boosting reach and increasing brand recognition, digital signage lets you control and manage your media content remotely at any time.
It helps to keep your content updated and consistent across different locations. In the past, changing display content was neither convenient nor affordable.
Digital signage services provide users with a better user experience where they can manage the content on the screen.
So if you’re looking to showcase something new and exciting, this is the way to go.
3. Maximize ROI
Creating a positive brand image is key in determining the revenue made.
For example, when you make it easy for your customer to shop without requiring help from employees, they’ll keep coming back to shop with you.
Again, the primary reason for an interactive digital signage content management system is to convey offers and promotions to keep the customers engaged.
This will motivate them to keep shopping and thus bring in more money to your business.
You can hire a certified trainer to teach end-user how to use your RSS feeds on the digital menu board.
Summary
An effective and easy-to-use content management system is important for any digital solution that you adopt.
This will automatically transform the way you communicate to your audience and maximize the impact of your message.
If you’ve been looking for ways to deliver real-time dynamic content, you need to reach out to us! We’ll help you transform your business with digital signage.
Rev Interactive gives you the most powerful communication tool around, complete with digital signage CMS and quality hardware, so contact us today!
