The use of digital signage is not new and as technologies improve, so do the techniques used for conveying information in public through digital signage. In a nutshell, digital signage is used to convey information both in public and for internal communication through electronically and digitally enhanced means.
It serves a vital role in disseminating important information on a large-scale platform, and this has helped enhance brand recognition, customer services, product promotion, among many other things.
Another critical aspect of digital signage is the content management system (or CMS). It is impossible to define a content management system without linking it to digital signage trends as the two work hand in hand. But along the way, there are some obstacles that you may experience as you integrate the two.
We are going to look at how you can troubleshoot these problems as they pop up. So stick around to the end and learn a thing or two that will help you take your interactive digital signage to a new level.
What are Content Management Systems?
The true definition of a content management system is software that is used to create, modify and manage all kinds of content on a website using easy-to-understand tools that can be handled by anyone without any prior knowledge or technical expertise.
Having a content management system means having more access to tools that help businesses and individuals easily make the most of their platforms. This has further improved how people do business in terms of publicity and brand visibility.
Benefits of a Content Management System
The following are some benefits that individuals or businesses can accrue from investing in a good content management system.
– Scaling Up
CMS makes it easy for businesses to scale up their operations without breaking the bank. All they need is good software that can integrate their core business with their website, and the rest takes care of itself.
– Maximizing ROI
The easiest way to get maximum ROI on your business is by integrating CMS with your website. This makes it easy to reach more people in a much shorter time, allowing you to recuperate your investment much quicker than toughing it out the traditional way.
– Understanding Customer Base
The user-friendliness of CMS gives better access to your customers who can now get in touch with you quickly. This offers your business the chance to understand the needs of the clients on a personal level.
– Centralizing Ad Content
A Content Management System (CMS) ties all the loose ends in your marketing strategy. Rather than disperse ads at cost, you can simply integrate CMS and centralize all your ad strategies in one place. This gives you unfiltered access and control to make changes at a moment’s notice.
– Scheduling and Displaying Range of Content
When it comes to multitasking, nothing can beat CMS. It combines all forms of data, and you can use them all at the same time. This range includes graphic elements, audio, audiovisual, animations, and any other medium that can work with any business.
How to Troubleshoot Content Management System
Like any other system that uses technology, there are bound to be some technical difficulties that interfere with how things work.
Fortunately, this troubleshoot content management system guide is here for those pesky CMS issues you might be facing.
The following are some of the most common CMS problems and the troubleshooting solutions you can adopt to deal with them.
1. CMS Cannot Be Opened Remotely on Browser
Sometimes you may not access your website on any browser, be it on the phone or the PC, due to the CMS option you are using having to access your website. This is a common problem that can effectively disable your operations as the website will be unable to take advantage of all the benefits associated with CMS solutions.
Some common causes of this could be linked to the following.
- A misconfigured SSL that demotes your website to an untrusted one. Visitors and potential customers may not be willing to do business with you if the website is not secured.
- An expired domain name can interfere with CMS access to your website, which could even affect the official email address associated with the website.
- Other causes could be digital signage software and hardware malfunctioning, hacking, browser incompatibility, coding issues, and the site being blocked by a filter, among many others.
Solution to Fixing CMS Issue #1
If CMS cannot be opened remotely on the browser, consider switching to the native browser on the system you are using.
For example, if you are on Windows, you should switch to Firefox, Internet Explorer or Edge when trying to access the CMS. Safari, Google Chrome, and other browsers might cause you trouble.
2. Slow System
A slow system is a result of degrading hardware and glitchy software. This can have a devastating effect on your website and the overall success of your business since people don’t have the patience to deal with slow websites. Slow page loading is the fastest way to lose even your most loyal customers.
Solution to Fixing CMS Issue #2
Avoid adding unnecessary accessories and plugins to your website as that increases the workload on the serves, and that impacts the speeds. When integrating your website with CMS, ensure you optimize everything and only go with essential features to boost loading speeds.
3. New Media Not Displaying
The use of videos and other media forms is necessary for any website. Videos are the best way of conveying your message quickly to anyone visiting your website as it allows for the incorporation of graphic materials and audios for the best effect. You may go to all these lengths to create a video only for it to fail to play or even display.
Solution to Fixing CMS Issue #3
Ensure you have copied the correct link when embedding a video to your website. Missing even a single character may lead to errors that stop the video from loading or displaying. You should also ensure that the CMS integrated website allows for media to be embedded and played from any device.
4. Screens Going Black Due to Insufficient Bandwidth
Insufficient bandwidth is a huge stumbling block that could hurt the reputation of your website permanently. Limited bandwidth interferes with efficiency, and you will find yourself having to deal with blank screens every free minute due to an overload of active users. This happens when you underestimate your system’s needs and end up subscribing to a plan that is way below the requirements.
Solution to Fixing CMS Issue #4
You have to go with more bandwidth at all times. Consider the fact that people will be streaming everything in high definition, which is bound to affect you if you are using low bandwidth speeds. If you can invest in a private lease connection, all the better!
5. Images Have Problems Uploading
Images failing to upload could be a result of a slow system combined with limited bandwidth.
For a CMS to work as intended, you must have unfiltered access to good internet speeds that can handle any type of file upload. Considering how dependent CMS is on graphic materials, images failing to upload is a bad thing.
Solution to Fixing CMS Issue #5
Increase your bandwidth and upgrade your hardware to keep them in line with the changes. You should also be keen when creating images for your website by ensuring they are named correctly in the proper format to reduce the chances of encountering errors.
6. Issues Integrating with Your Campaign
You could have the suitable CMS and the best bandwidth, but all these could mean nothing if you don’t have an effective campaign that makes use of all this. You should have the best graphic materials, written content, and audio-visual elements that will help bring the best out of your website and disseminate the information you need properly.
Solution to Fixing CMS Issue #6
Get a good team on board that will craft the best campaign in line with the resources you have set up. Seek advice from marketing experts and top experts in the business. Always have a content strategy in place that gives you an idea of what to display on your devices.
7. Content Not Getting the Desired Engagement
Content comes in many forms, and CMS provides the right platform that uses this in the best way possible. There should be a proper plan to spread the content to attain the biggest reach using the available tools before the next cycle. Failure to get the targeted engagement could mean that the system was not well optimized for the role.
Solution to Fixing CMS Issue #6
Conduct regular software and hardware updates to ensure everything is up to date. Study your content objectively and see how it fairs when it comes to the ongoing trends.
Observe your customers and how they interact with your digital signage content. You can see how long they’re willing to spend looking at your content too. This also requires a good content creation team that understands the assignment and is ready to change tactic at a moment’s notice.
Choosing a Trusted CMS Provider: 6 Factors To Consider Before Choosing The Best CMS Software Provider
Landing the right CMS provider could take your website and business to levels you may never have achieved on your own. You need to invest in digital signage solutions from a CMS provider who can meet some basic requirements like increasing your scale and reach, granting your complete control of the tools, maximizing your ROI, and most importantly, grant you the ability to troubleshoot content management system issues.
With that in mind, the following are the factors you have to keep in mind when choosing a CMS provider.
- The ability to upload and store content for as long as you need without worrying about storage limitations. A good CMS should allow you to upload any type of file without compressing the quality, no matter the size.
- The ability to manage sequences of how information is presented. You should have complete control of sequencing, arranging materials in the best possible way that benefits your campaign best.
- A trusted CMS provider must increase user engagement by making the website user-friendly, easy to navigate, and suitable to look at by using smart signage solutions. These are the small factors that leave a good impression on your visitors.
- The ability to monitor everything on your website and keep tabs on any security threats that may undermine your website.
- The provision of constant upgrades throughout to keep your website optimized. A regular upgrade in software is the best way to ensure that the website stays healthy and functions just as you intend it to.
- A good CMS should enhance your brand and make it grow bigger in the public’s eyes without having to break the bank. You should find one that meets your business vision and offers constructive ideas that further help your website and overall business growth. Preferably, one connected to a good and trusted digital signage supplier would be a better fit.
Final Word
Content management systems are more than a plug-and-play option that handles everything on your behalf.
Being able to deal with problems as they come up is how you keep your website and business running smoothly. There are a lot more CMS-related issues outside the ones we have outlined here that can also be dealt with quickly.
If you are looking to troubleshoot content management system issues but are lost on what to do, don’t hesitate to contact us.
We are a digital signage software company in Malaysia with all the technical know-how that can help transform your business and website for the better!
