So you created your digital signage content and have it ready to display, but have you considered scheduling your content? Scheduling allows for you to better manage your content. Scheduling content for your audience is extremely applicable for many different industries, especially places that serve a wide variety of individuals. For instance, scheduling for date and time can be very useful for restaurant owners who are interested in changing their menus throughout the day. You can schedule presentations for meetings and other content to be released at the appropriate time and date. If you are expecting a group of individuals to arrive at a particular time of day, you can also arrange for an ad to display a warm greeting for the group. As it’s extremely easy to setup the date and time, this feature is practical for beginners to use. Time and date scheduling is imperative for content that needs to be displayed promptly. Learn more about how to schedule your date and time here.

Watch UCView’s introductory video for the SignEdge. The SignEdge is a revolutionary media player which is not only affordable, but extremely easy to use. The SignEdge all-in-one media player has no monthly fees and hidden costs. This innovative hardware and software solution has a built-in content design and creation engine. With its powerful computing performance and robust design, the SignEdge has a lot to offer for your digital signage network.

Piller’s Fine Foods provide premium quality European-style deli meats. Piller’s is one of the largest producers of European sausages and deli meats in North America. This fine food establishment has been providing wholesome and delicious tasting deli meats since the 1950s. Piller’s recently decided to use digital signage within their establishment, even providing access to HD television. Digital signage communication allows for Piller’s to provide important information for their customers and employees.  Along with their high-quality meats and sausages, Piller’s strives to accomplish high-quality customer-service and satisfaction.

Digital signage provides an array of enriching experiences for many individuals. As the innovative technology increases in popularity, it’s becoming more common to see digital signage for outdoor settings.  It’s usually seen as a form of advertisement or entertainment for passersby.

Outdoor digital signage can be effective if used on a daily basis. It can be seen outside of many establishments, especially in areas with high traffic zones. It’s not only compelling to view, but extremely resilient. Digital signs for the outdoors are constructed to handle harsh weather conditions and tampering of equipment. For example, digital signs in areas with a lot of sunlight are built to prevent sunlight glare and can sustain high temperature conditions. Its specially constructed material allows for the content to be readable for passersby during the daytime. Outdoor digital signs require a higher level of brightness in order to be visible. Even during the night, with illuminated screens, the content can easily be read by individuals.

  Outdoor digital signs are very resourceful. For example, changes can be made with just a few keystrokes from a remote location. Updates can be made within seconds and it requires low-key maintenance. In addition, displays can be used for advertisers who are interested in releasing and selling their product. Outdoor digital signs can provide many promising solutions for your business. The displays are often viewed by customers for a longer period of time, since it’s shown all day and night.

Outdoor digital signs can also be very effective for business. For example, if you own a retail establishment, placing digital signs outside could be more effective than using posters or other static forms of advertisement. Passersby can view new trends and items that are for sale, allowing for people who might have not even been interested in the first place to be drawn in. In the case of government buildings, public information can be placed on the screens and provide individuals with safety messages. Payment options can be made available for those who are visiting an establishment during afterhours, allowing for latecomers to perform their duties. Digital signs can also display wayfinding maps outside of large corporate buildings and within educational institutions. Outdoor digital signs are practical to use for any industry.

The next time you walk into a fast food chain or restaurant, take a look at their menu boards. In recent years you may have noticed many restaurants going digital with their menus. Why has there been such a drastic change? Yes, it’s nice to view, but there are other reasons restaurants are making the change.

Menu boards may look like a lot of work to set-up and maintain, but recent technology today has made things easier for even beginners to use. It’s actually very easy to set up and once you have it up and running, there is little maintenance required. Another advantage is that it’s cost-effective. It can last for many years, at all hours, and does not waste any papers. In addition, you can immediately make changes to a digital menu board. Imagine printing out and supplying hundreds of paper menus for your customers and then discovering an error (ex: spelling mistake, wrong price). It can take up a lot of time and money to revise the mistake and print out new menu boards. Along with the intensity in the kitchen, this will just become another headache to handle. Digital menu boards can eliminate these problems, because all you will need to do is take a couple of seconds to correct the mistake and click save. The revision will immediately be updated. You won’t have to deal with any time taken out of your schedule and unfortunate yelling from your supervisors.

The same situation can apply when there are frequent changes with menu items, images, and/or prices. If you provide menu items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you can make these changes automatically and even schedule the change to occur at the time you want it to. For example, your breakfast menu can automatically change to a lunch menu at 11:00am. There will be no need to manually make the change.

  Using the EZBoard content creation engine can help you create and make modifications to your digital menu board. Within just a couple of minutes, your digital menu board can be ready to deploy. Using List of Items, you can segregate your menu items into appropriate sections. For instance, you can create sections for lunch, dinner, or dessert. List of Items also allows for you to provide a complementary image with the menu item. You can arrange the date and time, so your menu item will display and then be removed after a chosen time period.  In addition, you can select from a variety of colors or opt for a beautiful background scenery to complement your menu board. It can also be provided with a decorative border and you can select from different text styles. An added bonus with EZBoard is that your menu board can greatly improve with animation. Animation can add a little bit of creativity and fun to your board, allowing for you to select from a variety of enjoyable transitions.

Digital menu boards are also very easy on customers’ eyes. Digital menu boards are not ridiculously bright as some people may think. In fact, it’s actually very easy to read and it’s basically no different than reading from a paper menu board. Unlike static menus, you can also play music, advertisements, and display other content as well as show appetizing menu items. You can provide your customers with entertainment while they are waiting in line to purchase food. As it’s versatile, you can provide a variety of dynamic content for your customers.

Overall, digital menu boards are not just appealing to your customers; they can enhance the productivity rate of your establishment. Digital menu boards take up less time and money, allowing for you to focus on your most important assets – your customers.

The SignEdge 40 provides you with an easy to use solution for your digital signage display. With the ability to run two screens at one time, this media player can be used for premium communication within a variety of industries. The two screen video wall makes it practical to use as a digital menu board. With four USB ports and a 30GB solid-state drive, this player allows for easy setup and provides high-speed connection.  The revolutionary SignEdge is built with a robust material, which allows for it to withstand harsh conditions. This all-in- one system is combined with powerful computing performance for premium communication with your audience. Click here to learn more.

The Children’s Hospital of Alabama aspires to provide the highest quality healthcare for children who are ill and injured. The Children’s Hospital of Alabama, which has been around since 1911, has been ranked as one of the best children’s hospital programs in the United States according to the U.S. News and World Report. This hospital is devoted to the care and treatment of children. In order to foster a better future for the wellbeing of their patients and the community, the hospital is dedicated to research and providing the best treatment possible. It’s also the only medical center in Alabama, which serves as a primary site of the University of Alabama’s pediatric medicine, surgery research, and residency programs.  Recently, the Children’s Hospital of Alabama decided to utilize digital signs within their establishment. Digital signs, which are placed throughout the hallways of the establishment, are used to inform staff members, patients, and visitors. Individuals receive healthcare notices, information on health events, and more. The deployment of digital signage in the Children’s Hospital of Alabama had been proudly achieved by our VAR company - Q4Digital Media.

Kinetix Technologies is a leading IT industry, providing services for a variety of businesses, both large and small. Kinetix has a long, yet trustworthy history which includes computer networking and development. Providing different types of solutions from managed IT to creative services, Kinetix strives to ensure your business runs smoothly by eliminating IT related hassles. Along with their premium customer service, this innovative corporation provides digital signage communication throughout their establishment. Communication is important in order to engage and inform both customers and employees. Kinetix helps build customer relationships and promote success.

Summary: Pepperdine University uses digital signage to communicate to students, staff, and visitors on campus.

Challenge: Pepperdine University wanted to install a digital signage system throughout their campus. However, administrators needed to determine if it would become a valuable asset for the campus. Originally the campus was using DVD players to communicate to people on campus; however, it was not very effective. Instead, in order to improve communication to thousands of students, staff, and visitors, a student group proposed a plan in which Pepperdine University would transition from static forms of advertisement (this includes the use of DVD players) to digital signage. It was a challenge making a big change and determining if digital signage would be a useful investment over the upcoming years. Read the entire case study here: Digital Signage Education Case Study

You often hear terms such as bitrates and codecs, but do you know what these terms mean? These terms are often associated with video compression; however, it’s tiresome to keep looking up technological terms and definitions. In order to make your life a little bit easier, we provided a list of common technological terms associated with uploading a video file. In addition, you will learn about the software most recommended for uploading a video file. Click here to learn more about video file compression.

UCView made some updates to the playlist section in Campaigns and Ads. The playlist option allows for you to view the ads you set to play at a particular duration period.  In order to help with your ad experience, UCView introduced the playlist shuffle option. Instead of having to drag and re-position your ads to different spots, the playlist shuffle button allows for your ads to automatically re-position to different areas in your playlist. This is a way of freshening up your display without having to change out your ads. Click on the white and blue button towards the right of each section in order to shuffle ads within your chosen section. For example, the ads you placed in the side banner will only shuffle with other side banner ads. If you would like to shuffle ads within the entire playlist, you can click on the green Shuffle Playlist button. All of your ads will re-position to a different spot.

In addition to the playlist shuffle option, the customer will be able to recognize the type of ads that are playing. For instance, it mentions if the ad playing is Normal, GPS, Cyclic, and others. You can also view the playing status of your ads. It notifies you if your ad is currently playing or pending at the moment. The edit playlist option enables for you to easily manage and keep track of the ads playing in your display.

Have you wondered if your ads were making an impression on your customers? Impressions are the number of ads viewed by your target audience. Many companies can view the number of impressions made on their website, which electronically tracks the number of hits per page. However, how do impressions work with digital signage? Believe it or not, there are actual methods to track the number of people who viewed your ads. A specially installed camera can keep a record of people who viewed your display. Keeping a record of ad impressions are important for businesses because it measures the effectiveness of the ad playing. This is another reason why digital signage is more beneficial than using static forms of advertisements.

In addition to tracking the number of views from your targeted audience, you may also receive a report with the number of times your ads plays on your screen. The Report section in UCView’s web-interface can be very useful in helping you keep track of the number of times an ad plays. Click on Create a Report in order to receive detailed information on your number of impressions. You can separate your report into Groupings, which consists of the following: Campaigns, Ads, Locations, and Displays. This will organize your report into appropriate sections. You can also create restrictions on the date and select the campaigns, sections, and locations in which you would like a fully detailed report.  You may preview the report of impressions and generate a PDF or XLS file for printing. You may also view the number of impressions made only for the day if you access Campaigns and Ads.  It’s essential to keep track of your ads and the number of people who viewed your display. Reports are essential in providing evidence that your ads are effective for your business.

Content creation is the creation and modification of digital content. For instance, the content and images you provide on your website can make a difference on how people perceive your site. The same can go for digital signage. It’s important to get the most out of your digital signage, by displaying what your customers want to view.

Content creation allows for you to create information about your business or organization to attract customers. It allows for you to develop, design, and generate content for your customers to read. Content can be either entertaining, informative, or both. Creating content with digital signage allows for you to communicate in ways that were never thought possible.

Content is key! To gain accurate information, take the time to research your content beforehand. This prevents inaccurate information from being posted. Make sure that the information that you provide is short and to the point. If you don’t need to include it, try not to overwhelm your customers with unnecessary information. You can provide all the details you need in just a few paragraphs.  However, it’s important that your content is also informative and accurate.

Ideas – It’s important to brainstorm and find out what is the best way to present content. What do you think will be interesting for your audience? Make sure that your information is relevant for your industry. Before uploading content, decide what you want to include first. What you display can make a big impact on how people perceive your company.

How content can be utilized in digital signage – Digital signage can provide you with multiple solutions to help you release content. You can schedule ads, give permission access to certain departments and users, create dynamic content which can be changed in seconds, and release content to be displayed for an extended period of time. In fact, there are apps and widgets which can be installed for free. UCView’s content store has many different apps and widgets available for your use, just click install on any app you would like to use. In just a few seconds, you can provide a variety of news, weather, or more for your audience.

Industries- When displaying content it’s important to display information which is relevant to your industry. This will peak your customer’s interest. For instance, an educational institution can display upcoming events on campus, directions to buildings, information on the library, bookstore events, and more. If you are displaying information for a bank or financial corporation, it’s recommended to display such content as financial news or a stock ticker. Displaying information which relates to your industry can make a positive difference.

Determine where to place your content - To gain responses and get the most out of your digital signage, it’s recommended that content is placed in high traffic zones. High traffic zones are areas where large groups of people gather, such as in shopping centers. It’s important that your target audience can easily view the monitor. If your audiences are customers, then it’s a good idea to place the monitors near the entrance or inside a lobby. This will make it more visible for customers walking into the establishment.

Make sure that the information that you provide is something that would be interesting for your customers. Digital signage can be an important tool for communication, as long as it’s used in the right way.

Many people have tasted a product from Hillshire Brands. Their classic brand name foods have been around for many years. This meat-centric corporation dates back to 1939, yet today it still sells one of the most memorable food products made available in the United States and internationally. Hillshire Brands includes leading brand names such as Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Hillshire Farms and State Fair. It also includes frozen desserts such as Sara Lee and Chef Pierre pies, as well as gourmet meat corporations which includes Aidells and Gallo Salame. Hillshire Brands is dedicated to providing their consumers with food that not only taste delicious, but has nutritional qualities as well. This meat-centric industry aspires to provide their consumers with home-style like foods which generations of families have enjoyed in the past. Despite being a large corporation, Hillshire Brands provides a family-like atmosphere for their employees. This corporation wanted to advance communication to their large number of employees by installing digital signage and providing them with information on the core values of Hillshire Brands, upcoming events, and more. We are proud to work with Hillshire Brands to help achieve their communication goals! 

We have all seen digital signage at an establishment of some kind, but have you actually paid attention to the content placed on the signage monitor. Digital signage can truly enhance your business; however, it needs to be utilized to its fullest potential. Below are some suggestions on what NOT to display on your digital signage monitor.

1) Do NOT place rotating static images on your digital signage monitor. It might seem okay to show images of trendy clothes within a retail establishment; however, having your customers view consistent rotating images is not the most effective method of attracting their attention.  Digital signage can do much more for your business if you understand how to target your audience and provide them with valuable content that’s useful.

2) Do NOT play your content on repeat. Although it’s easy to just press a button and have the same content running every day, providing your customers with content that repeats will eventually bore them. Even if you have new customers coming in on a daily basis, that is no reason to provide them with the same content on a daily basis. Put some more effort in your digital signage content and provide your audience with a variety of content that may be new and fresh for them.

3) Do NOT place your digital signage monitor up too high or somewhere a customer will have difficulty viewing. What good is having a digital signage monitor if people cannot even view it.  Digital signage is meant to be helpful for your business, so place the signage monitors within the visibility of your customers. For example, place it within eye level or slightly above their heads, where it’s still easily readable.

  4) Do NOT use small text. You shouldn’t expect your customers to put on a pair of glasses to read the monitor. The monitor should still be easily viewable from a couple feet away. Small text will only turn away your customers and any important information you may have included will be left ignored. After installing the monitor, walk a couple feet away and take a look at the font, if you think that it’s too small then change it, chances are that other customers will have the same issue.

5) Do NOT ignore your digital signage monitor. You need to keep it fresh and updated. For instance, what’s the point of including an upcoming event that has expired a month ago. Even if it’s just one content that is outdated, your customers will automatically assume that other content you have displayed is out-of-date as well. Take the time to freshen up your content; your customers will eventually take notice.