What is Digital Signage? Everthing You Need To Know About It

Published on
November 5, 2024

What Is Digital Signage?

Digital signage refers to the use of digital displays such as LED, LCD, OLED screens, or billboards to show multimedia content for marketing, communication, and awareness purposes. Display content can vary from need basis and the industry that you cater to. As an example, digital displays can be leveraged to show advertisements in retail chains, dynamic digital menus in restaurants, emergency alerts, wayfinding in public and government places, corporate communications, and more.

Digital signage software isn’t just a minor innovation. It has become a necessary part of everyone’s daily life. From the moment you step out of home, you start seeing the wonders and smart applications of digital signage all around you. Whether you are looking at a digital billboard showcasing your favourite brand, interacting with digital kiosks & menus while ordering your food, or using digital screens to access necessary information in government institutions, hospitals, or while traveling, all of it is a possible cause of digital signage.

Let's delve deep into how digital signage solutions are transforming India.

Best Applications of Digital Signage

Digital signage software being a modern-day innovation comes with quite a handful of features. Some of the best applications for digital signage in India are as follows:

Awareness & Promotions:

Digital signage solutions are the best way to attract crowds & increase revenue by showing relevant promotions related to products, services, events, and special event sales. With the help of targeting personalized media such as static ads, video ads, or 3D ads it opens new horizons to increase awareness and promotions.

At Public Places:

Digital displays have become the best solution for showing relevant information in public places. It becomes a smart solution to display necessary information, timings & announcements at bus stations, railway stations, airports, and other public transit areas. Another great utilization for this can be DOOH Digital displays for mass advertisement or showing preferred and relevant media to people.

Displaying Business Services

In regards to the recent trend of going all in for sustainability and saving resources, digital signage displays are the way to display services that your business vertical offers. It can be widely used in places such as restaurants, pubs, fitness centers, QSRs, etc. Digital display helps in displaying services more intuitively, enhancing customer experience. With this businesses can display their offering digitally, keep them updated all around the time, A/B test with media and layouts for better customer experience & more. It reduces the reliability of old-fashioned paper menus. With digital signages, you can even save on electricity with features such as automated brightness & scheduling.

Crowd Management

Manage crowd easily with innovative solutions that digital signage software offers. You can utilize digital displays for queue management by displaying token updates, keeping people engaged with the help of showing relevant content while they wait in the waiting area, or running promotional or awareness media on these displays.

Maps and Wayfinding

Digital signage works as best solution for showcasing crucial information for maps & wayfinding purpose. With the help of interactive digital displays, it becomes easy for people to locate where they are and where to go. People can navigate easily and avoid confusion in places such as museums, school or office premises, public buildings or institutions, hospitals, and more. Furthermore, it helps in reducing the use of traditional paper maps which helps businesses & institutions to take one step towards sustainability.

Emergency Alerts

During emergency time, digital displays work as a charm as they should. With the help of digital signage solutions, broadcast emergency messages, alerts, and directions to keep people safe and to help them navigate in case of any such emergency. This helps in better & efficient evacuation procedures by keeping people safe and alerted in such emergency situations.

Information Display

Display necessary information such as weather updates, multiple time zones, or personalized content relevant to the place, environment, or people. With the help of a custom screen layout feature showcase all necessary information without compromising on anything. Utilize your digital displays to their full capacity & showcase necessary information in the layout you prefer.

Outdoor Advertising

With the help of digital signage software step into the modern world of advertisement. With DOOH (Display-out-of-home) showcase what your brand or business offers and attract the masses. It's the best way to grab the crowd's attention and awareness.

Just like this, there are many more applications of digital signage as the world is developing and so is the display industry.

Variants of digital signage

With digital signage solutions, there are endless possible ways to display content. Some of the best ways are as follows:

DOOH

Digital Out of Home (DOOH) advertising display is the modern way that has transformed the advertising space. With big outdoor display placements brands and businesses can showcase their promotions, advertisements, product launches, dynamic content, and more. It has become the best way to target and attract more and more crowd.

Standees

Digital standees are independent displays that are mainly installed in busy hotspots such as hotels, hospital receptions, retail stores, restaurants & QSRs, during events, and more. These standees' are mainly made of LCD, LED, or outdoor pixel LED. Being multipurpose displays these can be taken into use for showcasing new launches, product promotions, greeting in-stores, etc.

Menu Boards

As technical advancement hits every sector present today it has evolved our experience of dining and visiting restaurants & QSRs. Where we used to have static menu placements, these now have been evolved into dynamic digital menu boards. The major benefit of using digital menu boards is that they can change dynamically. It becomes easy for restaurants and QSRs to manage operations by dynamically updating menu offerings based on timings (such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner), managing item stocks based on availability, or showcasing new offerings. It helps in enhancing customer experience and providing them with necessary and relevant information.

Video Wall

Video walls are comprised of multiple displays assembled in one big screen. All these displays work as one and display content. It is best suited for museums, in artifact centers to display information, as a background during news telecasting, in social events, or more. Video walls display dynamic content in high resolution attract people and enhance their experiences.

Interactive Display

Interactive displays are taken into use to enhance the experiences of people depending on the place and environment. These are mostly taken into use in museum exhibits, product showcases to provide a more immersive, for wayfinding purposes in big premises, to parse on knowledge, etc. With these types of digital displays, it helps in creating a personalized & rich experience.

Shelf Labels

With the help of digital shelf labels, it becomes easy to manage pricing, promotions, and product information on store shelves, typically found in grocery and retail stores. With digital signage software, you can remotely manage and control all necessary pricing, stock & promotion details which helps in reducing human labor costs, convenient inventory management, and pricing details of products. All this helps in creating a rich shopping experience for customers.

Kiosk Displays

Kiosk displays are mostly used for self-checkout services, to access product information, to display promotions while ordering, or for feedback purposes. It is widely used in places with high footfall to streamline operations. These can be mostly seen and used in retail stores, restaurants, or QSRs or at transportation hubs such as airports, railway stations, etc. With the help of digital kiosk displays help businesses or service providers streamline operations, reducing wait times, and enhancing customer service efficiency.

Must-Have Features While Finalizing Digital Signage Solution

While choosing a digital signage solution for your brand or business you should look for the following features that can further help you in your target by taking full leverage of these digital solutions.

Web Page Support

Easily display web content such as webpages, live news, social media feeds, etc. on the screens directly without any lag. Build real-time engagement by showing dynamic content from the web.  

Grouping of Screens and Tags

Manage multiple screens at single or multi-location with ease and hassle-free. With the help of grouping and tagging displays on the basis of geo-location, department, or content type manage displays without any confusion. This also allows to trigger mass content updates & allows specific content to be tailored for particular groups of screens. This streamlines operations and better message targeting.

Team Access Management

For businesses with multiple users, team access management ensures that each team member has the appropriate level of access. This feature enables role-based permissions, which adds a layer of control and security by limiting access based on a user’s role or location.

Screen Content Offline Support

Avoid the fear of black screen due to internet connectivity loss. Your content continues to play uninterrupted even without an internet connection. This feature is crucial for businesses that rely on seamless operations and helps avoid disruptions in customer engagement.

Multiple OS Support

Wilyer’s digital signage software offers compatibility with multiple operating systems (such as Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, Amazon Firestick, etc.). With this screens and devices from various providers can integrate smoothly, allowing for diverse deployments without extra cost.

On-premise or Cloud Hosting options

Digital signage solutions should provide the flexibility of either on-premise or cloud hosting. Cloud hosting offers accessibility from any location, while on-premise solutions allow for more control and security, ideal for businesses with specific privacy requirements.

End to end Encryption AES 256

To protect sensitive content and customer data, end-to-end encryption with AES 256-bit encryption is critical. This high standard of encryption ensures secure content distribution, which is particularly important for businesses handling private data or regulated content.

Drag and Drop Multi Media Layout Builder

Drag-and-drop builder makes it easy for teams to design visually engaging layouts without technical expertise. This feature enables the integration of various media (text, images, videos, or widgets) and customizes layouts effortlessly.

Custom Screen Size Support with Billboard LEDs and Vertical Displays

Software should enable businesses to utilize diverse screen sizes and formats. This feature ensures that content scales appropriately across any display type, enhancing branding opportunities in any setting without compromising on the content.

Custom Integrations like Queue Management & Self-Ordering Kiosk Management

Support for integrations with specialized systems, such as queue management and self-ordering kiosks, expands the functionality of digital signage. It enables digital signage to become a multi-functional tool, streamlining customer service and improving user experience during peak hours.

Bulk Screen Actions like Screen Rotation

With bulk screen actions, administrators can manage multiple screens at once, adjusting settings like screen rotation, brightness, and power schedules. This capability simplifies large-scale screen management and helps businesses control energy usage and extend screen lifespan.

Brightness Control and Screen On/Off Schedule

Easily manage your display’s brightness levels and schedule content playback. This allows businesses or brands to take steps towards sustainability without compromising on using digital displays for their preferred usage.

Proof of Play Reports and Ads Play Time Reports

Proof of play and ad playtime reporting provides insights into how often specific content or ads were displayed, aiding in content performance analysis and compliance verification. This feature is essential for advertisers to gauge the effectiveness of campaigns and prove delivery.

Live Stream, RSS Feed, Weather, and AQI Data

Integrating real-time data feeds, such as live streams, RSS feeds, weather updates, and air quality information (AQI), allows you to provide crucial information to the viewers. These dynamic data integrations keep people informed and engaged, adding more value to screen time.

Advanced Use Cases like HDMI TV In Capture for Ads + Live TV

HDMI TV in capture allows digital signage to overlay ads onto live TV broadcasts, offering a seamless way to blend advertisements with live programming. This feature enhances audience reach and brand presence in settings where live TV is displayed, such as sports bars or waiting areas.

Programmatic Integration Ads Player for pDOOH (Programmatic Digital Out of Home) with SSP Supply Side Platform

Programmatic integration for pDOOH (programmatic digital out-of-home) with SSP support enables real-time ad placements across multiple platforms. This feature opens up advertising opportunities for brands to reach targeted audiences through automated ad buying, optimizing revenue potential.

Live Screen Status Report with Activity and File Downloading Reports

Monitoring screen activity in real-time and receiving reports on file downloads helps maintain smooth operations and quickly identify any issues. This feature allows businesses to ensure content updates have been applied successfully and track overall screen performance for troubleshooting.

Each of these features plays a vital role in creating a flexible, secure, and high-performing digital signage solution. So, these are some of the features that one must look into while finalizing their preferred choice of digital signage partner.

Businesses That Wilyer Caters To

Wilyer as a premium digital signage provider in India, offers advanced digital signage solutions tailored to the specific needs of each industry. Whether for engaging customers in retail business, streamlining processes in healthcare, or enhancing guest experiences in hotels, our digital signage solutions combine flexibility, security, and high-impact visuals. With options for custom integrations, multi-screen control, and programmatic DOOH capabilities, our solutions empower businesses to transform communication, boost efficiency, and elevate brand presence across all industries.

Retail Chain

In retail, digital signage transforms the shopping experience by enhancing product displays, promoting deals, and providing real-time inventory updates. With features like interactive touch screens, custom screen sizes, and dynamic ads, digital signage in retail helps guide customers to products, showcases new arrivals, and strengthens brand loyalty through visually engaging content.

Restaurant & QSRs

Digital signage offers restaurants and QSRs the flexibility to update menu boards instantly, display special promotions, and support interactive ordering kiosks. High-resolution screens capture customer attention, while automated scheduling enables day-parting, ensuring that breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus display seamlessly at the right times, reducing wait times and enhancing customer satisfaction.

DOOH

For DOOH, digital signage provides advertisers with a powerful medium for reaching large audiences with programmatic ads, real-time updates, and visually striking displays. Advanced features like remote management and proof-of-play reports allow advertisers to optimize campaigns and measure impact across multiple high-traffic locations, making DOOH campaigns highly flexible and measurable.

Bank & Financial Institutions

Digital signage in banks and financial institutions helps streamline customer service by displaying queue information, promoting financial products, and showcasing informative content. With secure access management, end-to-end encryption, and real-time updates, banks can communicate essential information while maintaining security and operational efficiency.

Hospital

In healthcare settings, digital signage is essential for patient communication, wayfinding, and displaying health information. Screens placed in lobbies, waiting rooms, and wards help reduce perceived wait times, guide patients to the right departments, and convey important public health information. Offline content support ensures that critical messaging is always available, even if connectivity drops.

Educational Institutions

In educational environments, digital signage is used for wayfinding, event promotion, emergency alerts, and displaying class schedules. Schools and universities can utilize features like screen grouping and remote access to manage content across campus-wide screens, fostering effective communication among students, staff, and visitors.

Corporate Offices

Digital signage enhances corporate communication by displaying real-time updates, corporate news, and employee recognition, fostering a connected and informed workforce. Features like live screen status reports, group management, and encrypted access controls ensure secure and effective messaging across multiple departments and office locations, creating a cohesive corporate culture.

Hotel & Casino

In hotels and casinos, digital signage is essential for enhancing guest experiences, from wayfinding and event announcements to promoting in-house services. With capabilities like custom screen sizes, screen rotation, and custom integrations, hotels, and casinos can deliver tailored, high-impact content to drive engagement and increase guest satisfaction.

Entertainment

Entertainment venues leverage digital signage for event promotion, ticketing information, wayfinding, and interactive experiences. Features like live stream capability and HDMI TV capture allow for the display of real-time event feeds and advertising, creating an immersive experience for guests and increasing revenue opportunities through on-screen ads.

Government

Government agencies use digital signage for public communication, service updates, and emergency alerts. With the need for secure, reliable displays, features like content offline support, proof of play reports, and AES 256 encryption are essential. Digital signage efficiently allows government facilities to communicate important information to citizens in public spaces.

Main Components of Digital Signage Technology?

The continuous advancements in digital signage solutions have resulted in multiple variants depending on the use case and features needed by the end consumer.

Component 1: Digital Signage Software

Digital signage software is basically of 3 types such as :

Cloud-Based Digital Signage:

Cloud-based digital signage software allows you to manage and update content remotely. Best feature of utilizing this signage solution is that it is accessible from any location via internet connectivity, content can be managed and updated remotely, easy scalability, and real-time updates, and data is end-to-end encrypted. It is ideal for businesses with multiple locations or those that require quick and seamless content updates.

On-Premise Digital Signage:

On-premise digital signage solutions are preferred for government offices, banking institutions, businesses, or sectors that want full control over digital content and access. This type of signage solution provides greater control and data privacy, as the content and software are hosted on local servers ensuring and maintaining strict data privacy.

USB-Based Digital Signage:

This type of digital signage solution is a reliable option for environments where real-time updates aren’t necessary, such as small businesses. It is cost-efficient and content can be pre-loaded on USB drives. USB based digital signage solution is just a plug-and-play straightforward solution to display content on screens.

Component 2: Hardware components

Display TV

Standard LED/LCD TVs are a common choice for digital signage, offering flexibility in screen size and resolution. With a compatible media player, they deliver sharp visuals and are suitable for a variety of indoor environments, from corporate settings to retail spaces.

SoC (System on Chip) Display

SoC displays are integrated with built-in processors, enabling content management directly on the display without requiring external media players. This reduces hardware clutter, making SoC displays ideal for sleek, streamlined setups in retail, corporate, and educational environments.

Non-SoC Display

Non-SoC displays work with external media players, which adds flexibility in hardware choice and allows for higher customization and processing power. These displays are suitable for complex installations requiring more advanced media playback, such as video walls or interactive setups.

Some other media player solutions are as follows:

Android Media Players

Standard Media Player:

These are mini versatile players that are capable of running digital signage software on a variety of operating systems. This is a convenient way as it offers easy compatibility & management with different display types for smooth content playback.

Firestick & Chromecast:

Manage your digital signage needs with these plug-and-play devices. These are affordable yet convenient. This type of solution is most suited for small-scale installations that don’t require heavy content processing. This is the most preferred and popular choice for cafes, restaurants, and retail stores.

Android-Based Media Player:

Android-based media players are widely compatible, customizable, and cost-effective. These are best suited for small to medium businesses.

Display LED Board (Pixel Screen)

LED pixel screens offer high brightness and color accuracy, even in direct sunlight, making them perfect for outdoor signage. They support high-resolution content, ideal for capturing attention in high-traffic public areas like shopping malls and transit hubs.

Outdoor Pixel Pitch Displays

Outdoor pixel pitch screens, specifically designed for high durability and visibility, offer enhanced pixel density for clear, vibrant visuals from a distance. They’re commonly used for roadside billboards and building-mounted displays, providing maximum impact in outdoor environments.

Video Wall Controller

A video wall controller manages multiple screens as one cohesive display, creating an immersive experience for viewers. This setup is popular in corporate lobbies, event venues, and public spaces, offering the flexibility to display single large-format images or multiple streams of content simultaneously.

Outdoor Digital Screen Media Players

Rooted Android Media Player: Rooted Android players allow for deeper customization and control, including automated content playback and remote management. They’re ideal for advanced setups that require frequent updates or integration with external systems, such as point-of-sale (POS) terminals.

Windows Mini PC: Mini PCs running Windows OS support more complex software and applications, offering high processing power for larger installations with interactive features. They’re suited for demanding environments like corporate offices, educational institutions, and large retailers.

Why Wilyer’s digital signage

Wilyer’s digital signage covers 360-degree needs one can expect from their digital signage solution. On top of that, we have 5+ years of experience in the digital signage field and have catered to 50+ top brands in India, detailing multiple verticals such as hospitality, government, banks, and more. It's our commitment to provide you and your business with the right and best digital signage solutions.

Book your demo today to get the best solutions!

Get in touch
Perfect for any industry - from lively retail spaces to dynamic corporate settings.
Wilyer CMS is your all-in-one solution for your display management.
Read about our privacy policy.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Seamless OS Compatibility

Works seamlessly across various devices and operating systems
Learn more

Elevate Your Digital
Signage
Experience