Commentary

8 questions to ask your digital signage vendor

A good vendor should be able to answer these questions regarding a digital signage deployment.

January 15, 2019 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Marketplace & Food Truck Operator

Trying to deploy your first display or network can be incredibly intimidating. There are so many factors to consider right off the bat, such as budget, placement, training, content and many more.

Luckily, a good vendor should be able to help ease your mind on these concerns, if you just ask the right questions. And if your vendor isn't up to par, they will likely give unsatisfactory answers to your inquiries.

Of course, it can be a challenge to ask the right questions. Here are a few starter ones to ask your vendor to help get your digital signage campaign off to a good start.

Who else has used this solution?

This question is especially useful if you want to compare notes with another end user who has used this solution before. It also gives you a good idea if this particular product has been tested in the field.

What type of training do you offer?

You should have a clear idea on how much training your vendor can provide. Some vendors might offer follow-up training if you run into issues, but not all of them do. If they have a particular training manual, you should also ask for a copy.

What type of content creation do you provide/recommend?

Some vendors offer content creation services themselves, while others might recommend you to a specialist. If you plan to create the content yourself, you should ask the vendor if they have any tools to help with the process.

Do you offer any analytics, and if so, what kind?

This is key if you want to measure the overall effectiveness of your digital signage.

Do you offer discounts for upgrades?

If you ever want to upgrade your displays to a fresher model, you should ask your vendor if they offer any sort of discount.

How often do you update your software?

If you are dealing with a digital signage software vendor, you need to know how often they update their software. Typically, if a vendor doesn't update their software often, the software might have some big problems.

What type of warranties do you offer?

Make sure to read the fine text of those warranties yourself.

How will this feature help my brand/business?

You should be asking this question every time your vendor recommends a particular feature. By doing this, you won't be trapped by dazzling gadgets that don't add anything of value to your particular deployment.

These are just a few of the key questions you should be asking your vendor. But, they do give a good starting point for you to make your own lists of questions to present vendors with.

You can also gain some key information on what your vendor offers by checking out Digital Signage Today's hardware and software guides, which offer specs on hundreds of digital signage hardware and software offerings.

Image via Istock.com.

About Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is the editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. He was previously the editor of Digital Signage Today. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing.

Connect with Bradley: