Choosing the Right Digital Signage Solution

Every business has different requirements, but there are a few essential features and qualities that every digital signage platform should offer.

Look for software that provides:

• An intuitive, easy-to-use interface
• Flexible scheduling
• Reliable playback
• Real-time monitoring
• Comprehensive reporting
• Secure user management
• Broad hardware compatibility
• Regular software updates
• Responsive customer support

Most importantly, choose a provider that understands your business and can support you as your network grows.

Cloud-based digital signage is usually the most practical choice when you need to manage screens remotely or across several locations. Authorised users can sign in through a web browser, publish updates, and monitor the network without travelling to every site.

Before choosing a platform, ask what happens when the internet connection drops. Cloud-based management should not mean that your screens go blank. With Imagine, downloaded images and videos continue playing locally while the player is offline.

You may be able to use your existing screens, provided they have the right inputs and are suitable for the required orientation, operating hours, brightness, and image quality. Adding a compatible media player can be more economical than replacing every display.

New commercial screens are generally the better choice for long trading hours, portrait installations, bright shop windows, outdoor environments, remote power control, and other business-critical applications. If you are unsure, test one existing screen before committing the whole network.

Not sure whether your current screens are suitable? Visit our Hardware and Compatibility FAQs for practical guidance before buying anything new.

Yes. Imagine Digital Signage is designed to work with a range of compatible hardware, including Android media players and supported commercial displays with built-in operating systems. This gives you more freedom to choose equipment that suits your budget, environment, and existing screen setup, rather than being tied to one manufacturer or proprietary device.

Compatibility can vary between models and operating-system versions, so it is always worth checking before purchasing several devices. Explore our compatible digital signage hardware, read our screen buying guide, or contact our team with the model details, and we'll help you confirm whether or not it's suitable.

Very important! A black screen is a wasted screen, and it can make your business appear unreliable or poorly managed. Offline playback means your screens will not go blank if the internet connection drops unexpectedly. With Imagine, published images and videos are downloaded to the media player, allowing them to continue playing without an active connection.

Live websites and connected widgets will not receive new information while offline, but they will continue displaying the most recently downloaded content. Once the connection is restored, the widgets refresh automatically with the latest available information.

At a minimum, your digital signage software should show whether each screen is online, when it last connected, and what content it is meant to be playing. This helps your team spot problems before a customer or branch has to report them.

Imagine Digital Signage goes considerably further, with detailed reports covering screen activity, media playback, proof of play, data usage, user activity, and more. Reports can be filtered by relevant criteria and exported when you need to share results with clients, advertisers, managers, or other stakeholders.

Explore Imagine’s digital signage reporting capabilities, or visit our Reporting and Proof of Play FAQs for a more detailed explanation of the reports available.

When comparing digital signage providers, ask the following questions:

• How long have you been in the digital signage industry?
• Do you develop your own software?
• What support, onboarding, and training do you provide?
• How often is the platform updated?
• Can the software grow with my business?
• What reporting features are included?
• Which hardware do you recommend and why?
• Can I test the platform or book a demonstration before committing?

A reputable provider should answer these questions clearly and honestly, explain any limitations, and help you understand exactly what is included before you make a decision.

Not necessarily. A low monthly fee can look attractive, but it may exclude support, storage, users, widgets, reporting, updates, or essential management tools. Cheap hardware can also cost more over time when you include replacement, travel, installation, and downtime.

Compare the full cost over the expected life of the network. Include:

• Software licences
• Screens and media players
• Mounting and installation
• Connectivity
• Content creation
• Training and support
• Maintenance and likely replacement costs

The best-value solution is the one that meets your needs reliably, not simply the one with the lowest starting price.

Test the tasks your team will perform most often. Upload media, connect Canva, build and preview a playlist, assign it to a screen, create a schedule, check a remote screenshot, review screen status, add a user, and open a proof-of-play report.

Use your own content and a realistic branch or campaign scenario so the demo reveals how the platform fits your workflow.

Ask how the system handles screen groups, permissions, reusable playlists, bulk actions, monitoring, reporting, hardware standards, and support across many sites. A platform that works for one screen may become difficult to manage when every branch needs different content.

A good digital signage platform should allow you to start with a single display and expand to hundreds or thousands without changing systems.

Choosing a scalable solution protects your investment and avoids the disruption of migrating to a different platform as your organisation grows.

They don't have to, but someone must take responsibility for compatibility and support. A software-only approach gives you purchasing flexibility, whereas a complete solution can simplify specification, installation, commissioning, and fault ownership.

Confirm who supports the screen, player, network, software, and installation before committing.

Customer support is often overlooked until it's needed.

When comparing providers, consider the following:

• Can I speak to a real person?
• How quickly do they respond?
• Do they understand digital signage?
• Will they help after installation?
• Do they continually improve their software?

The answers to these questions can make a significant difference to your experience over the life of your digital signage network.

Imagine has been built by people who understand what it takes to run a real digital signage network.

For more than 15 years, our team has deployed, managed, and supported digital signage across multiple industries. This hands-on experience has shaped every part of the platform, from content management and scheduling to screen monitoring, reporting, user access, and customer support.

We take the time to understand your business and recommend a setup that suits your needs. Depending on your project, our team can help you:

• Select suitable hardware
• Configure your account
• Install and connect your screens
• Train your team
• Launch your first campaigns
• Expand your network as your business grows

We also continue to invest in the platform, using real customer feedback and operational experience to guide improvements and updates. Our relationship does not end once your screens are live. You will continue to receive knowledgeable support from people who understand both the software and the practical realities of running a digital signage network.