How digital signage is revitalising the visitor attractions market

Digital signage is revolutionising the way visitor attractions engage with their audience and enhance the overall visitor experience. By using digital displays, visitor attractions can quickly and easily communicate important information, such as exhibit details and directions, and can also use the technology to create interactive and immersive experiences for visitors.

One of the primary benefits of digital signage for visitor attractions is the ability to easily update and change the content displayed on the screens. This means that attraction owners can quickly and easily adapt to new exhibits, promotions, and events, without having to go through the process of printing and installing new physical signage.

Cloud-based content management systems (CMS) ensure the utmost flexibility, enabling staff members to deliver content from anywhere to selected screens, or across an entire network. Enterprise-ready solutions allow various levels of content management responsibilities to be assigned securely, and offer additional security features, such as Two-factor Authentication for the login.

ISO-27001-certified CMS providers take security to the next level, having been independently verified to handle and protect large volumes of data.

In addition to providing timely and relevant information, digital signage can also be used to create a more immersive and interactive experience for visitors. Many visitor attractions are now using digital displays to create virtual reality or augmented reality experiences, which allow visitors to fully engage with the attraction and feel like they are part of the action.

Another key benefit of digital signage for visitor attractions is the ability to track and analyse visitor behaviour. Digital displays can be equipped with sensors and analytics software, which can provide valuable insights into how visitors are interacting with the attraction. This information can be used to optimize the visitor experience and make informed decisions about future exhibits and promotions.

Look out for CMS solutions that offer Web Trigger APIs to build interactive exhibits. Lift and Learn displays are one example. They not only trigger more information to the screen every time someone interacts with an item from an exhibit, but also can highlight which items visitors are most interested in. With integrated Proof of Play functionality, asset playback analytics can be checked to confirm the most popular items.

Despite the many benefits of digital signage, there are also some challenges that visitor attractions must consider when implementing the technology. One of the primary challenges is cost – digital displays and the technology required to run them can be expensive, and the initial investment may be prohibitive for some attractions. Additionally, there is the ongoing cost of maintaining and updating the digital displays, which must be taken into account.

Visitor attractions can significantly reduce the long-term cost of investment by investing in a cloud-based CMS system. Unlike on-premise CMS solutions, cloud-based alternatives don’t require investment in any licences for the software, leases for hosting space, or bandwidth and installations. Everything is included in a cost-effective subscription, even on-going software updates and security checks, which the CMS providers themselves will perform. 

Cloud-based CMs platforms are also designed with built-in tools to handle upscaling, so that the solution they provide can grow and evolve with the needs of the business. 

There is also the challenge of ensuring that the digital signage is reliable and works as intended. Attractions rely on the technology to communicate important information and enhance the visitor experience, so any technical issues or downtime can have serious consequences. It is therefore important for visitor attractions to work with reputable and reliable vendors and to have robust maintenance and support systems in place.

Consider investing in a CMS solution that offers integrated Proactive Monitoring, which enables you to monitor your network remotely and out of hours, without having to login. The feature is designed to send out opt-in texts and emails, alerting you in the event of any issues with your network.

Overall, digital signage is revitalising the visitor attractions market by providing a more engaging and interactive experience for visitors, and by giving attraction owners the ability to quickly and easily communicate important information and adapt to changing circumstances. While there are challenges to consider, the benefits of digital signage make it a valuable investment for many visitor attractions.