Thinking about investing in digital signage for your business? You’re in the right place.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the digital sign process step by step, and highlight the key benefits of choosing digital signage for your space.
With over a decade of experience in custom signage—from design and manufacturing to installation and maintenance—we specialize in helping businesses bring their vision to life, including dynamic digital signs.
1. What Is Digital Signage?
Digital signage uses electronic displays—such as computer monitors, LED panels, or TV screens—to showcase content in a modern, eye-catching way. Unlike traditional signs that remain fixed, digital signs can display static images, videos, animations, or even live data feeds.
One of the biggest advantages of digital signage is flexibility. You can update your message anytime—daily, hourly, or even in real time—without the need to reprint materials or physically change the sign. This makes it perfect for time-sensitive promotions, announcements, menus, and wayfinding.
You’ll find digital signage just about everywhere: in shopping malls displaying store directories, hospitals providing visitor information, schools sharing daily schedules, lobbies highlighting company news, and restaurants showcasing menus and specials.
Wherever there's a need to communicate quickly and clearly, digital signage is a smart, adaptable solution.
2. Why Choose Digital Signage?
Digital signage is a great communication tool: If you need to get a message out to your customers or staff, a digital sign works extremely well. There are many benefits of using digital signage, including:
It's Attractive:
Digital signage is a great way to communicate your message. It is much more eye-catching than traditional static signage such as posters, flyers, banners, and signs as it catches people's attention in a way that a static sign can't.
It Can Improve Your Marketing and Advertising Effectiveness:
Digital signage gives you the ability to present a powerful call to action and show engaging visuals.
Your message will really get noticed with a digital sign, and it can help improve your communication with your visitors, staff, or students.
It's Becoming More Cost Effective:
When digital signage first came out, it was extremely expensive. However, the overall cost of digital signage has been decreasing every year since, making it a much more affordable option now than ever before.
Initially, a digital sign installation cost thousands of dollars, but now you can potentially install one for a few hundred dollars, depending on the size of project you’re planning.
3. What You Need for Digital Signage
There are four basic parts to a digital signage display. They include:
Hardware:
You need to have a physical device to display your message, like a display screen or monitor, and something to hold it up or stand it on.
If you are putting your display on a wall, then you will need the proper wall mounts to hold it securely.
You will also need a media player to send your message to your screen. This may be a laptop or other type of computer.
Software:
In addition to your hardware, you will require a content management software (CMS). This special type of software will allow you to display your content on your screen.
There are many different types and levels of CMS. Some are free and others you need to pay a monthly or yearly fee.
Different CMS have different capabilities. Some will let you show a wide range of content including text, images, video, webpages, etc; while others only can show limited content.
Make sure you ask about your CMS's capabilities and choose one that will do what you want it to do before you buy it.
Content:
The content refers to the messages you will show on your display. Your content can be text, images, video, calendars, and webpages or any combination of these.
A Plan:
You want to carefully think through and decide on a strategy for your digital signage to make sure that you achieve the purpose that you have for you message.
A Manager:
You need to assign someone the task of managing and updating your digital signage.
If you don't have someone to do this task, your sign could be forgotten about. To be effective, your content needs to be fresh and regularly updated or your audience will lose interest.
4. Where to Set up Digital Signage
It is extremely important to choose the placement of your digital sign so that it will have the greatest impact.
For example, if your goal is to promote this week's sale in your retail store, then you could place your display at the front of your store right where the most traffic passes by as the enter.
Here are some additional tips for the placement of your digital sign:
Interactive Signs: Make sure these are placed where people are encouraged to stop and wait such as a lineup for a service. They also need to be at a suitable height so that they can be accessed easily.
Signs to Attract New Customers: Place these displays where they can be seen by people passing by your location like a store window or doorway.
Office Updates: If you want to inform your staff about important information, place your monitors in the entrance to your business so they will be noticed as your staff enters and exits.
Students: Busy hallways are a great location for digital signage if you are trying to reach students with your message.
Places Where People Stop: Look for common areas where people tend to stop and hang around, like the water cooler or the mall food court. These are great locations for digital signs.
Unobstructed Views: Make sure that you sign is visible. Don't place it where things like pillars, staircases, or dividing walls can block it.
Height: If possible, it's best to place your digital signage so that it is at eye-level. Take the average height of your target audience and place your display accordingly.
Think about your goals for your project and your target audience when deciding on the optimal location.
5. How to Form the Best Message
Even with the best display technology and a prime location, your digital signage is only as effective as the content it shows. A high-resolution screen won’t mean much if the message it delivers is unclear, cluttered, or uninspiring.
To truly engage your audience, you need a visually striking design paired with a clear, compelling message. Effective digital signage grabs attention quickly, communicates essential information at a glance, and encourages viewers to take action.
Here are a few key principles to follow when creating content for your digital signage:
1. Keep It Brief
Digital signs are often viewed in passing—whether someone is walking through a lobby or waiting in line. Your message should be short, snappy, and easy to digest. Aim for as few words as possible while still conveying your point. Use bold headlines and avoid overcrowding the screen with too much text or unnecessary visuals.
2. Be Intentional with Design Placement
Think carefully about where elements appear on screen. Important messages or calls to action should be placed where the eye naturally goes first—typically centered or slightly upper-third. Ensure text is legible from a distance and never obstructed by design elements.
3. Include a Clear Call to Action
What do you want the viewer to do next? Whether it’s “Visit our website,” “Ask about today’s special,” or “Scan this code,” your sign should feature a clear, action-oriented statement that tells your audience exactly what to do.
4. Balance Colour, Space, and Alignment
An effective design isn’t just about bold colours or flashy graphics—it’s about visual harmony. Use colour intentionally to highlight key messages, maintain consistent spacing between elements, and align text and graphics in a way that’s easy on the eyes. Negative space (or white space) is your friend; it helps your content breathe and improves readability.
By following these best practices, you’ll ensure your digital signage isn’t just a screen—it’s a powerful communication tool that reinforces your brand and drives results.
How AGC Signs Can Help with digital signage
At AGC Signs, we’re here to help bring your digital signage vision to life—from concept to installation and beyond.
With over a decade of experience in the Ontario signage industry, we’ve worked with businesses of all sizes to design, manufacture, and install custom signage solutions, including high-impact digital displays.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or upgrading an existing system, our team can guide you through every step. We’ll recommend the best display hardware and software for your space and budget, ensure proper connectivity and setup, and handle a clean, professional installation that meets all safety and technical standards.
We don’t just know digital signage—we live it. Our knowledgeable staff can answer all your questions, explain your options, and ensure your signage is optimized for visibility, reliability, and ease of use.
We take pride in doing all the work ourselves—no subcontractors, ever—and our technicians are known for their skill, dedication, and attention to detail.
We also use only top-of-the-line equipment to ensure your signage looks great and performs flawlessly.
Whether you need a digital display, storefront sign, directional signage, or a full rebrand, AGC Signs is your trusted partner in signage solutions.
Contact us today for a free quote and let’s get your digital signage project started!
"I worked with AGC Signs on a signage project and was really happy with how it turned out. Rhonda took the time to explain to me how everything works and we went back and forth a few times looking at proofs. She was super helpful and I'm really happy with the quality of work I received. Would definitely recommend!"
- Lisa Ng
