When your church, school, or government organization is looking to purchase an LED sign, it's easy to get wrapped up in the technical specifications of the sign itself. How much text can you fit on the sign? How many colors can it display? How bright can the sign get? Here are some of the most common questions to ask before purchasing your new LED sign.
1. Is the setup easy for the LED sign? Creating and sending your first message can be a little challenging. Make sure to look at the documentation on setting up a new sign before your purchase; the shorter, the better. You will want to know if the sign will require special access or settings to work with your computer network. A standard internet connection is typically the best way to communicate and send messages to a digital sign.
2. Is the LED sign software secure? Find out what levels of security and software options that are available. Our best advice is to assign password protection and, if it works over the internet, it is important to use a secure protocol (https).
3. Can every user have their own username and password? Making sure each person that is responsible for updating the sign has a unique username and password. This will ensure everyone is accountable for what types of messages are on your electronic sign.
4. Can you access your LED sign from anywhere? Getting a sign that will allow many devices to update messages and graphics is very important. Ask if the software to operate the sign has to be installed and registered on every computer and every device. The ability to operate a digital sign through any device is irreplaceable and very important. Make sure that the software will work on every device that you want to use to control your sign.
5. Are there message scheduling options? An important feature to look for is the ability to control communications at certain times of the day, week or month and the ability start and stop based on dates.
6. Does the LED sign have tools for content creation? Creating unique and compelling content on an electronic sign is very important. Make sure to find out what features the software for your sign offers. In most cases, digital signs have the ability to add text, images, & video. There are other things to consider such as the ability to crop and resize within the software and if you can place text over images and videos.
7. Does the software come with graphics and animations? Having access to animations and video clips related to your organization is a big plus and is something most people want in a new digital sign.
8. Is there a backup way to communicate to the sign? If the LED sign fails to load messages and images correctly from your normal operating devices, is there a second way to upload messaging? Usually, digital signs will offer another way to communicate to the sign such as through a USB drive or a local connection right at the sign.
9. Are there multiple ways to control the sign's brightness? There should be a variety of ways to adjust the brightness depending on the time of the day or the physical location.
10. Does the LED signage have comprehensive training material and support documentation? Make sure the training materials are clear and concise and ask to see them before making your decision. It is also important to have access to online resources like tutorials for troubleshooting, refreshers, and training new people on how to use the sign
These are the top ten questions we recommend asking before buying a LED sign. There are a lot of features and functions that can differ from one digital sign to another, and asking these questions can assist in determining the right sign for your organization.
