Split-Testing For Retail Digital Signage Network Operators

The digital signage industry seems to attract the same concerns from venue owners who question the effectiveness of the signs. To their credit, they're concerned about ROI for projects that are often hard to track. However, once a signage network has been deployed throughout a retail location, surprisingly few operators are willing to test what works and what works better. Sadly, in their inaction, they fail to uncover tangible opportunities to improve the success of their campaigns.

Below, we'll explore how retail managers and signage network operators can split-test an enormous crop of factors that can influence a campaign's success. For the purpose of this article, we'll assume that a fleet of digital screens is deployed throughout a retail venue in order to lift sales or trigger an immediate and measurable response.

Instincts Can Fail

When digital screens are deployed throughout a location, consider the decisions that have already been made. The placement of the signs, including their physical location, height, and the angle at which they're positioned are determined beforehand. In most cases, the initial stream of content has already been developed. The screens' proximity to certain facets of the venue (for example, the cash register or restrooms) has been decided.

If you're in charge of operating the signage network, how do you know that any of these factors are effective? Furthermore, how do you know that they cannot be improved upon? The truth is, most of these decisions were made by instinct (often, by the project manager). But, there is no way to know for certain how effective they are without split-testing.

Improving Performance Through Testing

Each screen in your signage network represents an opportunity to split-test a myriad of factors which can potentially improve a campaign's success. Sometimes, the improvement you'll see is incremental; other times, it can be startlingly large. As long as you have a significant group of performance data, you can experiment with small changes and track their effects.

For example, let's suppose you're running a campaign that is designed to evoke an immediate response from your signage network's viewers. One of your screens is positioned 10 feet above the floor in a high-traffic location. Let's further suppose that you have two months of data from that particular screen; you would like to improve that sign's performance. So, you run a test; you lower the screen so that it rests only 8 feet above the floor. Over the next two months, continue tracking that sign's performance. Then, compare the new results with the old.

The change in performance may be slight, and it can be positive or negative. If the digital sign's performance suffered, raise it back to 10 feet. If it improved, even incrementally, use the 8-foot position as your new control and continue split-testing. The important thing to realize is that even tiny improvements can have an aggregate influence upon a campaign's ROI.

The Work Never Ends

As I mentioned, there are countless items that you can test to improve your signage network's performance. For example, you can test the effects of positioning your screens at varying angles, near windows, or even in spaces where they would seem to compete with other screens. Test price points, color schemes, and other response mechanisms that you're using within your content. Modify the lighting around the screens. Each item can be tested easily and its effects tracked.

The key is to continue split-testing your control. Most of these tests can be performed at low cost, yet they can potentially cause a boost in response. Several months from now, when you look back upon hundreds of tiny split-tests, you'll note the difference they've made in your signage network's effectiveness.