Taking a Closer Look at Indoor and Outward Facing Digital Signage For Your Retail Stores
This article will take a look at the differences between indoor and outward-facing digital signage, and discuss in detail the individual needs and benefits of each option. Both forms of digital signage can be highly effective in a retail space at amplifying a business’s key messages and important information. They can both also be used for displaying promotions and advertising. Digital signage in your retail space could mean the difference in customers having a positive shopping experience in-store or getting them into your store in the first place.
Indoor Screens
Indoor digital signage is typically what customers will see once they have already entered the store. Indoor digital displays include single monitor screens, kiosks or touch screens, matrix screens or video walls, menu boards and for certain environments, LED screens. These screens can come in a variety of sizes and form factors and are generally found in either portrait or landscape orientation. Non-touch indoor digital signage is great for displaying promotions, staff profiles and welcome messaging, and important information such as health protocols and store policies. It’s a powerful way to communicate anything important or relevant to customers once they are in the store. With some extra planning and strategy, zones can also be set up within your store. This essentially means applying specific content themes dependent on the type of screen or its location. For example, a store may want to only display welcome messaging on the first screen that customers see once they have walked, and only display store policies on a screen behind the counter. Doing this can improve the effectiveness of your messaging and what you get from your digital signage. Interactive screens, as opposed to non-touch screens, are very useful for helping people find their way around the store, browsing and comparing products in one place, purchasing independently and for service-based retail, checking in and assigning themselves to a queue or staff member.
Outward Facing Screens
Outward-facing digital signage includes any digital screens that face prospective customers outside of the store. These screens are generally used to attract customers to the store through the use of promotions, key brand messages and highly visual content that makes the store and its brand stand out. Although it’s uncommon for outward-facing screens to have touch functionality, interactivity can be applied through the use of QR codes, helping customers engage with the brand after hours, or enticing them into the store through competitions. Outside-facing screens can include single window displays, matrix screens and LED screens, and although they can come in smaller sizes, tend to be in larger sizes for greater visibility and effectiveness in attracting customers. Similar to indoor screens, these can be mounted in several different ways, and are found in portrait or landscape orientation.

Which screen is best for your store?
Choosing the right screen type is dependent on both the size and layout of your store and of course your goals. For most store sizes and types, we recommend a combination of both, as they both serve different purposes and help to provide a more consistent experience along the multiple touch points of the customer journey. For stores with size and layout challenges, there are still many options to ensure you have at least one type of signage or even both. This could include choosing smaller screens or getting your screens installed in a specific orientation and or form factor which works best for the space. This can be easy when working with a digital signage expert like Engagis, who can work around your space requirements and recommend the best possible option for your space. There are also other display options like outdoor digital signage, which can be placed separately from your retail space.
If you’d like to read more into digital signage more broadly, we have several informative blog posts on how digital signage impacts customer behaviour, and how it can influence your modern retail space. Engagis also offers a wide range of digital signage services, contact us today.