A year (plus) of Digital Signage information!

-Deacon Wardlow

It's that time of year again. The days, weeks, and months have FLOWN by and we're all in the countdown scramble to finish, close, and clean things up before the year's end. We hope the blog articles have been informative and helpful for you all and we're thankful for your readership, feedback, support, and encouragement. This makes article #151 (not bad, 151 articles written since this blog was started in April 2012).

We hope you all have safe and wonderful (very likely hard-earned) time away from work coming up over the holidays. We'll be picking up the articles again from January 8th. So much has been written and said over the last year and a half, it's worth a breakdown. If you find yourself with a moment (or a client in need of some answers), check out the information below (broken up, as best I could, into categories for easier information sourcing). Click on any title to go to the article. You can also search (in the search bar above) by a specific topic, author, or subject you're looking for. If you're a Vantage LED partner (or want to be one) definitely go to our site www.vantageled.com and checkout Vantage University. We've got some great courses (videos, presentations, resources, and tools) coming out in the year ahead and plenty in there for immediate use.

Happy Holidays (whatever you're celebrating) and have a safe and happy new year. See you in 2014!

-The "geek speak specialists" at Vantage LED blogspot.

Digital Signage Sign Tech & Spec:

1. What to Expect when you're expecting your LED Sign...
2. Providing Correct Power Voltage to LED Signs and Why 120 VAC and 240 VAC are Both Important
3. Power Supplies
4. Don't get screwed, modern module securing systems
5. Front Access Design Considerations for Digital Signage and Hinged Faces
6. Factors Affecting Image Quality on Outdoor Digital Signage
7. How Color Values are calculated
8. Viewing Size vs Cabinet size (big differences can add up to false $$ savings)
9. Controller options for LED Signage
10. Virtual Resolution (aka pixel sharing)
11. LED Sign Components
12. Service Access options for LED Signs
13. The truth behind "ultra bright" LEDs
14. Communication Methods for LED Signs
15. Myths and Misunderstanding about LED Signs
16. The good and bad of LED Signs and how to tell the difference
17. Powder Coating
18. New Coating materials (Dragon Skin)

Digital Signage Content:

1. The New Expectations for LED Sign Content
2. Professional Content is a Must!
3. Real World Effects of LEDs per Pixel on Outdoor Digital Signage
4. Time and Temperature on LED Signs...to Be or Not to Be
5. Quality LED Signs Managed Responsibly Improve the Community
6. Professional Quality Content on LED Signs Benefit Resellers Directly
7. How 'LinkedIn' is Digital Signage for you/your clients?
8. Why DS Fails
9. Keeping Content Current/interesting
10. Ensuring text comes through LOUD AND CLEAR
11. LED Signs & Free Speech
12. Create a call to action with Digital Signage
13. The benefits of PSAs (Public Service Announcement)
14. Get the most from your website (Digital Signage is online as well)
15. Being a good neighbor with LED Signage
16. Content scheduling/creation (planning ahead)

Digital Signage Sales 101:

1. Without a defined desire, there is no sale.
2. ADAPT the sales technique
3. Be a "go-to" person; know your LED Sign and DS information!
4. What does Digital Signage Cost?
5. Sell your company first, product second...
6. Why Cheap LED Signs Sell Well But Fail
7. Door to Door is Dead
8. Sticker Shock Syndrome; dealing with cost objections
9. LED Sign Sales- Closing Technique Suggestions- 1 of 3
10. Closing Technique Suggestions- Installment 2 of 3
11. Closing Technique Suggestions- 3 of 3
12. Objection Handling Part 1 of 2
13. Objection Handling Part 2 of 2
14. Stop selling and start solving - Customer Centered Selling
15. Better is Better, Always!
16. Value Based Selling Is a Win for Local Sign Companies
17. The cost of a system - Good/Quick/Cheap... Speed, Quality, and Price with LED Signs/DS Solutions.
18. Wow Your Customer
19. Build bridges, don't burn them
20. Business Relationship Suggestions

Why LED Signage?:

1. Use Outdoor Digital Signage to Give Thanks, Spread the Holiday Cheer, and Grow Your Organization.
2. Outdoor Digital Signage Helps Focus and Sustain Advertising to Potential Patrons
3. A Road-Map to Success is Important With Digital Signage
4. Common Misconceptions About LED Signs
5. How an LED Sign can help business
6. LED Signage earning potential

Costs for Digital Signage:

1. How much can an LED Sign Cost?
2. Short term gain, long term costs (cost of a "cheap" LED Sign)
3. "Value Line" vs. Single Level of quality (i.e. why there aren't iPhone or Droid "lite" versions)
4. Is an LED Sign (or any Digital Signage) an investment or a purchase?
5. Selling the value of a Digital Signage Solution (LED Sign, LCD, or other)

Digital Signage 'How To':

1. Networking Basics
2. Securing Wireless ( WiFi ) Communications for LED Signs
3. System monitoring obstacles and options
4. Check The Power! Electrical Supply and Outdoor Digital Signage
5. Basic LED Sign Troubleshooting and Logic
6. LED Sign Permitting Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3
7. Finding a reputable installer for LED Signage
8. Sourcing the best LED Sign manufacturer for your business
9. Calculating Power Costs
10. Information on the National Electrical Code as applied to LED Signage
11. Electrical Safety Certification Marks explained
12. Different LED Sign Sales approaches
13. Project Management with LED Signage
14. Embracing new technology for business
15. CRM/ERP Options for your business
16. Simple LED Sign troubleshooting

Digital Signage 'Need To Know':

1. Boiling Down the 7 Key Elements of Digital Signage
2. What's the best solution for a Digital Signage system?
3. Isn't "The Cloud" the Same as Wireless Connectivity?
4. Test drive an LED Sign (aka EMC) BEFORE buying...
5. Make your LED Sign Stand Out From the Pack
6. What makes a good LED Sign?
7. Why cloud control for your LED sign is better than using localized software
8. How an LED Sign Manufacturer's Approach to Support Can Affect Your Reputation
9. Scrap Temperature Probes!
10. Notes on Successfully Implementing an LED Sign Program
11. Border Versus Borderless LED Displays
12. Things To Consider During a Live LED Sign Demonstration
13. Why simple software is better with DS.
14. FAQ about LED Signs for IT Professionals, End Users and the Industry
15. Custom Content -vs- "Stock" or In-House Content
16. CMYK vs RGB and Other Design Factors for Digital Content on LED Signs.
17. New technology making things simpler with LED Signage
18. Insurance and Warranty
19. What is Pixel Pitch and How Does it Relate to LED Signs?
20. Explaining LED Sign Technology Simply and Effectively to Your Audience Directly
21. The Cloud, Cloudware, and LED Signs
22. Statistical Analysis of the Relationship between On-Premise Digital Signage and Traffic Safety
23. Educate yourself and your clients, before the competition does it for you!
24. How an LED Sign Manufacturer's Approach to Design and Engineering Can Affect Installations
25. Don't Be the Beta for a Manufacturer
26. China Manufacturing Stumbles
27. Parts and Labor doesn't always equal warranted repairs...
28. Exponential Growth for the LED Sign Industry?
29. When comparing LED Sign solutions (EMC/EDS/CMS/Etc), make sure you're getting what you expect
30. You Deserve to Make a Profit on LED Signs
31. What does Web App/Cloudware mean for Digital Signage/LED Signs?
32. US Based Support for LED Signs is More Than Phones and Technicians
33. Own It! Be The Trusted Authority on LED Signs and Educate Truth
34. Is Anything Really ‘Made’ in the USA?
35. Domestic LED Sign manufacturers vs. off-shore
36. Importing from China
37. Low quality systems' affect on business
38. Supply Chain Logistics on components
39. Beware of a "bait-and-switch"
40. The Ghost of LED Signs past (the cost of going with the cheapest option)
41. Heat
42. How to protect against heat
43. Power (undervoltage)
44. Power Supplies
45. Is after service an after-thought?
46. The Value of a warranty
47. On Site Service Warranties (underwritten vs. carried by the manufacturer)
48. Proper Conformal Coating
49. Silicone Coating on the back of LED Modules
50. The cost of going cheap on component choices from a manufacturer

Please comment here or send questions or requests for information to deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically noted.attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically noted.