Digital Menu Board & Commercial Signage FAQ

The $0 upfront consultation means you can begin by discussing your project requirements before committing to an online payment.

For commercial projects, the first step is understanding what you need: number of screens, screen orientation, content type, playback method, hardware requirements, website requirements, installation considerations, and other project-specific details.

The consultation is intended to establish the project requirements before a final proposal is prepared. It is not a promise that every service or hardware component will be provided at no cost.

For a broader overview, visit our Services page or Contact DigitalMenuMaker.

Commercial signage projects can involve different combinations of displays, media players, content design, playback systems, websites, installation, and ongoing management.

A quote-first process allows those requirements to be considered before a project is priced.

This is particularly useful when a business needs multiple displays, portrait screens, cloud management, custom website functionality, hardware sourcing, or installation coordination.

Once the requirements are understood, the appropriate project scope and pricing can be presented.

The project workflow is designed around an initial 1–2 hour review window for submitted requirements, followed by development of an itemized project proposal or blueprint where applicable.

Actual turnaround can depend on project complexity, required information, hardware requirements, content scope, and the number of systems involved.

The review window should therefore be understood as a project-planning target rather than a guarantee that every project will be completed within that period.

Useful information includes the number of screens, screen sizes if already selected, landscape or portrait orientation, location type, content requirements, whether the system needs to operate offline or remotely, and whether you need installation assistance.

For restaurants, menu categories and content are also useful.

For retail, gyms, clinics, salons, auto businesses, and other commercial environments, information about promotions, schedules, announcements, pricing, service menus, or informational content can help define the required display system.

The correct orientation depends on the physical environment and the content layout.

16:9 landscape is commonly suitable for horizontal menu walls, wide-format restaurant displays, promotional screens, and traditional television mounting.

9:16 portrait can be useful where vertical screen space is more appropriate, particularly for narrow wall areas, certain retail environments, promotional content, and vertically structured menus.

The content should be designed for the selected orientation rather than simply rotating an existing design.

You can explore our Digital Menu Board Design service for more information.

The offline USB option is designed around a simple media-loop workflow. A finished MP4 menu or signage video can be copied to a compatible USB drive or local media player and played without requiring continuous internet access.

The cloud remote CMS option is designed for businesses that need more centralized control and remote content management.

Final pricing can depend on project requirements and configuration.

Not necessarily.

An offline USB workflow can operate from locally stored media, which means the screen or media player does not need a continuous internet connection to display the prepared content.

This makes the model suitable for businesses that want a straightforward playback system without remote content management.

The limitation is that content changes generally require physical access to the USB drive or playback device.

Digital menu boards can be produced for 1080p Full HD or 4K Ultra HD displays, depending on the target hardware and content requirements.

1080p can be appropriate for many standard installations, while 4K provides greater pixel density and is particularly useful on larger displays or where content contains fine typography, product photography, or detailed graphics.

The content should be rendered according to the actual display resolution rather than relying on resolution upscaling wherever possible.

A consumer TV can be suitable for certain digital signage environments, particularly installations with moderate operating schedules and appropriate ventilation.

However, commercial displays are designed for more demanding signage environments and may provide features such as higher brightness, stronger thermal design, commercial warranties, longer intended operating schedules, and mounting options intended for business installations.

The correct choice depends on operating hours, ambient conditions, installation location, required brightness, and budget.

See our TVs & Displays Hardware Guide.

The terms describe the intended operating schedule of a display.

A 16/7 display is generally designed for operation of up to approximately 16 hours per day, seven days per week.

A 24/7 commercial display is designed for continuous operation throughout the day and week, subject to the manufacturer's specifications.

The appropriate display should be selected according to the actual operating schedule of the business rather than simply choosing the cheapest available screen.

Brightness matters because the display needs to remain readable under the lighting conditions where it is installed.

Indoor signage in a controlled environment may require different brightness characteristics from a screen installed near windows or in a brighter commercial environment.

For commercial displays, brightness is commonly specified in nits. The required level depends on ambient lighting, viewing distance, screen placement, and whether the display is intended for indoor or more demanding environments.

The current project architecture is designed around an HTML5-based TV playback environment and documents target environments including:

• Samsung Tizen
• LG webOS
• Amazon FireStick
• Android TV
• Apple TV
• Chromecast
• Raspberry Pi

Actual compatibility can depend on the specific device model, browser/runtime capabilities, operating-system version, network environment, and playback requirements.

For hardware selection guidance, see USB & Media Players.

The /tv/ system is the project's dedicated TV playback environment.

A provisioned order can receive a unique TV playback location associated with the project/order. The player is designed to load the assigned digital signage content and display it on the target screen.

The current architecture uses an automated HTML5 player environment rather than requiring the website's standard navigation interface to be displayed on the television.

The TV player is designed around an order-specific delivery environment.

After the appropriate project assets are provisioned, the corresponding TV environment can load the assigned content for playback.

The player is intended to provide a focused display experience rather than exposing the regular customer-facing website navigation.

This architecture allows the display environment to remain dedicated to the digital signage content.

Depending on the project requirements and device compatibility, a FireStick or Android TV device can be used as a playback endpoint.

However, a consumer streaming device and a commercial signage player are not necessarily equivalent.

For installations requiring long operating schedules, centralized management, physical reliability, or specialized signage functionality, the hardware should be selected based on the actual environment rather than simply choosing the lowest-cost player.

Our Hardware Guide explains the differences in more detail.

Not always.

The answer depends on the display hardware, operating system, playback method, and whether multiple screens are intended to show identical or different content.

Some displays have their own supported playback environment, while other installations use external media players.

For multi-screen projects, the required architecture should be established before hardware is purchased.

Yes. The commercial signage architecture is intended for multiple business environments.

Potential applications include:

• Gyms and fitness centers
• Clinics
• Salons and spas
• Auto repair and detailing businesses
• Retail stores
• Hospitality businesses
• Other commercial environments requiring scheduled visual communication

Content can be structured around promotions, pricing, service information, announcements, schedules, product information, or other business-specific messaging.

See Commercial Digital Signage.

A gym can use digital screens for membership promotions, class schedules, trainer information, promotional offers, announcements, motivational content, or service information.

Multiple displays can also be assigned different content depending on their physical locations.

For example, a reception screen could focus on membership offers while a screen near a studio could display class schedules.

Clinics and salons can use digital signage to communicate services, pricing information, promotions, appointment-related information, business announcements, and educational content.

The content should be designed around the environment and the audience viewing the display.

Where sensitive or regulated information is involved, businesses remain responsible for ensuring that their displayed content complies with applicable requirements.

Yes.

Automotive businesses can use displays for service menus, package comparisons, seasonal offers, maintenance information, customer instructions, promotions, and waiting-area communication.

For businesses with multiple service areas, different screens can be assigned different content depending on location and purpose.

The $299 Static Custom Showcase Website is intended for businesses that primarily need a professional online presence.

The $699 Dynamic Direct Ordering Platform is designed for businesses that need more interactive functionality and direct online ordering without a platform commission being charged by DigitalMenuMaker for the ordering transaction.

The supplied business brief positions these as separate website solutions, with the final implementation depending on the project's functional requirements.

See Website Design & Development.

The current DigitalMenuMaker business model positions the dynamic direct-ordering platform as a 0% commission direct-ordering solution.

This means DigitalMenuMaker does not take a percentage commission from each customer order as a marketplace platform would.

Third-party payment processing fees, payment gateway charges, hosting costs, taxes, or other external charges are separate matters and depend on the services used by the business.

Yes. A custom domain can be connected to the website according to the hosting and DNS configuration required for the project.

The domain should be properly configured before the production launch, including the appropriate DNS records and HTTPS configuration.

Yes.

A restaurant or food business can use the website as the customer-facing digital presence while using digital menu content for in-store displays.

The two systems can be planned as complementary parts of the same digital customer experience.

Depending on the implementation, menu content may need to be maintained separately or synchronized through the specific data architecture used by the project.

The Competitor Analysis service examines publicly available information about competing businesses and their local search presence.

The audit can examine areas such as local Google visibility, competitor positioning, publicly visible pricing information, website structure, content gaps, and other observable market signals.

The objective is to identify areas a business can investigate and improve rather than copying another business's proprietary information.

See Competitor Analysis.

The current business brief positions the one-time Competitor Analysis / Local SEO Audit at $199.

The audit is intended to examine relevant local competitors and publicly observable search and market information.

The exact audit scope should be defined according to the business, market, competitors, and project requirements.

No audit should be interpreted as a guarantee of a specific Google ranking, traffic level, lead volume, or revenue outcome.

The current business model also includes an optional $99/month retainer following the one-time audit.

The retainer can be used for continuing competitor and local-market monitoring, depending on the agreed scope.

The purpose is to keep the business informed about relevant changes rather than treating a competitor analysis as a one-time static document.

No.

The intended approach is based on publicly observable information and ethical open-data research.

Examples can include public websites, publicly visible local search information, public menus, public pricing, public business listings, and other information legitimately available to the public.

The purpose is competitive intelligence and market understanding—not unauthorized access to private systems or confidential business information.

The Hardware Partner Program is designed for businesses involved in supplying hardware relevant to digital signage projects.

Potential partner categories include display manufacturers, commercial TV suppliers, display and mounting hardware suppliers, media-player vendors, and related B2B hardware businesses.

The program creates a structured way for relevant hardware businesses to become part of the DigitalMenuMaker partner ecosystem.

More information is available through Hardware Partner Program.

The current approved business brief defines two contract options:

• Annual Certified Partner Contract: $499/year
• 5-Year Enterprise Regional Agreement: $899

The exact benefits, commercial terms, geographic coverage, listing arrangements, and partner obligations should be governed by the applicable partner agreement rather than assumed from the public FAQ alone.

The partner model is intended to provide relevant hardware businesses with structured visibility within the ecosystem.

Depending on the applicable agreement, this can include partner-directory positioning and identification of relevant hardware offerings to businesses evaluating signage solutions.

Partner participation does not mean that every hardware product is automatically appropriate for every project. Hardware recommendations should remain based on project requirements and compatibility.

When a client requires hardware as part of a digital signage project, the required hardware specifications can be identified as part of the project planning process.

Where an appropriate partner relationship exists, relevant enquiries can be routed through the partner ecosystem according to the applicable commercial and operational arrangement.

Lead volume is not guaranteed, and routing depends on project requirements, geography, product fit, availability, and the terms of the applicable partner agreement.

The Certified Implementation Partner Program is intended for U.S.-based AV integrators, commercial display installers, IT contractors, mounting technicians, and related implementation professionals who can support physical deployment of digital signage systems.

The program is designed to connect digital signage projects with qualified local implementation resources where appropriate.

Visit Implementation Partners for the partner program overview.

The current approved business brief defines:

• Annual Certified Installer Contract: $499/year
• 5-Year Enterprise Contract: $899

The exact obligations, service territory, certification process, project responsibilities, and commercial terms should be established by the applicable partner agreement.

When a digital signage project requires local installation or implementation support, the project requirements can be matched against the available partner network.

Relevant partners may receive opportunities where their location, capabilities, availability, and project requirements align.

Participation does not guarantee a specific number of projects, revenue, or leads.

Depending on the partner's capabilities and the project scope, implementation work can include display mounting, physical screen installation, media-player setup, cable and connectivity work, device configuration, testing, and on-site deployment support.

The exact scope should be defined for each project.

Partners should only accept work that falls within their professional capabilities, applicable licensing requirements, insurance requirements, and local regulations.

Territory arrangements should not be assumed simply because a business joins the partner program.

If a specific regional or territorial exclusivity arrangement is offered, it should be explicitly defined in the applicable written partner agreement, including geographic boundaries, conditions, duration, and performance requirements.

The public FAQ does not promise automatic territory exclusivity to every partner.