Common Mistakes Businesses Make With In-Store TV Content
By YAXI TV Editorial Team · · Updated · 10 min read
Most businesses with screens are underutilizing them — or actively creating a worse customer experience through poor content decisions. This guide covers the most common mistakes in venue TV content, why they happen, and what to do differently.
Mistake 1: Setting It and Forgetting It
What it looks like: A playlist created six months ago with seasonal promotions that expired in February, still looping in July. Or a single promotional image running 24/7 because nobody has updated the content since setup.
Why it hurts: Stale content signals to customers that nobody manages this screen — which undermines trust in your business's attention to detail. It's the digital equivalent of a restaurant still displaying a Christmas menu in March.
Fix: Schedule monthly content reviews. Set calendar reminders tied to when your promotions end. Treat the screen as an ongoing operational responsibility, not a one-time installation.
Mistake 2: Content That Requires Audio
What it looks like: Running TV commercials or promotional videos where the spoken words carry the essential message, with no visual text reinforcement.
Why it hurts: Venue screens are almost always muted. A customer sitting 10 feet away and watching a 30-second commercial with no audio doesn't get the message. This is also the single most common mistake advertisers make when repurposing TV ads for DOOH.
Fix: Every content item must communicate its essential message visually. Use text overlays, on-screen captions, or graphics that work silently. Test your content by watching it on mute before publishing.
Mistake 3: Unreadable Text at Viewing Distance
What it looks like: Slides with dense text in 18pt font, detailed lists with 8 bullet points, or fine print that requires standing directly in front of the screen to read.
Why it hurts: If a customer at typical viewing distance can't read your content comfortably, they won't. Screens with illegible content become background decoration rather than effective communication tools.
Fix: Design for your actual viewing distance. At 8–10 feet, your headline should be in 60pt+ equivalent and your body text in 36pt+ equivalent. Reduce each slide to one main idea. Test by standing at the actual viewing distance and checking legibility.
Mistake 4: Screens Placed in the Wrong Location
What it looks like: Screens mounted above entrances (where people are in motion), facing windows (where backlighting washes out the image), or in corners nobody walks through.
Why it hurts: A screen nobody looks at generates no customer value and no advertising value. Placement determines whether your investment delivers returns.
Fix: Place screens in dwell zones — locations where customers stop, sit, or wait for extended periods. Above service counters, facing seating areas, adjacent to checkout lines. Read the installation guide for detailed placement guidance.
Mistake 5: Too Many Ads, Not Enough Content
What it looks like: A playlist that's 60–70% ad breaks, with minimal entertainment or promotional content between them.
Why it hurts: Customers train themselves to ignore screens that are primarily ad delivery systems. This reduces the effectiveness of the advertising and eliminates any engagement or entertainment value for your customers. It ultimately reduces advertiser CPMs and fill rates as well.
Fix: Limit ad breaks to 20–30% of total playlist time. Fill the remainder with engaging entertainment content (trivia, sports, curated programming) and your own business promotions.
Mistake 6: No Dayparting
What it looks like: A single playlist running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of whether customers are present, what time it is, or what day it is.
Why it hurts: Content that isn't relevant to the time of day or customer context is wasted screen time. A restaurant showing dinner specials at 8 AM to prep cooks who haven't opened yet, or a gym showing morning motivation at midnight when the gym is closed, is a missed opportunity for targeted communication.
Fix: Create separate playlists for distinct time windows. At minimum, a daytime/evening split. For venues with clear meal or service periods, match content to those windows. Configure dayparting in the YAXI TV scheduler.
Mistake 7: Ignoring Screen Status
What it looks like: A screen has been offline for two weeks — showing the HDMI "no signal" screen — and nobody noticed because nobody checked the dashboard.
Why it hurts: An offline screen earns no ad revenue and provides no customer value. The longer it's down, the more revenue is lost and the worse the customer experience.
Fix: Check your YAXI TV dashboard weekly. The screen status view shows which screens are online and offline. Set up email alerts for screen connectivity issues if available. Make checking screen status a brief part of your weekly venue operations routine.
Related: Content strategy for business TVs — Playlists and scheduling best practices — Venue screen installation guide