Choosing the wrong display technology for your startup could destroy your budget before you ship your first product.
Yeah…sorry, but it’s true. Hundreds of startups every year skip crucial planning around their commercial display solutions strategy and end up regretting it later.
Thankfully deciding what to go with doesn’t have to be difficult. With a carefully considered technology stack in place, startups can:
- Look amazing right out of the gate
- Grow their display setup without tearing everything out
- Stand toe-to-toe with bigger brands on visual experience
Let’s dive into everything you need to make an informed decision.
What you’ll learn:
- Why Display Technology is Important to Startups
- What is a Display Technology Stack?
- The 4 Best Commercial Display Types for Startups
- How to Pick the Right Stack without Breaking the Bank
Why Display Technology is Important to Startups
The commercial display market is massive…and getting bigger every day.
The global commercial display market size was valued at USD 57.78 billion in 2025. Experts predict the market size will grow to USD 107.79 billion by 2034. Businesses of all shapes and sizes are investing heavily in screens because they know displays work.
Digital signage influences over 70% of shoppers — and retailers report anywhere from a 10% to 30% increase in sales for items promoted on digital displays.
When you’re running a startup commercial display solutions are important because they make a powerful first impression with your customers, future investors, and partners. Sleek, professional displays communicate “this brand means business”.
What is a Display Technology Stack?
Before we jump into what type of screen you should purchase, it’s important to wrap your head around what we mean by “technology stack”.
Grab your Frank Pain cereal and listen up.
In the context of commercial displays, think of your stack as having three layers.
Hardware is…the hardware. The actual display screen enclosure, mount, etc. Software is your content management system (CMS) that controls when and what content is shown on your screen. Connectivity is how your displays talk to your CMS, typically through Wifi or LTE.
Picking just premium hardware but forgetting about how clunky your software experience will be can lead to headaches down the road. When planning your display stack, consider all three layers together (hardware first, software second) to ensure everything is aligned.
The 4 Best Commercial Display Types for Startups
Displays come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s important to choose a type that matches the intended use case otherwise you’re wasting money. Below are the four primary display types you’ll encounter when vetting providers.
1. LED Displays
Hands down LED is where the world is at right now. LED displays eat less power, are brighter than most other display types, and just last longer overall. Long story short…they work great indoors and outdoors for startup retailers, restaurants, event spaces, lobby displays, you name it.
Say you’re trying to decide between a few different display types for use around your office building, at trade shows, and potentially outside in your storefront. LED displays will be flexible enough to handle whatever you throw at them.
Prices on LED displays have come down across the board as competing providers enter the market, making LED the safe default choice for startups.
That being said….mega wall installations with high resolution can still get pricey. Be mindful of your exact use case so you don’t overspend by “over engineering” the install.
2. LCD Displays
Liquid crystal displays, or LCD, are the bread-and-butter of digital signage. LCD displays are affordable, easy to find, and work great indoors.
Pick up LCD displays for commercial printing collateral, interactive kiosks, retail signage, hotel lobbies, or even office displays.
LCD displays might not wow investors at a trade show, but they get the job done and look pretty good doing it. If your startup needs reliable everyday digital signage capabilities this is a solid place to start.
3. Interactive Touchscreen Displays
Interactive displays are the future of commerce — and particularly relevant for startups that fall into retail, hospitality, or SaaS with a product that needs to be demoed to customers.
Allowing customers to interact directly with screens builds engagement, and can help reinforce your brand when executed properly. Don’t forget about software analytics platforms that capture user interactions for data driven startups.
Expect the prices on touchscreen displays to come down as the technology matures, but for now prepare to pay a little extra up front.
4. Digital Signage Displays
Ah yes, good ol’ digital signage.
Entry cost for basic digital signage setups is low compared to interactive displays or high-end LED walls. Plus the software landscape for managing content on digital signage displays is better than ever before.
Most modern digital signage solutions use cloud-based CMS software, which means startups can easily set up displays and manage content without an IT department. We recommend starting with cloud-native platforms like Yodeck or Raydiant because you’ll never have to switch platforms as you scale.
There’s never been a better time to start small with digital signage.
Bonus: The digital signage market is expected to grow by 6.31% CAGR through 2035. Translation: vendors, service providers, and software options are only going to expand from here on out.
Not too shabby.
How to Pick the Right Stack without Breaking the Bank
Let me let you in on the worst way to choose what technology stack you should go with for your startup displays.
Brands get excited about sleek hardware they see at trade shows and promise themselves they’ll “figure out the logistics later”.
Step one is to plan out your goals first. Buy the hardware you need to achieve your goal after answering these questions:
- Where will your displays live?
- Will customers, employees, or investors see these screens the most?
- How frequently will you need to update content?
- How much can you actually spend on hardware + software + installation?
Once you know what you’re looking for specifically, you’ll have a much easier time identifying the right tech stack.
For starters, you can follow this simple framework.
- Identify your use case (retail, office, events, outdoor, or a mix of multiple environments)
- Pick the display type that makes the most sense for that environment (brightness, resolution, indoor/outdoor varies drastically by where your screen will live)
- Choose a CMS platform that allows you to scale later (Bonus points if it’s cloud-based so remote management is possible)
- Don’t forget about connectivity. Remote management of content updates is essential when you’re a lean startup.
Keeping it simple is the best way to make sure you actually implement a cohesive commercial display solutions strategy. Spend too much money on upfront costs and you’ll struggle to justify additional investments down the road.
Pulling it all together
Hopefully you now have a clear picture of why commercial displays matter for your startup and how to thoughtfully plan for them. Here’s a tl;dr of what we talked about:
- Remember the three layers to your display stack. Hardware, software, connectivity.
- Pick the right type of display based on your use case. Don’t just go with whatever looks coolest.
- Optimize for cloud-based CMS platforms that will allow you to manage displays without an IT team.
- Think about how you’ll scale your setup down the road. Starting small and agile will allow you to adapt as your business grows.
Startups have never had more options when it comes to digital displays. With providers entering the space every day prices are going down and the technology is only getting better.
There’s no time like the present. Pick your stack, order those displays, and make your startup look like one.
