Signage:
Top Ten Tips To Terrific Traffic-Building
(Not necessarily in this order).
- First Things First – Prioritize your messages based on distance from your business. Pique customer interest with headline messaging on your larger signs and leave the smaller details for the close-up signage.
- Keep Signage Fixed & Fresh – Replace signage before it gets worn, curls, lights burn out, photo colors fade, tears, or is out-of-date. Don’t cross-out, reprint.
- Easy Does It – Make it easy for potential customers to know what you do. If a customer won’t immediately understand what you do from your name, add to your signage an icon (blow dryer, hot dog icon, diamond ring) or a second line of type (blow dry bar, gourmet hot dogs, engagement rings).
- Curb Appeal – Signage is only part of your presentation. Don’t neglect your window display, cleanliness of your sidewalk, front door, or building facade. Customers judge your business by its cover.
- Less is more! – More signage is probably not the answer. Too many messages create confusion, not clarity. The goal of exterior signage is to bring people inside. Put your fewer, bigger, and better messaging outside. Then, use the inside of your store and your employees to provide additional details when the customer is ready.
- Design Professionally – Use the right combination of colors, typefaces, lettering size, and white space for quick and clear communication. Don’t “do it yourself” if it will look like you did it yourself. Hire a professional, it is an investment, not an expense.
- Word-of-Mouth Beats Signage – The best, most credible way to drive traffic and sales to your business is by doing the things that will make existing customers so happy they can’t resist telling others about you.
- Show, Don’t Tell – If you can, skip text and instead merchandise your product. A mouth watering plated sandwich, food photography, or well-assembled outfit is worth 1,000 words.
- Be A Big Brand – You don’t need big budgets, staff, and research tools of national brands, you simply need to see what they’re doing and apply it to your business.
- Perceived Value – If you want customers to spend more money with you, offer a level of customer service and a store experience that makes them feel your prices are more than worth every dollar.