Is Your Store Signage Doing All That it Could?

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Have you ever noticed while walking through a mall that some stores really catch your attention, while others seem to get lost in the noise? Some businesses seem to almost subconsciously lure traffic inside, but customers can walk by other stores without even realizing that the shop exists, much less what they sell. Your business's architectural signage plays a big role in deciding which category your store falls within.

The Power of a Sign

Many store owners think that a sign's purpose should be to identify their business. However, marketing studies show that over half of retail business comes from impulse buys, many of which are driven by effective architectural signage.

Even locales who drive by your store every day can be drawn in for the first time with the power of signs that effectively announces a special deal or promotion. Signs can convert traffic to paying customers who may have never felt compelled to come inside before. You've paid money to position your shop in best location possible with the right type of traffic – and the money you could be losing by not inviting customers in could be tremendous.

Since signals are the first thing customers will see, good architectural signage can serve to create this ever-important first impression. Potential customers infer a great deal about your business by the signs they see in the windows. The quality, originality, and professionalism of your architectural signage speaks volumes about your merchandise, your staff, and your service.

Architectural Signage Design – Less Is More

Often times, signs try to say too much. Your architectural signage should not be there to tell people about your hours, services, or that you habla espanol – this information should be left to your window graphics. The store's sign instead is meant to say "Psst, look over here" rather than being a long, detailed sales pitch.

Overall, the sign's design should be clean and simple, with minimal text. Remember that a picture is worth a thousand words. Since your sign will be competitive with many other visuals around it, know that the more complex the sign is, the more likely that people will see it without fully understanding it. But a clean, well-designed graphic will spark people's interest and make them want to learn more about your business.

The colors you use in your sign are very important. Consider the foreground and background colors – they should have enough contrast so that the text stands out nicely. The color theme should also fit the image of your business, go along with the theme of the shopping center, and not clash with the look of the neighborhood. A look that's great for one store might be completely wrong for a store down the street.

Even if you do not know exactly how the final design should look, a good designer can work with you to understand the message you want to convey with your architectural signage and then bring that vision to life. By working together, you can create a sign with a powerful message to increase traffic to your store.