6 Reasons Why You Should Use Signs For Your Retail Business

The design of a retail store isn`t restricted to its colour pattern or its way of organising products on the shelf; one of the most useful and most recommended strategies every retailer should apply to their store is retail signage, which not only has benefits manifold, especially when it comes to communicating with the clients, but it also shapes and fuels the core, the heart of every running business. Here are 6 extremely good reasons why your retail business must employ the use of signs (in case it doesn`t already) and a few tips as to how a store`s outlook can be fundamentally improved.

In order for a sign to be attention-grabbing, it must be clear and concise, without any further ado. Probably one of the main secrets of successful retail businesses is their manner of being noticed by potential customers. As long as the signs you use are not too minimal to be observed, yet not too flashy to be dismissed, you are on the right path: it`s possible there are already people who prefer your brands before anyone else`s, especially because they enjoy the harmony and unity of your place.

Generally speaking, when a salesman comes to your door unannounced, desperately trying to talk you into buying an overpriced set of low-quality frying pans, you may start feeling a hint of repulsion towards salespeople of all kinds. However, most of your potential customers become customers just because of your signage, which has no voice yet speaks for itself, made them feel safe and content with their shopping behavior and decision-making – you couldn`t ask for a better, more energetic means of spreading information and sympathy throughout your clients.

To what degree can a retail store be functional by its signage? This may come as a shock, but in up to 90% of the cases, signage is the only indicator of a store`s proper organization or household rules. Any employee would go insane if they incessantly received the same questions hundreds of times a day regarding wayfinding and general information, such as “Where is the restroom?” or “Am I allowed to smoke in here?”. Moreover, signs can also indicate vacancies and hiring offers, along with the long-awaited, most loved “On sale, up to 75% discount” at the end of every season.

Outdoor signage is paramount to a successful business, because it is the gateway for any person to become a potential client if they feel attracted by your signs. Whether they are in the form of entrance signs, logos, sidewalk mottos and witty window one-liners, make sure your outdoor signs are memorable and as luring as possible. Bear in mind that many people may open the door to your store reluctantly, but a good, quality-inspiring sign can be what gets them to step into the building. Besides, whether we like it or not, the first impression does count – at least in this case!

Every once in a while, it is recommended you forget about business managing and profits and simply wonder around your store. Given the fact that signage should pop up before your eyes and then disappear after informing, leading or helping you, this can be of useful aid to understand what should be changed in the organization of your store, what should stay and what should vanish completely. There is no use in trying to run a business that does not represent you and your goals anymore – signs, with their dynamic and minimal nature, often create the perfect framing for you to grow and flourish in between.

Finally, let us not forget that a good signage usage has high chances of increasing brand awareness and boost retail sales. When it comes to shopping, people often feel the need of guidance, even though it is only for validating their already made decisions or for helping them save energy and time. The clearer and the more memorable your signs are, the more recognizable your store and your brands will be. Soon after you get the hang of using signs appropriately, avoiding confusion or disharmony, you can start availing of them as leverage in retail sales. Who doesn`t have in mind McDonald`s cheerful colored trash boxes with positive messages on them or H&M`s motto at every store`s entrance: “Fashion never sleeps. Neither do we”?

Of course, signage isn`t everything, but it makes up a great part of retail sales. It is advisable to use signage in accordance with the layout of the store or with the color pattern, lest you should create discontinuity or visual discrepancies. You can also use signage to promote a certain product or discount, but everything should be done with accuracy and clear thinking. Make sure you emphasize all the positive aspects of your business and you enhance the reasons why clients should pick you above other competitors. Enjoy playing with words, fonts and different styles of writing: after all, signage is the crux, the epitome of your business, brought to its graphic form by the fantastic world of signs and words.