Best Retail Signage Tips That Bring In Sales

Effective retail signage can have a major impact on a successful bottom line so you want to create and display the best retail signage possible.  The right combination of language or color choice on retail store signage can strike a chord with consumers and even increase sales by up to 25%.  If you are not sure about the best way to design and use retail signage to increase foot traffic and sales, there is no need to worry! Follow the signage tips in this blog to get the four elements of sign design correct. Once you have the right tips at your disposal, you will have the best retail signage in town! 

The Four Elements Of The Best Retail Signage

• Readability – The color and font choice of a retail sign makes a big difference in the  readability of the sign. The best retail signage is often the one that is easiest to read and comprehend. In fact, an easy to read sign is critical for healthy ROI. Simply put,  if customers are not able to read your sign or easily find where you are located, they will not know where to shop with you or they will not be interested in your offerings as they drive past your store. It has been shown that smaller signs received up to a 75% decrease in response when compared to larger signs.In order to determine the ideal font size for your signage, simply put yourself in the shoes of your customers. Will they be driving by the signage in their cars, walking past the sign, or encountering information on product labels? Senior citizens, as well as people with eyesight issues, need to have larger fonts to make it easy for them to read. Keep these tips in mind to determine the size of your font in order to connect with all of your customers.

  You also need to consider the clarity of the text itself. You aren’t going to be able to reach prospective customers with hard to read text and this includes certain cursive and italic fonts. The clarity of the text also depends on the visibility of the font from the eye level of the consumer. Use clear fonts on your signage for maximum customer impact.

• Information Conveyed – Bold and concise language is a much better choice than too much verbiage when it comes to signage copy. Don’t let clutter obscure the message of your retail store signage. Always use the minimum amount of words needed while still getting your message across.
  It is also important to be aware of how many signs are posted in a given area. Customers do not like to be bombarded with too much cluttered, wordy signage when they are trying to browse your selection or make a purchase. It looks crowded and unprofessional to the average person.
  Also, NEVER EVER USE ALL CAPS on a sign that addresses your customers. This comes across as yelling and nobody wants to be yelled at while shopping.
• Color Choices – A beautiful sign will always have a higher ROI than an unattractive sign. There are many subconscious factors at work when looking at a sign.
  First of all, use high-contrast colors such as black with white or dark with light as this can boost customer responsiveness by about 23%.
  Keep color theory in mind which is the emotion and/or associations experienced when presented with a particular segment of the color wheel. By understanding the subconscious associations conjured by certain colors, you can make sure they are right for the image you want to present.
• Positioning – There are certain signage industry standards that dictate where customers will look to find your signs. For example, directional signage hangs down from the ceiling or is higher than eye-level in the aisle so customers can easily view it. On the other hand, promotional signage is positioned at eye-level in a window display, or at ground level on the street, to attract people passing by the store.
  Remember that that “eye-level” is not the same for all people. Children, people in wheelchairs and someone in a car have different sign height requirements. Be sure and test your signage positioning to determine the most effective height for prospective customers while also considering the intended function of each sign.

Different Types Of Retail Signage

One of the most important signage tips to remember is that not all retail signage is created equally. Knowing the purpose of retail signs is a vital component in making the right investment. 

Here are six types of retail signage and what you need to know about them:

• Storefront Signage – This signage option is often the first thing a potential customer notices about a business so it needs to make a great first impression.
  An effective storefront sign shares the name of your business and also lets customers know what you do.  If your business name doesn’t clearly identify what type of business you are, be sure to incorporate images and logos to make it clear.
• Pylons or Monument Signage – Pylon signs are freestanding signs built into the ground and they are usually located near the street. They have a visible support structure to keep them secured since most of these signs are at least 12 feet (or higher) and they also have a wide variety of widths.
  Monument signs are not as high as pylon signs. They are usually no taller than about five feet so they can display your message at eye level.Both signs play an important role in directing people to your business location. This is especially important if your business is hidden from the road or is in the back area of your location. Choose a design that complements signage on the storefront to help build brand recognition.
• Vehicle Signage – Vehicle graphics are a mobile advertising technique and they can range from your business name and contact information on the side of your vehicle to an eye-catching graphic that takes up a good amount of space (while including your contact information and slogan). Vehicle signage lets you advertise your business to a wide audience on the road while also educating them about what you do. 
• Interior Directional Signage –  Directional signage is indoor signage that helps customers navigate a store. Most of these signs hang from the ceiling so they are easily visible and able to help time-pressed consumers locate the items they need.  In general, directional signage is designed to help customers save time.You should also consider ADA-compliant signage that helps differently-abled customers navigate your store.Directional signage can also come in the form of floor decals that direct the flow of traffic (on one-way aisles) and encourage social distancing.
• Interior Promotional Signage – Promotional signage uses language that attracts the attention of your key customer demographic(s). Do background research on the language their favorite brands use on social media. Once you know the tone of this language, take this insight and make it applicable to your brand voice and products.Promotional signage gives customers enough information to make them want products, but make sure your message is not too cluttered when communicating what is special about your brand or sales
• Banners – Banners can be hung across or down the side of a building along with being across a parking lot or road or even inside your building. Banners can be aligned horizontally or vertically or even freestanding with their own stand.They are an effective short-term signage option that announces upcoming events such as grand openings or trade shows. In general, they are big and eye-catching and can be used indoors and outdoors.

Put these signage tips to good use to grow your customer numbers and increase sales.