Sales and Marketing | How To Attract People Through Window Displays
What is the purpose of a window display?
An attractive shop window display should draw passers-by to look and come in to buy. It is like an advert for your business that gives shoppers a taste of what they can expect inside. It is an opportunity to communicate your brand identity and stand out from neighbouring shops.
Why is it important?
How many shop windows do you pass in a typical day? How many of them are using the space to their advantage? Many shoppers are attracted into a shop by what they see in the window. A good shop window display can get you more business. It is also free advertising.
Shops that are located close to traffic lights or road junctions where cars typically queue up really do have a captive audience. As your window display is the first thing people see when they pass by, it will influence their first impressions.
Your challenge
A shop window will need to be dressed regularly for maximum impact. It will need to be colour co-ordinated and work with your existing image. It will take careful thought and planning every week if you want to get the most from it.
How to create an attractive window display?
Go out and take a walk around your local town with the purpose of studying window displays. Note down anything you see that has impact.
Make sure your shop facia is bold and reflective of your name and brand.
Co-ordinate your colours.
Make sure the sign and windows are always clean.
Use special offers and new popular products, to attract attention.
Organise your offers so that they can be seen and have impact.
Keep it simple – do not clutter the display.
Use vinyl window glass signage at the top, bottom or the side of the display.
Keep your messages simple and straightforward.
Update displays every week – give your customers something new to look at.
You can use scrolling signs to attract the eye.
You can use lights after dark to make your window display stand out.
Don’t leave grills or grates up or allow high reflective glass or poor lighting to make your shop look like it’s not open.
A high street print, copy and design shop have found that their window display is their most effective marketing tool. They have a big glass frontage and are situated very close to a set of traffic lights with short queues round the clock. As soon as they realised that their window display was more important than any of their advertising they developed a complete strategy for making the most of it. It is so good at motivating new business that they have even been approached to sell advertising space on a scrolling banner in the window.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SHOP WINDOW
Look at your window display from the customers’ point of view and ask yourself what your window display says about your business.
Think about what you could do to maximise its impact.
Measure the results you get by noticing what people are looking at and what they respond to.
If you do have a business with a prominent window frontage it is well worth considering how you can use this information to make the most of it. Develop a long term strategy for marketing your business through the biggest advertisement you have.
Think of your shop window as an advert for your business.
