Top 7 Tips for Effective Retail Signage By Michael D. O'Neil

As a retailer, you need every advantage you can get over your competition. In fact, just getting your customers in the door can be a challenge. However, once they are there, you have an opportunity not just to make a sale, but to increase sales. There are many effective ways to do so that make a customer feel welcome and not chronically upsold. A great place to start is in your store's "decompression zone." (This is the first five to 15 feet inside your store.) Make your customers' first impression a good one by not only making your store attractive and enticing, but by providing your customers with information they can use. Set up a bulletin board with a list of current specials and special events. A store map is often a welcome sight, especially in larger stores. In fact, when it comes to signage, that bulletin board is just the beginning. Signage plays a huge part in increasing in-store sales. The following list of tips will help you do just that by creating effective signage.

• Look professional. While a handwritten sign might do in a pinch, unless the hand-written look goes with your branding and decor, you're much better off going with a professional signage company. Suppliers such as

Pangea are a fantastic resource for professional signage ranging from shelf labels and price tags to custom display signs. Every piece of printed matter your customers come into contact with should look polished, promote your brand and help increase sales.

• Keep it pithy. When it comes to signage, the shorter, the better. Attention spans are shorter than ever (Snapchat and Vine, anyone?) so your signs need to capture attention and get to the point, pronto. For example, putting a sign on a product shelf that simply reads, "Like this? Try these." with arrows pointing in the appropriate directions instantly suggests new products for your customer to try - and does it using only four words.
• Make it easy to read. This one is a no-brainer but if your customers can't quickly and easily read a sign, why have it there at all? Use clear, simple, easy-to-read fonts in characters that are big enough to easily see. Remember, not all your customers have perfect vision and even if they do, being able to see your sign from a distance is a bonus.
• See things from your customers' point of view. Walk out of your store, then walk in again as if you were a customer. Which signs are effective and which aren't? Are signs clear or confusing? Check for problems such as glare from overhead lighting, viewing obstructions or positioning. If a sign is well above or below average eye-level, no one is going to notice it.
• Check out the competition. Take a walk around other retail stores and see what they're doing right, and wrong. This will give you a feel for how other retailers are using signage and can help you refine your own signage strategy as well.
• Don't be negative. People see negative signs all day: "No Parking," "No Smoking," "No Loitering." Keep negativity in your signage to a minimum and instead phrase things in a positive way. "Returns gladly accepted with your receipt within 30 days!" sounds a lot more friendly than "No returns without a receipt."
• Make it personal. Use the words "you" and "yours" in signage advertising your products. "Your family will love this dinner tonight!" or "You'll be the hit of the party!" immediately gets your customer imagining themselves using your product.

About the Author: Michael D. O'Neil is a marketing expert and contributing writer who enjoys helping retailers make the most out of their signage.

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