The holiday season typically means one thing for retailers: a boost in sales. Whether you sell candles, gift baskets, shoes, toys, or any other item, this is the time of year when customers are buying more. Everyone from large corporations to small boutiques typically sees a boost in sales during November and December. For some, the sales made during this period meet or exceed their total sales for the rest of the year. The holiday season, then, can make or break a business.
While online sales have become more and more popular, in-person sales are still going strong. This means that it is vital that you draw customers in and help them easily find what they’re looking for. By increasing your foot traffic during the holiday season, then, you can increase your bottom line. Here are five ways using holiday signs will help achieve this goal.
Advertise Your Specials and Sales
While many people are out shopping during the holiday season, many are also watching their bank accounts closely. They know they have to budget out how much they can spend on gifts, especially those who have large families. If you use signage to advertise some of your holiday sales, you have a good chance of catching the eye of many of these shoppers. They’re looking for a deal, so don’t be afraid to use window signs, sandwich boards, billboards, and many other styles of signs to get people’s attention.
While you can order new signs and banners every year to advertise specific sales, you don’t necessarily need to spend this money. For example, if you know you’re going to offer specific deals during December, you could have a banner that reads, “December specials are here!” A sign that advertises Black Friday deals is another good option. If you aren’t certain about sales or specials, a simple sign that reads something like “It’s time to shop for Christmas!” or “We’ve got great holiday gift options!” can still be effective in increasing your foot traffic.
Don’t forget to advertise holiday services such as gift wrapping and events such as Santa visiting the shop. These extras can often help set you apart from other stores. Having in-store events such as visiting Santa can give people a reason to come to your store other than shopping. Once they are there, of course, they’re likely to browse and may pick up a few things. The more reasons someone has to come to your business, the better, so consider hosting a few holiday events, activities, or giveaways. Make use of custom signs to advertise these events.
Let Customers Know Your Holiday Hours
Some businesses offer extended shopping hours during the holiday season. If you plan on extending your regular hours by either opening early or closing late, advertise this to customers. Make sure your custom signs do more than just list the times you are open, though. You want to point out that you’re going out of your way to help people shop. Something like “NEW extended hours” or “We’re open early and late for the holidays” will tell customers that your hours are different and are just for the holidays. You can also include the specific dates you’re going to be offering these hours.
Be sure you place these banners and signs near the front of the store. Having a large banner in the front window or hanging over the door will ensure people see your new hours. Even if they don’t come in to shop right away, they may take note of the fact that you’re open later and come back then.
Holiday Signs Let You Show Your Personality
If you see two stores side-by-side and haven’t shopped at either before, holiday signage could influence you. One store may not have any decorations up, while the other may have lights across the front, a banner with bright candy canes promoting a sale, and window signs highlighting limited holiday products. One looks festive, while the other looks like it always does. While some people may not be influenced by the décor, others will be.
You can use these holiday signs to do more than just attract attention, although that is their primary purpose. The colors, images, and even fonts you use allow you to show off a bit of your personality. For small businesses, making a personal connection with customers is one of the best ways to get them to become repeat visitors. Your holiday banners and decorations let you slip a little bit of your own style into your marketing. When designing custom signs, let yourself have a little fun. This will come across in your signs, and it can help you stand out from your competition.
You don’t even need to advertise a special or a particular product to give your store a holiday makeover. You can swap out your standard signage for holiday signs to add some splashes of color and fun to the store. These signs may not seem like they would do much, but never underestimate the atmosphere you create. Making your store more visually festive during the holiday season can put customers in the mood to shop. It reminds them that the holidays are here, and that can get them thinking about what gifts they need to buy.
Highlight New or Seasonal Products
Do you have new products coming in just for the holiday season, or do you have products that you only offer during these months? Make some holiday sales banners to let customers know that these items are now in stock. You may immediately see an upswing in sales as soon as people know they can get specific products. While some of these products may be items you regularly offer during the holiday season, don’t forget to make new signs for your newer products, too. This is especially true if any of those products are trending or have been declared the hot gift of the year. Don’t miss out on those sales.
Your customers also don’t want to miss out, either. That’s why you may want to consider designing some custom graphics focused around FOMO or Fear Of Missing Out. This marketing strategy leverages the fact that some items are limited. If you have some signs that indicate that a product or deal is only available for a limited time or that some items may be available in limited quantities, that can help drive sales. Including words such as “limited” or “holiday exclusive” may entice customers to buy those items now instead of waiting since there’s a chance you could sell out.
Put Signs at Other Locations
While most of your signage is going to be in and outside of your store, putting custom signs elsewhere can help direct people to your location. Where can you put these signs? There are a few options. First, you could pay for a billboard. However, it’s not always clear how effective billboards are. If you pick the wrong location, you may not see much return on this investment.
Instead, consider local holiday events. Is there an event or two you could sponsor or donate items to in exchange for a banner and other advertising? If so, that may be a much better use of your money. For example, if your community has a local ice skating rink during the holidays, you may be able to put a banner up around the rink in exchange for a donation. Another option would be to sponsor a light display. Many parks and other locations do these massive light displays every year and need businesses to sponsor small sections of lights.
These events give you the chance to get your signage and name in front of people who may not necessarily be near your store. They are also a way of giving back to the community, which can help raise your overall brand awareness and reputation. If you invest in a few of these local events, you can have signs up in multiple places. This can result in a major boost to your foot traffic.
We Can Help Create Amazing Custom Signs for the Holiday Season
Designing unique custom graphics for the holiday season can help boost your traffic and your overall sales. However, you do need to have the right printing partner involved. If your signs are low quality, they will not be as effective. Poorly printed signs that aren’t bright and vivid won’t attract as much attention. Poor quality vinyl won’t stand up to the weather, leaving you with worn signs that can only be used a few times before they are no longer in good condition.
TNT Signs makes use of high-quality materials and inks to print all of our banners and other custom signs. Our products last for years and will hold up during the cold winter months and bright sunny days. When you invest in one of our products, you know it will be both durable and look great. Contact us today to discuss your signage needs and how we can help you.
