Every business wants to boost sales and increase profit margins. Many business owners often look at very expensive options or prepare complex plans to accomplish this goal. Still, the return on these investments may turn out to be pretty disappointing once all the numbers are crunched. However, there inexpensive ways of driving sales up that don’t cost much or require a lot of time investment. One of these is to implement custom signs in your store. These signs can be used to strategically direct customers to specific products or sections of the store, boosting your sales of specific products.
Boost Your Branding
Branding is more than just having a logo and a color scheme. When someone sees your logo, they should immediately think of your business, what you offer, and what you stand for. Think of McDonald’s golden arches. Customers immediately recognize the symbol and know precisely what they will get from McDonald’s. Brand recognition can translate directly into boosted sales.
You can use custom signs to help build up your brand. Always incorporate your logo and color scheme into your custom signs. Some business owners incorrectly assume that marketing to them is no longer important once a customer is inside their store (or on their website). However, constantly reinforcing your brand is vital. It helps your customers make connections between what they’re buying and who they’re buying it from. When it comes time to replace those products, you want them to immediately think of coming back to your store. Boosting brand awareness and recognition will help ensure that happens.
Stand Out from Your Competition 
If you’re in a mall or strip mall, you may have competitors all around you. How do you stand out? Custom signs can help attract customers by being visually different from the sea of other signs around you. You need something unique that is going to catch people’s eyes. Using custom business signs in Santa Rosa will help you do that.
You don’t necessarily have to use the same signs all year, either. You will have your permanent sign outside your store, of course, but those are often made from metal and permanently attached to the building. However, if you work with a printer that uses high-quality materials, you’ll have non-permanent signs that will last for years. This means you can rotate between several signs throughout the year to change up your store’s appearance.
These custom signs and banners let you add some personality to your store, bring in some seasonal flavor, and keep your look fresh. Bringing in holiday signs during the winter season and bright, fun signage during the summer can really help you stand out. It lets your personality shine through while remaining professional. Even if it’s just signage denoting which department is where signage can include decoration and some fun imagery. As long as it’s on-brand and reflects your dedication to quality, it’s going to help you stand out.
Drive Customers to Sales and Specials
When you have new products or sales, you want to make specific customers know about them. You can achieve this using custom signs in a few ways. First, you can hang large custom banners in your front windows or outside the building. These banners help get people into your store.
Once they’re in, you can make use of smaller items to direct them to the sales. For example, in Santa Rosa, custom POP displays work very well to highlight specific products. These portable displays allow you to place products in strategic locations such as by the entrance or near the checkout stations.
Some of your custom signs may stay up all year. Signs that help direct people through the store, for example, may not change that often. However, they’re still essential in driving sales. They help with the flow of traffic in the store and assist customers in finding the products they want. Some business owners do change these signs a few times of the year. For example, they may have holiday versions that include holly or snowmen.
Advertise Your Upsell Items or Services
Upselling can be very difficult for some employees and annoying to some customers. Even if it’s casual, such as asking if the customer wants a protection plan on electronics, some customers don’t want to hear it. That’s where you can use display signs to help your employees. A small, simple sign advertising your protection plan, subscription service, or other upsell item can be placed at the checkout or other key places in the store. For example, you could put information about your protection plan near items it covers or signs about your trade-in program in sections with items you accept.
Doing this helps take the pressure off of your employees. Customers may ask about the upsell first, indicating that they’re interested in learning more. Even those who aren’t might be more receptive to being asked about these products and services because they’re aware they exist and not being asked to buy something unexpectedly.
Help Customers Make Impulse Purchases
Impulse purchases are often small items such as a candy bar or other inexpensive items. However, these impulse buys do add up and can significantly contribute to your profit margin. You can use custom signs to remind customers to make these purchases. These signs don’t necessarily need to advertise the product itself. Instead, they could make an appeal to the customer. For example, if you have a snack section in your store, you could hang a sign over it that says, “Hungry? Grab a snack.”
You won’t want to have too many signs promoting impulse buys, since then customers may have to think about their options. Look at your store strategically and determine where customers are likely to be and what small items will make good impulse buys. Your signs don’t have to be too overt, either. Sometimes subtly reminding a customer that they’re hungry, for example, is all it takes for them to buy a snack or two.
Boost Your Online Sales with In-Store Banners
Another use of custom display signs is to boost your website sales. Your customers may not realize that they can order online, so be sure there are signs that let them know. If you’ve just launched your website, you could even design custom decals and stickers to help advertise it. Put one of these stickers on every bag or put them on the product packing itself.
You may also want to include your web address on all of your signs and banners at the bottom. It doesn’t have to be a prominent part of these signs, but it should be there. Of course, you can also create specific banners and signs to advertise your website. Again, this is very useful if you’ve just launched your website, done a major redesign to it, or are having special online sales. You can also use these signs to advertise your email list or direct people to your social media pages.
Professional Signage Can Boost Your Reputation
While many of the examples above literally help move customers towards specific products to buy, some custom signs can help drive sales in a more passive way. One way all of your custom banners in Sonoma County can help your business improve sales is by showing that you’re professional and aren’t afraid to invest in quality products.
Any sign or banner you use needs to look like it was designed by a professional. Upgrading to these printed signs is certainly a step above handmade paper signs and flyers, so it does show that you understand the need to be professional. However, banners that are poorly designed can hurt your reputation. This is why you want to make sure your banners are carefully designed and printed on quality materials. Tattered signs can indicate that you don’t care about quality, and your customers may come to think your products are low-quality as well.
On the other hand, good signs made on quality materials will stand out. They show that you care about how your business looks. Well-designed signs will not look out of place in your store, while those that weren’t thought out may clash with the rest of your décor.
Need Help with Your Custom Signs?
Creating the right custom signs is something you need to put some thought into. Poorly made or designed signs are going to affect your reputation. Signs that aren’t made on high-quality materials are also going to quickly wear out, leaving you with little to show for your investment.
TNT Signs and Graphics is here to help you create the perfect signs, banners, graphics, stickers, and other items. We use only the highest quality vinyl, ink, and other materials to ensure that your items will stand the test of time and the elements. We understand the importance of using the proper signage in your business, and we’re ready to serve as your printing partner in this part of your marketing plan. Contact TNT Signs today to learn more about what we can do for you.
