Starting a business comes with a ton of different responsibilities and challenges. Once you have decided what you would like to offer your customers and how you should approach the creation and manufacturing of the product or service, you will need a base of operations.
More precisely, you will need some sort of a store where the customers will come to purchase whatever it is you have to sell. Therefore, it goes without saying that it should advertise everything that makes you special and tell a unique story that will attract as many customers as possible.
The best way of doing this is with a great storefront signage design, a collection of signs and messages that will tell the passersby exactly what and who you are, as well as why they should give your store a chance. This is not that easy to achieve of course, which is why we decided to help you with some great tips. If you wish to learn more, make sure to thoroughly read the article in front of you.
1. Sign Graphics
A sign or a symbol that will dominate the whole front end of your store is a great way to grab the attention of the people walking by. It is also the best way for those actually looking for your store to find you more easily. The graphics part of the storefront needs to capture the right kind of context of your business and the message you wish to convey. A symbol of the thing you are selling or your company logo works best as a sign graphic. If you deal with food, a sandwich or a burger does the trick. If it is something related to the automotive industry, a wrench or a tire are the best options. If you are unsure of what kind of sign to get or even what it may say, click here to find more about it get some professional help.
2. Size of the Signs
Directly connected to the previous entry to the list is the size of the main sign you wish to attach, as well as the supporting elements. Remember that the most important thing about your store and product should have the most dominant sign. Think about where your store is and how visible it is on its own. If it is on one of the main streets, perhaps your sign does not have to be enormous. If there are too many things on the street already like vegetation, infrastructure, or other signs, you might need a big one to be noticed.
Furthermore, it should be large and noticeable enough for your target audience to notice it. Short and concise yet intriguing and fun to look at. Basically, it should make the people approach the store and take a closer look from the inside. Therefore, size matters but only in relation to the location of your store. If you wish to have several signs, make sure the other ones are considerably smaller so as not to confuse the customers.
3. Appeal
The curb appeal of a store is all about the right choices. The vital aspect of any store and its logo is transforming the message and your certainty that the people need your service or product into a simple image or slogan. Therefore, remain within the lines of what you do and choose the fonts and colors that correspond with that which you sell. If it is women’s apparel, make it chick, or go colorful if you are selling children related things. If you would rather use a slogan, make sure it is true to what you truly do in your store and avoid spoiling your reputation and spreading false information. The customers should know exactly what to expect from your storefront design.
4. Test the Sign
Considering how much advertising has to do with the success of any given business, you should absolutely go out of your way and test the sign before you attach it to your store. Once you put it up, you must monitor how it makes the people feel and whether or not it makes them stop and observe what kind of a store your establishment is. You can make a survey with simple questions like how the sign makes them feel and if it awakens the need and intrigue to walk inside and check out the store. Similarly, to the same end, you can use the sign in a logo form and attach it to your social media platforms. Facebook and
Instagram work best here and they will give you the best feedback in the form of comments. This way you can test how good the sign is and does it really grab the right kind and amount of attention. If it works online, chances are it will be more than good enough for the actual store.
5. Supporting Elements
Except for the main attraction that is the dominant signage that conveys the message about your store, you will need to decorate the remaining parts around the windows and the doors, both from the inside and the outside. Customers enjoy a good display of products in the window adorned with ornaments and decorations that are there simply to make things look better. Think of the best and most beautiful storefronts you have ever seen in your life. What do most of them have in common? The answer to this is probably uniqueness, something a little bit unorthodox and brave. They clearly show the vision and inspiration behind the whole idea of the business, they tell a story, they are engaging and somehow are calling you to step inside and browse the shelves.
6. Include the Sidewalk
This is not available everywhere, but if you have the permission from the local community and as long as you are within the laws and rules, make sure to also include the sidewalk into the overall design. The best storefront designs look like the very concept and idea of the owner, something nobody else has. And at oftentimes, the store wall, windows, and the door are not enough to do that. That is why it is important to work with everything you have until you find the best formula and make it work. Bonus tip: make it engaging in a way that the people want to interact with it in some way, touch it and feel it or even take photos of it. This kind of word of mouth advertising is priceless and welcome wherever and whenever.