3 Tips for Creating Signs That Attract Customers

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| 12 Sep 2018
Signs to attract customers

3 Tips for Creating Signs That Attract Customers
A sign for your business can be a very effective way to draw in customers. It’s known that customers are more likely to visit a store if there is a sign present, even if they had no intention of doing so initially. Visual cues help customers form a memory of your business. There are deeper regions of the brain that respond to visual stimulation. It’s possible to influence how in the moment decisions are made with effective designs.

  1. Shape and colour

There are psychological reasons behind how people react to colours. If you want to achieve a certain feeling with your retail sign, it’s important to pay attention to the colours you use and how they blend together. Colour can be inviting and stimulating or even repulsive if used in the wrong combination.
Although some sources argue that response to colour is dependent on personal preference and upbringing, it’s generally accepted that colour choice and complementary colours impact the overall feeling you convey. For instance, red is said to conjure feelings of excitement and stimulation, while blue produces feelings of calm. Yellow is associated with feelings of happiness, and green with feelings of harmony and peace.
The shapes used are the other abstract elements of design to consider. Different types of shapes produce varied unconscious responses. Which ones you choose to use in your sign will help convey your overall message or feeling. Think about the kind of person you are appealing to and which emotional responses would be most desirable for them to take the next step to making a purchase.
Rounded or circular shapes will convey feelings of togetherness and community. This is a practical choice if you are trying to present a message of support, care, or warmth. The softness of these types of shapes reminds us subconsciously of inclusiveness and friendship. On the other hand, shapes with straight edges and sharp points give a feeling of professionalism, efficiency, and stability. These will be a better choice if you want to appeal to more goal driven customers.
Putting them together in your design, these two elements of colour and shape can present complex messages without saying a word. The benefit of utilizing this is that there is no extra effort needed to process these elements. A customer won’t have to read and decipher the meaning, and they will instantly get an idea of what you’re business can offer them just by looking at the colours and shapes.

  1. Tell a story

It is essential that your sign create cognitive impact. Beyond abstract elements that convey feeling, you’re going to need to add another layer to your message that tells your story. There are several ways to do this effectively that will capture your customer’s attention.
To keep eyes on the sign, you need dynamic movement. This means that as the eyes scan the sign, following the shapes will naturally pull them to the keywords or elements. The image makes you want to look from one side of the sign to the other and back again. The key elements will naturally be focused on the center of the path that your eyes follow. This way, no extra effort is needed to find the crucial parts. Just looking at the sign will tell you everything you need to know without searching.
It’s not a secret that the average customer attention span is shrinking, and there are about 8 seconds to make your point before they lose interest and move on. The quicker your customer can take everything in, the better. This also affects the emotional response that a sign has. Retail signs that are difficult to read might cause a small amount of frustration.
The storytelling aspect of your sign is also important. This answers the questions a customer might have like: What is the purpose of this business? What are they selling? How will it affect me if I buy it? Addressing these questions in a clear and straightforward way will help your customer get an idea of your business that they’ll take with them, even if they don’t come inside the first time they see it.
A message will be more effective when repeated. If there is a specific word that you want to stand out, consider repeating it 2-3 times. This can also work if you’re planning to make several variations of the sign and have them posted in multiple places. Seeing a sign repeatedly causes a sense of familiarity to develop and increase the likelihood that it will be noticed. Focus on saying less and repeating yourself instead of choosing wordy messages to put on your sign.

  1. Persuasive words

Some words are more potent than others. Carefully choosing the words on your retail sign can make a huge difference in the impact it makes. As an essential guide, the five most compelling words to use are you, free, because, instantly, and new. Using these simple words in emotionally charged phrases give a customer a more visceral impression of what your message is expressing, whether it is trust, security, excitement, amazement, or interest.
Along with word choice, there are some powerful ideas you can integrate into your message. First, there is reciprocity, which means if you are willing to give something to someone, they’re more willing to give something back. By conveying a feeling of generosity, customers will feel valued and be more willing to give back to the business in the form of a sale.
Next is scarcity, which is the idea that the more exclusive and rare an item is, the more desirable it becomes. Authority is built by credibility. Having something to back up your claims or even including testimonials helps develop trust in your ability to solve your customer’s problem.
For more information, please call New Style Signs at 905-363-0101 or contact us here.

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New Style Signs produces creative and high quality custom signs for companies throughout Southern Ontario!

6635 Kitimat Road, Unit 35
Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 6J2

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