Are Your Signs Attracting New Customers?
Are your signs attracting new customers, or turning people away? Today’s post includes a simple self-assessment quiz Montgomery business owners can use to evaluate the effectiveness of their storefront sign systems. Read on to find out whether your signage is doing its job, or call 877-330-7532 to speak directly with a business sign specialist in Montgomery, TX.
Do Your Signs Encourage Impulse Buys Or Drive-Bys?
When properly designed and installed, signs drive impulse buys. One study by FedEx found that 76% of consumers have decided to stop and shop based entirely on the company’s signage, and nearly 7 in 10 (68%) went on to purchase a product or service as a result. “There’s no question attention-grabbing signage has the power to pick up new customers and get business moving,” writes Randy Scarborough, vice president of Marketing for FedEx Office. But while some signs attract impulse buys, others encourage “drive-bys.” The FedEx Signs of the Times survey found that poor signage can seriously deter consumers from entering a store, with over half (52%) of participants indicating that they are less likely to enter stores with misspelled, unattractive, or poorly-made signs. Similarly, according to the BrandSpark / Better Homes and Gardens American Shopper Study, which surveyed more than 100,000 consumers, 49.7% of Americans regularly drive by businesses they intended to visit “because its signage was too small or unclear.” So which more accurately describes your signage? Ask yourself:- Am I seeing lots of new faces in-store? Loyal customers are invaluable, but if you’re not seeing a regular influx of unfamiliar faces, you probably haven’t reached your full sign potential.
- Are my customers curious and excited? Curiosity, wonder, and excitement are all signs of impulse buyers. In contrast, premeditated purchases are usually quicker and less interactive, since the customers know what they want and probably did plenty of research before visiting your store. If you see more of the latter than the former, your signage could probably use an overhaul.
- Are neighboring businesses attracting more visitors? Sometimes empty parking lots and scarce foot traffic can be credited to poor location or other concerns (e.g. COVID-19 restrictions), rather than unoptimized signage. But if you notice neighboring businesses getting plenty of patronages while you supervise an empty store, it might be time to tweak your sign design.
- Did my signage create any noticeable sales spikes? According to a recent International Sign Association report, titled “The Economic Value of On-Premise Signage,” the combination of one major building sign modification and two additional minor changes yielded double-digits sales spikes for multiple businesses included in the study, with one owner attributing a 16% increase in weekly sales entirely to their new signage. Not all business signs generate these kinds of returns, but if you’re not seeing any sales spikes, it’s probably time for a redesign.
