Wednesday 26 August 2015

How Not to Use Signs: 6 Common Mistakes

Creating an attractive and eye-catching sign is important in improving your retail sales. As a store or business owner, you may know this. You may also have learned (hopefully not the hard way) that a nondescript sign is just a waste of the money spent. What many people do not realize is that the way a sign is used is as important as the sign itself. Here are six common mistakes that stores and businesses make in  using signs.

1. Wrong placement: Suppose you own a bookshop. You have bestsellers right near the entrance. You also have a great selection of computer books you want your customers to glance through. It’s tempting to place signs near the entrance to direct customersto the appropriate sections. But what often happens is that they see, for example, the sign ‘bestsellers’directing them to the section of computer books. The last thing you want is for your customers to think that your store is disorganized.

2. Overwriting: Never overwrite a sign by covering a product or price with another product or price . This smacks of desperation. You are eager to sell, not desperate. Would you buy something from a salesperson desperate to make a sale, or would you wonder about the cause of the desperation?

3.  Filling the entrance with signs: Sticking all kinds of signs on a glass door is a no-no. The door should allow people to have a preview of the merchandise beforeentry. Blocking the view with signs, defeats that purpose.

4.  Putting up ineffectual signs: If a product warranty is a selling point, have a sign that highlights it. However, do not clutter the sign with terms and conditions. No one has the time to read it all, and the selling point will be lost in the clutter.

5.  Putting up a long list of do’s and don’ts: “Eatables and drinks not allowed” or “No pets” is fine. But a long list of do’s and don’ts is not what your customers want to see when they enter your establishment. They are the reason you are in business. You want your customers to be relaxed, not get annoyed. Keep you do’s and don’ts to a minimum.

6.  Letting customers see signs meant for employees: Some signs are meant only for staff. You don’t want customers in your restaurant to see signs asking employees to wash hands before serving food. They will wonder what kind of behavior caused you to put up such a sign, and the conclusion will be that there is a cleanliness issue. Signs meant for staff should be where only staff will see them.

Spending money to have your signs designed and fabricated by a professional signage company is a good investment. The signs you get will be effective in increasing your sales and will justify the investment you have made on them many times over. Just make sure that the signs are put to right uses in the right manner to avoid negative impacts on your customers.

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