Running a retail store comes with the good and the bad. Providing things people need is immensely satisfying, and seeing your business succeed feels great.
On the other hand, the learning never stops. You aren’t just an expert in retail. You have to consider psychology, design, taxes, and countless other topics.
One of those topics is signage. Your store needs signage to attract attention, inform customers, and boost business. But how do you get the most from your retail signage?
The handful of ideas listed below can help with that.
Lighting
Lighting alone provides endless possibilities with your signage. You can use backlighting to draw more attention to the sign. You can use colored lights to create contrast on the sign and make it more appealing.
LED lights can highlight specific parts of the sign and even reinforce the general message. Neon has a similar effect.
If nothing else, spotlighting the sign makes it look prominent and can really help capture attention in lowlight times.
These are just the basic ideas. With a little thought and creativity, lighting can provide even more effects and styles for your store sign.
Negative Space
A completely different way to make your signage stand out is with the use of negative space. This is a style that inverts color schemes and makes visuals pop out through contrast. It’s a different take on signage, and because of that, it will certainly attract eyes.
Negative space is most impactful with pictorial visuals. You can use it for lettering, and it can be effective, but if your sign has imagery in it, then your negative space concept will really stand out and make an impression.
Interactivity
So far, we’ve discussed ways to draw eyes to your sign. Interactivity is a way to make a lasting impression on people who take note of the sign.
The easiest way to make a sign interactive is with a QR code. You can put the code on the sign. People will scan it with their phones, and then through that code, you can display whatever you want. You’re actually putting the sign on their phones, in a manner of speaking.
You can take things to the next level by implementing augmented reality effects. If you’re not ready to go that far, digital signs can still offer some level of interactivity with changing imagery that can hold interest.
Humor
Sometimes, the content on the sign is more important than how it is displayed. Can you think of a time when you saw a funny sign or billboard? Did it stick with you?
You can apply that same idea to your own signage. You don’t have to be a world-class comedian. Even something that elicits a small chuckle is enough to make an impression on people.
There is one trick with humor though. Make sure the true message isn’t lost. Make people laugh to create a strong memory, but also make it clear who made them laugh, whether that is done through your company color scheme, a logo, or a prominent display of the store’s name. If they don’t remember who had the funny sign, it loses efficacy.
Localization
It’s a retail store. It’s in a specific city and neighborhood. You can appeal to the local atmosphere. Comment on local events and interests on your signage. Talk about the high school sports you proudly sponsor. Mention the upcoming rodeo (or whatever event is notable).
Put the local elements into the sign, and you can incite a sense of attachment and community to your store. This helps with making a lasting impression.
Playing With Color
Regardless of any of the ideas that you might implement from above, think long and hard about the colors you want on your sign. In fact, you can work with our experts on color theory and how to utilize color to make an impression and convey specific ideas.
If your sign sticks with the same black-and-white color scheme as everything else, you’re missing an opportunity.
By all means, some signs are deliberately simple, and black and white has its place. But across all of your signage, keep your options open and try to use color to the fullest.
Fonts and Calligraphy
In the vast majority of cases, the best signs have words. The appearance of those words matters. You can pick fonts that are extremely bold and display your prominence in the area. You can take a completely different approach and use handwritten calligraphy to denote the personal touch in your store. You can do anything in between.
The point is that it’s worth more than a single moment of your time to review font options and consider how they might impact readers (and customers). If you make an informed decision about your fonts, your signs will only be better for it.
How do you make an informed decision on all of these aspects of signage?
You let Legacy Signs of Texas help. We’ve been in this business for a long time, and our experts are more than happy to answer all of your questions and explain all of your options in great detail. Contact us today, and your new signage can elevate your Dallas/Fort Worth store.