A retail store lives and dies by its traffic, and good signage is one of the best ways to generate more traffic. It’s all about grabbing the attention of anyone walking or driving past your location. It’s also about informing the customer as to the nature and services of your business. But how can you do these things in a way that is both effective and in line with the current signage trends? For starters, you can follow these simple principles.
Public Digital Signage
Obviously. We see advertisements all around us daily. However, advertisers are beginning to see a decline in the effectiveness of some ads. In particular, those ads that a person sees while browsing the internet at home seem less effective. Many people feel a sense of anger when advertisements “invade” their homes, but public places are a different animal altogether.
As such, we have seen an increase in public digital signage lately, which will probably continue. Such signs have traditionally taken the form of a digital marquee, but large TV screens in highly trafficked areas are another great way to grab the eyes of the public.
Holographic Ads
Hologram technology has been around for a while, but it has never really been leveraged for advertising purposes. This is mostly because it isn’t cost-effective to use holograms for advertising. Or, at least, it wasn’t cost-effective to do so in the past. As this technology continues to become cheaper and more efficient, it’s only a matter of time before we start seeing holographic ads.
When this trend hits its full stride, those companies who jump on the bandwagon first will benefit greatly. Their ads will have a three-dimensional aspect that others cannot match. If nothing else, a holographic ad’s “wow” factor will reliably draw attention. A recent campaign in Japan shows that holographic advertising can be deployed in a viable and cost-effective way.
Shoppable Ads
This is a variation of the digital signage idea, but it’s distinctive enough to be discussed separately. Some businesses are now incorporating digital signage with digital shopping. This will normally take the form of a touch-screen, which may or may not have an accompanying kiosk. When a customer sees an ad that interests them, they can go right to the sign and place an order.
One great thing about this type of ad is that it takes advantage of the “love at first sight” phenomenon. It gives the customer a way to buy the product immediately, without having to make the additional effort of finding the store, finding the item they want, and purchasing it at the checkout counter. You can bet that this trend will continue growing in 2023.
QR Codes
QR codes have become very common in advertising, and there is every reason to think they will continue to be used extensively. QR codes have proven to be a great way of referring your audience to additional content. Yes, they could type in a web address, but scanning a QR code and going directly to the desired content is much easier. These little codes have become equivalent to the links on most websites, as they are just a convenient way to navigate content.
These signs also provide a business with a lot of specific data regarding the performance of each advertisement. Instead of taking a “shot in the dark,” you can track the performance of each advertisement in real-time. And, unlike the old metric of “clicks”, you aren’t going to have as many accidental hits. Clicking a link takes one tiny finger movement while scanning a QR code requires deliberate action. Thus, your performance metrics will be a lot more accurate.
Minimalism (AKA “Less Is More”)
Minimalist signage can sometimes be very effective. Your customers don’t need to be told what they want, and they can usually figure out many other things independently. And so, the only two things that a sign really needs are the name of the business (in an appealing and appropriate font) and a nice, distinctive logo. That’s all you truly need. These kinds of signs are quickly becoming more popular.
For well-known shops and brands, this kind of signage is particularly effective. A minimalist sign says “We don’t need to tell you who we are because we’re just that important.” And, when it comes to your regular customers, this statement is largely true. Besides, a sign with too much text or too many images is bound to look cluttered. All that “junk” can actually obscure the name and logo of your business, making them harder to see and thus defeating the entire point of a business sign.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are two themes here. First of all, all of these trendy practices are based on innovation. Leveraging new technology to help your business grow is a move that makes a lot of sense, and so a lot of businesses are trying to do so. Whether it’s holograms, touch-screen kiosks, or anything else, you need a Philadelphia sign company that can fully implement whatever technology you require. If you are looking for the best sign company in Philadelphia, you don’t have to look far at all. Tupp Signs is the industry leader in this area, and we can be reached at 302-322-1600.