How to brand your store to attract and predispose customers
Do you know how to brand your facility and how to design the interior of your store or public place for better results? Do you give due importance to the physical layout of your business premises in order to predispose customers to purchase?
It has long been known that the impact of music, scents, certain arrangement and colours, as well as other interactional factors, predispose customers. But do you know what they are and where to start? In this article we will reveal what to consider and introduce you to the basic principles of interior design and advertising of your facility in order to achieve maximum results.
Where to start from
Start with who your customers are and what your product is
Who are your customers and what do you sell? What atmosphere do you want to create? Think about the big picture. What impression do you want to make?
Do you sell luxury or budget goods? If you sell luxury items, do not be economical on the layout and the materials you will use for your facility. Customers expect compliance. If you skimp on that, you will have problems in the long run. There is an incredibly huge amount of various foils, wallpapers and other materials on the market that imitate leather, natural veneer, marble, precious metals, etc. This allows you to create spaces, advertising displays and dress up walls to create a high-class vision of your store.
Is offering environmentally friendly and natural products your main advantage? In that case use natural, earthy, soothing colours and materials of natural origin.
Do you offer cosmetics? Use light colors that suggest purity and tenderness, materials that are smooth to the touch.
Who buys from you? Women, women with children, mostly men, women accompanied by their partners. You can provide a resting place for husbands while waiting for their ladies, amenities for children.
There are as many examples as there are types of users and types of commercial facilities. Think about who and what you are selling to.
Visual impression comes first
Do your best to create visually enjoyable and attractive surroundings. Sight is one of the first senses that people use to form an instant impression. The way of arrangement and presentation of products, the background against which they are placed may significantly change the attitude of your potential customers about a particular product. This will determine whether the product will look attractive and desirable or cheap and of poor quality.
How to distribute store space and where to place advertising and marketing materials
Another key thing in your strategy for attracting and keeping customers in your commercial facility is space distribution and organization and layout of stands.
There are several basic approaches of space distribution
You may choose a layout for your facility depending on the space available, the types of goods you offer and how much you want to control the movement of customers in the store.
A grid layout includes multiple stands arranged in a grid, which can be seen in most large supermarkets.
A loop layout with goods and visions arranged on the walls and most merchandise displayed in the center of the space. This type of distribution enables great control over traffic flow in the store.
A free-flow layout where displays with arranged goods are placed in a free pattern. It is hard to lead consumers in a chosen direction here.
An Ikea-type layout where in order to exit the store customers must follow a path guiding them through all the stands.
Leave air and freedom of movement
When there is limited space between displays, the risk of consumers feeling uncomfortable increases. Overcrowding or people coming into close contact while passing each other are factors that can very quickly make your customers leave the facility.
Where to place your key products and promotional materials
Most people are right-handed and the first thing they do when entering a store is to turn right and go in the right direction. If you have a product you want to highlight or an advertising facility that will provide information and facilitate the purchase of a product, such as a sign, banner or display, position them on the right side of the store. That will ensure that consumers will see them before they decide to leave the store.
Place key products and promotional information at eye level.
Don’t place the important things right at the entrance
When consumers enter a commercial facility, they try to get an overall picture of it and the products offered. They sweep with a glance and adapt. Every single item placed immediately after the store entrance will go unnoticed, precisely because of this fact. Instead, put signboards, information panels and important advertising displays at least a few meters away from the entrance.
Interior layout, advertising and branding of the commercial facility
You know what they say: “A man well-dressed is a man well-thought-of”. That also applies to the way customers will perceive you. In this case your ‘clothes’ represent both the window display – to get people enter your store, and the interior and advertising design – to make a good impression on them and retain them inside for as long as possible.
Window display
Do not underestimate the importance of window display and the impression it can create. In order to make customers stay and buy, first you need to get them inside the store. This is where the window display gets involved. Arrange it skillfully if you have a space for product displays. Make it appealing by using attractive products. If you don’t have that kind of space and you only have a store window, you have to use the maximum of it. Our design team can offer you a variety of concepts that will attract the eye and make your window display inviting. The foils that we offer and use for print are from renowned industry manufacturers and we constantly improve and diversify them.
In addition to standard perforated foil for store windows, solid films and sandblasted (frost) films, there are various other decorative glass films, printable self-adhesive textile films and others that give a very sophisticated and luxurious look to your window display.
If you sell expensive products, use a minimalist style both for the type and number of products on the window display and those in the store. If your competitive advantage is price, intentionally create window display abundance. That would create a sense of upcoming deal in consumers and strengthen that effect.
Brand experience
Match interior design with the colors used for your brand. Follow the brand concept regarding colors and style. All signboards, banners and advertising posters must adhere to the same vision. Transform the store into a specific place distinguishable from the rest. Make consumers feel that they’re not entering just another store. That is especially true if you plan a chain of stores. They should have similar features which distinguish them from the rest of the market.
Be brave and creative
Don’t hesitate to experiment, use distinctive materials, unconventional design ideas and create specific product and advertising displays.
Wallpapers create a soft atmosphere, a feeling of warmth and comfort. When properly selected for your premises, products and brand vision, they can make a significant contribution to an attractive and pleasant appearance.
Advertising boards, textile walls and LED banners
What to use and where to place it? Light boxes (textile LED panels) are extremely effective as they are mounted on a wall, voluminous and often placed behind the checkout area. They are highly functional. They may be placed at other points in the store to highlight a certain product or promotion. They are constructed by an aluminum frame, as the textile part is replaceable, which is quite suitable when you need to quickly change image and advertising message. LED banners are such type of textile panels. They are free-standing and their advantage is that you can change their position in the commercial facility. They can be assembled together, thus forming a screen in cases you need to divide a space. LED banners and textile wall frames are extremely attractive and nice looking advertising facilities. The soft radiance of fabric and the backlighting give a modern and elegant look.
Slow down your customers
That will increase their time in the store and the probability of making more purchases. Set appropriate and non-standard product displays in key positions, interesting products in the center and interesting arrangement, interesting boards, LED banners with information, give customers something to look at. Place seating positions. Put small and interesting things attracting their attention.
Team members
And last but not least – Your team members that will help and navigate your clients are one of the very important factors and fulfill the brand experience. Make sure they are polite and behave adequately, they smile and they look professionally dressed in branded uniforms.
