I’m someone who still loves to kill time on a Sunday afternoon checking out the locally owned businesses in my town. I guess you could say I’m “Amazon-ed out” when it comes to online shopping. There’s something special about wandering through the displays of interesting items curated by a thoughtful and savvy shop owner. You just can’t recreate that experience online, and seeing a tangible product up close beats scrolling any day.

That said, there is an art to attracting customers into a store and success or failure of keeping customers interested often lies in merchandising and signage you feature in the store. Simply put, creating effective signage and merchandising is crucial for small businesses to attract and engage customers. This includes signs for your store, how things are styled, and promotional materials for the products you sell. These steps should help get things rolling:

Define your goals

Determine the purpose of your signage and merchandising materials. Are you trying to promote a product, convey important in formation, or enhance brand visibility?

Understand your audience

Consider your target audience's preferences, needs, and demographics. Your signage and merchandising should resonate with your ideal customers.

Pro-tip: You can reference your customer personas during this part of the project. And, if you haven't created them yet, start your free trial of Enji, create your marketing strategy (it only takes a few minutes), and start building your ideal customer personas!

Set a budget

Determine how much you're willing to spend on creating and producing signage and merchandising materials. Your budget will influence design choices and materials.

Gather inspiration

Look for inspiration in similar businesses or industries. Collect examples of signage and merchandising materials that you find appealing. Pinterest is a great place to start or even the shops you enjoy shopping at the most.

Plan your design

Sketch out your ideas or create a rough layout. Consider the following elements:

• Color scheme: Choose colors that align with your brand and evoke the desired emotions
• Typography: Select fonts that are easy to read and reflect your brand's personality
• Imagery: Use high-quality images or graphics that support your message
• Size and format: Determine the appropriate size and format for your signage
• Message: Craft a clear and concise message that communicates your intended information or call to action

Pro-tip: When designing your merchandising (especially when we’re talking about installations), think about how your customers will experience it.

Choose your materials

Select appropriate materials for your signage and merchandising items. Options may include paper, cardstock, vinyl, fabric, wood, metal, acrylic, or plastic—heck, even fresh or fake flowers! Budget will obviously dictate choices here as well.

Design software

Use graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or Canva to create your designs. Alternatively, hiring a professional graphic designer or stylist is a smart call to get the best work possible.

Make it on-brand

Ensure that your signage and merchandising materials align with your brand identity, including logo usage, color schemes, and overall mood.

Pro-tip: Whether you're DIYing things or working with a professional designer, be sure to reference your brand style guide in Enji to keep everyone on the same page.

Create mockups

Produce digital mockups of your signage and merchandising materials to visualize how they will look in real life.

Get feedback

Share your mockups with colleagues, friends, or potential customers to gather feedback and make necessary revisions.

Printing and production

Once you have finalized your designs, select a reputable printing or manufacturing company to produce your signage and merchandise.

Installation and display

Properly install or display your signage in the intended locations. Ensure they are easily visible to your target audience.

Evaluate its effectiveness

After your signage and merchandising materials have been in use for a while, assess their impact on your business. Are they achieving your goals? If not, consider making adjustments. It’s often about trial, error, and tweaks until you strike gold.

Maintenance and refresh

Regularly inspect and maintain your signage to ensure it remains in good condition. Periodically update your merchandising materials to keep your offerings fresh and relevant.

Remember that effective signage and merchandising should be eye-catching, informative, and aligned with your brand identity. If your brand personality is fun and whimsical, your signage should be too. Ask your best, most trusted customers what they think and solicit feedback about better placement or ideas. In store signage and merchandising is a continuous project that doesn’t end. From change of season to holidays to new trends, you’ll always be making adjustments. Now, what are your hours again? We can’t wait to stop by!