When it comes to retail signage marketing, there’s good news and there’s bad news. The good news: Americans love to shop. Retail stores of all types and sizes have opportunities to thrive thanks to customer demand. The bad news? Being in retail comes with some industry-specific challenges:

• Competition. Whether you’re in a strip mall or a major shopping center, chances are low that you’re the lone shop in town. Getting your sign to stand out among the advertising noise is priority #1 for retailers.
• Delivering information quickly. When you have high competition, you have to fight for customer attention. Sometimes, you only have a split second before foot traffic moves on. How will you grab—and hold—the attention you need?

Differentiating yourself from the competition starts and ends with effective retail signage marketing. Here’s how you can get the most out of your signs.

Define Your Unique Selling Point

Defined as the “USP” or “unique selling proposition,” this one specific point gets to the heart of your offer to customers. Before you begin displaying your retail signage marketing, you’ll want to make sure the message is on point. The question is simple: what do you offer that no one else does?

Differentiation is the key here. As Harvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt once said, “Differentiation is one of the most important strategic and tactical activities in which companies must constantly engage.” In short, it’s not enough to sell T-shirts. Get specific. Do you sell fun T-shirts? Do you offer exclusive T-shirts? What about your T-shirt store makes you different from the one down the road? Figure this out first.

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

Once you know the unique quality that you can offer to customers, you’ll need to simplify that message into one sentence or less. The best brands in the world are able to articulate their USP with simple, effective slogans. You should do the same, even if you aren’t listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Here are a few tips for whittling down your USP into a simple slogan:

• Experiment with just two or three words. Can you do it? Even if you can’t, the exercise will help you get to the core of what your retail store does differently.
• Incorporate your retail offerings. What simple logo or message fits with what you’re actually selling inside the store? Consistency is just as important as creativity in the world of branding.
• Make it personal. A flower store saying “make her day” will get customers thinking about their own relationships.

Once you have a simple, unique selling point, you’re ready to begin advertising with your retail signage marketing.

Give Prospects a Reason to Come In

Retail stores often thrive on one variable: foot traffic. If you’re going to make more sales, there’s a lot you can do to maximize your retail space. You can move the top sellers toward the front, you can offer  discounts and membership packages, you can sponsor contests, and more. But none of that will do you any good unless you can get more people coming in the door.

Use your retail signage marketing to give prospects a reason to step into your store. For example, you could use your sign to promote a contest, a giveaway, or a new sale. Keep it simple and direct, and you’re sure to draw in more traffic.

Request a Quote with Sign It Quick today and we’ll help you become more than a retail store—we’ll help you become a brand that stands out from the rest.