The windows of your business are an advertising space you have full control over. The visual displays you choose will have a strong impact on how many people notice your store and impulsively decide to come in. What elements make the best window graphics?

Keep It Simple

People can absorb only so much information. Cluttered window display signage is likely to confuse people and obscure your message. When presented with busy visual information, our brains filter out images without realizing it. This means the more information in your window graphics, the less people actually see.

The graphics should be easy to see. Window displays should be clearly visible day or night. The entire display should be well lit and additional lighting can draw attention to particular elements. Motion is another way to attract attention whether it's a simple blinking light or an actual moving object.

Despite the advice to keep it simple, there is evidence that companies with younger clientele should opt for more complicated displays. The younger generation has grown up on information overload and has become so effective at filtering out noise that they don't even see simpler window graphics.

Focus on Merchandise

We've all seen those television commercials that are exciting and interesting, yet when the commercial is over we can't remember what they were selling. That is not effective advertising. Promotion is about products and if viewers don't know what you are selling, why should they come into the store?

Your window graphics should highlight store merchandise. It isn't enough to bring in customers. You want to bring in customers with the desire to buy. Your visual displays allow you to motivate customers to buy and to direct their attention to merchandise you are trying to move.

Don't use merchandise you think you will run out of. Customers leave unhappy if they can't get what they wanted. Focus on high inventory items in your promotions.

Get Professional Design Help

It may seem easy to design window graphics, but the difference between a good design and a bad design is hard for the untrained eye to spot. Rather than doing it yourself, hire experienced design specialists to create your visual displays.

Effective window graphics come from combining countless ideas and elements such as color, shape, lighting, placement and more. When you create the displays yourself you probably aren't even aware of how strong an effect these different aspects can have. You are likely to end up trying to merge random advice like "group objects in odd numbers" or "display items in pyramids" without really understanding their effect on the overall design.

A professional display designer brings years of experience to the project and is able to combine design ideas on an intuitive level, producing graphics greatly superior to do-it-yourself attempts.