The retail industry is one of the largest industries in the world, and it’s gaining more influence every day. By 2020, e-commerce accounted for 20 percent of all retail sales. But regardless of where your business lies on that scale, you can benefit by understanding how design affects buying decisions. Design is one of the most critical aspects of retail. Without it, your company can’t grow. Businesses that neglect design is losing opportunities to attract new customers and increase their clientele’s satisfaction. Consumers, especially millennials, are more willing to buy things when they find an aesthetically pleasing business. There are four ways you can heighten your business’ design. Let’s take a look at these game-changing tips.
Utilizing Brand Guidelines
First, utilize brand guidelines to provide your customers with a consistent experience. Your branding should be consistent throughout all mediums of communication, including any advertising you may have. People are more likely to purchase from a business if they feel familiar with the product and company image. For example, Nike has made a name for itself through its branding. The swoosh logo is recognized anywhere consumers are and has become synonymous with Nike. Let’s say you create a new form of marketing collateral, like an infographic or poster. Without brand guidelines, this piece will look different from your other ads and printed materials. This inconsistency between designs confuses consumers instead of clarifying your brand image. To make things easier, ask yourself the following questions when developing brand guidelines:
– What are the core values of my business?
– Who is my target audience, and what do I want them to think about me?
– What policies or policies should guide my work?
By answering these questions, you’ll gain clarity over your design decisions and create better designs in the long run.
Designing with Accessibility in Mind
Another critical aspect of enhancing business design is considering accessibility. It means creating functional designs for all types of people, including those who have disabilities or visual impairments. When you design with accessibility in mind, you make your customers feel more welcome and appreciated. There are several ways to provide text descriptions for visuals (like charts and graphs), using simplified color schemes, adding alternative forms of communication (like videos or written explanations), and including high-quality images. High-quality images will allow those with visual impairments to understand what the image is trying to express. If you’re going for a minimalist look, avoid white backgrounds and stick with a color that’s easy on the eyes, like tan or cream. The website Accessible Pixels provides a list of easy colors on the eyes and is accessible for those with visual impairments.
Utilizing User-Friendly Platforms
Finally, be sure to use user-friendly platforms when designing your business presence online. Customers will be more likely to stick around when your websites, blogs, and social media accounts are easy to navigate. For example, most people expect businesses’ websites to load quickly, so having slow-loading sites is a huge turnoff. It’s also essential for users to find what they’re looking for on your site with ease. There’s nothing more frustrating than landing on a splash page where the only option is to click the “home” button. Make it easy for consumers to understand your pricing options, what types of payment methods you accept, and how long shipping will take. Use simple language that anyone can understand. If possible, include FAQs or trust symbols like customer ratings to add a layer of security when making purchases.
Transparency Films
One popular film used to help with the designing of your business are duratrans. There translucent films use a backlit film to make your prints look nice on light boxes. If you are curious on what backlit printing it, look no further. Backlit printing is the use of translucent film, which is placed between two Plexiglass sheets in a light box, then they are illuminated from behind to add a gorgeous emphasis to your images. This product has been considered one of the highest quality product for light box displays. You will be sure to catch the eye of buyers with this type of design. Hopefully, we were able to answer some of the questions you may have had about enhancing the design of your retail business.