Have you ever walked into a store and felt instantly drawn to a certain product? Or maybe visited an online retailer’s website and had your eyes immediately drawn to a particular item? That’s visual merchandising for you. It makes you want to buy things, or at least see them a bit closer – even if you don’t need them.
Therefore, if you’re looking to boost your sales, one of your priorities should be developing an effective visual merchandising strategy. And this is true whether you have a traditional brick-and-mortar shop or an e-commerce store.
What Is Visual Merchandising and Why Does It Matter?
So, first, let’s define visual merchandising. In the simplest of terms, this is a practice of designing and displaying products to make them as appealing as possible to customers. When successful, it taps into human emotions, making them want to buy things even if they don’t strictly need them.
For physical stores, this involves layout, lighting, colour schemes, and product placement. Online, it’s about website design, product images, and virtual layouts.
Why is it important? Because without effective visual merchandising, it’s nigh impossible to increase sales, especially for newer retailers. With it? You can not only boost sales, which is the ultimate goal, but also enhance customer experience and generate positive word-of-mouth marketing for your business.
So, if you want to maintain consistent, high-quality displays (whether real or digital) in order to attract customers and drive sales, you need to train your staff on visual merchandising.
Well-trained employees will know how to effectively display products in order to grab the attention of potential customers, which can not only increase your profits but also enhance your brand identity. You should also ensure you have enough staff to handle these tasks without overburdening them.
While you and your team can learn a lot online for free, if you want to take your shop to new heights, you may want to pay for a comprehensive course that can teach your staff all about visual merchandising for your particular business (whether it’s small or big, brick-and-mortar or digital store – it all matters and makes a difference).
To accurately budget for training expenses and payroll, consider using OnPay’s payroll software or even their free payroll calculators. For example, if you’re based in Florida, you can take advantage of their free Florida paycheck calculator to make sure everyone is adequately compensated.
Alright, onto our best visual merchandising tips now!
4 Effective Tips for Improving Your Visual Merchandising Strategy
Visual merchandising is a form of art but it doesn’t have to be complex to work. Follow these four tips, and you’ll increase time spent in-store (or on-site) and, most importantly, boost your sales.
Have Attractive Displays
First impressions matter, greatly, and your store’s window display or website page is the first impression customers get, so make it as attractive as you possibly can.
For physical stores, use vibrant colors, themed setups, and creative lighting. Change displays regularly to showcase new arrivals or seasonal products.
For e-commerce, make sure your homepage is clean, visually appealing, and easy to navigate (extremely important). Use high-quality images and highlight key products or promotions.
Enhance Product Visibility
To make the customers who have entered your store actually stay – and buy things – optimise your product visibility.
In-store, place popular items at eye level and use end caps for promotions. Online, categorise products clearly and use filters to help customers find what they’re looking for quickly.
Use Lighting Strategically
Ever taken a selfie in flattering lighting? Lighting can have the same effect on your products; flattering light can enhance their look and appeal, while unflattering can make it look drab or simply invisible.
In physical stores, use a mix of ambient, accent, and task lighting to create an inviting atmosphere.
Also, highlight key products with spotlights to draw attention. For online stores, while you can’t control physical lighting, you can ensure your product photos are well-lit and professional. Use natural light where possible and avoid harsh shadows to present your products in the best light (literally).
Create a Cohesive Brand Image
Effective visual merchandising also means that your brand image should be instantly recognisable and reflect your business’s identity. So, using the same color schemes, fonts, and design elements across all your visual merchandising efforts is recommended.
In physical stores, ensure that everything from window displays to interior decor follows your brand guidelines. For online stores, you want to maintain consistency in banners, product images, and even promotional emails.
And there you have it – armed with these tips, you can create a shopping experience that draws customers in, and more importantly, keeps them coming back!
