Successful Startups: What Information Should You Put on Your Windows?

by Reggie Moore Professional writer and proto entrepreneur

When starting a new business, it is important to take every detail into account. While the signs on your windows might not seem especially important, they are essential for quickly and reliably communicating important information to your customers. As much as You do not want the space to become too cluttered, but there are certain pieces of information that you simply must include. Here is what you should make sure to find room for.

The Hours of Operation

No matter how informal of an industry you are working in, it is always best to have rigid hours of operation. Customers appreciate knowing exactly when they can find your business open. Nothing is as frustrating as making a special trip to a business only to encounter a locked door when you arrive. Put your hours right by the front door. That way, people can read them on their way through the doorway when you are open and beside the locked door when they find your business closed. You should also post your hours online, making sure they match what you have on the window.

Your Business Phone Number

Your business’s phone number also deserves a prominent place on your window, preferably beside the hours and near the front door. When people swing by your business and find it closed, they’ll want the option to call in the future. Do not assume that posting your number online is enough. Even now, some consumers are not in the habit of going online for information, and if a customer is just driving by while on other errands, they are not going to pop out their phone in the middle of the road (hopefully) just to look it up for later.

Your Key Products and Services

People are going to want to know what exactly your business has to offer. This signage doubles as advertising, so you should try to make the words simple and the letters as big as possible. Ideally, people should be able to read these signs from the road. You can use posters if they are big enough but remember not to obscure too much of the space with cluttered images, posters, and stickers. Putting information on your windows does nobody any good if they cannot find the information as they drive by.

Advertisements for Popular Brands

If you offer any popular brands, then you should advertise them in the window. Some companies will provide you with branded signage that you can display in your business. These signs do not have to be near the door since they should be instantly recognizable even if they’re too far away to be read. These are the advertisements that are most likely to attract attention from the road.

The Materials

When putting information on your place of business, whether it is on glass doors or on exterior signage, you want to be able to adjust it if necessary. Permanent signage should be reserved for things that won’t change frequently, like your logo. Other things, like hours of operation, tend to shift as you notice the times that business is or is not happening at your business. Nothing frustrates a customer more than showing up to do business at hours clearly listed on your door and having no-one there. For the more mutable information, using vinyl lettering or removable markings can save time, expense, and customer’s patience if you stay on top of updates. You also don’t want to damage the glass by attaching adhesives that are difficult to remove. Dirty windows are customer deterrents.

Your window signage, if properly organized, will give customers valuable information while helping to intrigue passersby. If your windows include everything mentioned above, then you will be giving people all the information they need. Attention is a currency in high demand, so while you have a consumer’s attention, make sure that they can get the information they need quickly. This will help your business thrive.