While window displays are of utmost importance to retail operations, the field of visual merchandising also encompasses exterior signage, customer movement inside the store, the use of mirrors and the grouping of products.

Window dressing and coordinated signage are effective in attracting potential customers as well as upping the overall appeal of a street, according to Sarah Blankenship of the Texas Historical  Commission’s Texas Main Street Program.  She talked to Harlingen Downtown merchants on what works and what doesn’t to bring customers into a store.

First of all, customers must be able to see into the store to the merchandising displays to know what you sell. Start with sparkling clean windows and don’t allow sight lines to be blocked by posters, flyers or window tints that are dark or reflective. “People are wary of entering spaces they cannot see into or where they feel uncomfortable.” Too many signs and negative signs (“No public restrooms” instead of  “Restrooms for customers only”) can give the impression the shopping experience will be unpleasant.

Your own sign, painted perhaps on the front glass, the upper façade or the awning, combined with your window display help establish your store’s personality and an inviting  shopping vibe.  “A quality sign is one of the best investments a business can make,” Blankenship said. Signage should be in harmony with the building’s architectural features.

Window displays should have a theme: not just Christmas but Christmas songs.  Color coordinate the displays, feel free to use whimsy or humor, and change displays out at least monthly. “The idea of movement – hands reaching up, birds flying – is attractive to passersby.” Pinterest provides good, adoptable ideas.

She recommended using the whole window, not just the bottom part, by incorporating props to raise the sight line. Props can be repurposed items such as ladders, chairs, tables and suitcases.  The most successful mannequins are those without heads.  To avoid the appearance of being cluttered, you should group similar items to create a focus. Keep in mind that asymmetry and an odd numbers of items create their own energy. Place smaller items in the foreground.

Blankenship suggested that more expensive furniture and other items less likely to be sold quickly go into to window display.  Remember the color wheel:  opposites, such as red and green, are vibrant while adjacent colors, like blue and green, are cooling. And, if the window is big enough, feel free to create several vignettes if you want to spotlight different products.

Exterior lights can be used at night to emphasize architectural features, while window spotlights create a welcome even when the store is closed.

Non-retail businesses, such as realtor, insurance agencies, and medical and finance firms, can benefit from appealing window displays, whether of local history or vintage medical instruments or homes for sales.

Visual merchandising continues once the customer enters the store.  Cleanliness remains next to godliness. Go beyond the visual to make sure that surfaces visitors will touch are not sticky or dusty.  A light scent and appropriate music in the air can relax some people, creating a buffer and inducing them to linger. Pay attention to the walls and ceilings.  If they are stained or aged, use fabric drapes to cover imperfections.

“Customers instinctively move to their right,” Blankenship said.  “Therefore place important displays on that side and on islands that guide them to the back of the store.”  Islands function a little like old-fashioned pinball games, moving the customers through the store, ricocheting from side to side. They have time to see more of what you offer and increase the chances that something will catch their eyes. Make sure there is room to move between displays.

Some experts suggest the cash register be one-third of the way back. But it’s important to consider your sight lines, in relation to the register and for customer movement. Avoid high barriers.

People slow down when they see reflective surfaces. Yes, mirrors catch humans. “Watch how customers use the store and interact with fixtures, displays and your hot items,” she said. Blankenship gave an example that when men’s shirts were folded in half rather than tidied into smaller displays, they were touched 85% more which resulted in in a 40% increase in sales.

It helps to realize non-shoppers will come in the store with your buyers.   Provide child-friendly distractions, perhaps a cubby with blocks.  Provide at least one seat for non-shoppers so the shopper won’t be rushed out of the store.

Make your window displays simple, yet enticing and see if more customers step inside your store.

This story by Rosemary Couture appears in the June 2016 edition of Valley Business Report.