The high street is changing.
Sceptics will say it’s dying. Others like to think that we’re seeing a retail boom.
What we see is change, and it’s clear to see why.
Once upon a time, popping to the local ‘bricks and mortar’ store was the only option. Because it was the only option, business owners could focus their time and energy on providing the best products at the best price with the best service and convenience.
This isn’t the case anymore. Good printers understand that your designs are not just graphics; they are expressions of your creativity and brand identity.
Technology has made the world so much smaller. We can buy whatever we want and get it from the other side of the world inside a day.
This is why it’s so important to fully understand our customers, connect with them on an emotional level and make sure to be in the right place at the right time.
Point of sale (POS) displays are nothing new. Their function has remained largely the same, but their form has slowly evolved into a carefully considered design that triggers all the right responses from a prospective customer.
So how is this done?
We’ve put together what we believe to be the key fundamentals when designing effective point of sales systems.
BE BOLD
You would be correct if you assumed we meant visually bold, but there’s so much more to being bold than just being shouty.
Echoing back to our previous point, it’s sometimes necessary to a little bit daring in order to get that all important emotional response.
If you’ve done the research and truly understand your buyer, then what are you afraid of?
Break the mould. Get a reaction. Have all of the right information and content at hand to seal the deal.
We all know how crowded the online space is. Well the offline world is no different.
We’re all out there vying for attention. There’s a distinct irony in the air. Everyone’s gone so big and bold at the same rate that the only way of standing out is to do the exact opposite.
Minimal is the new maximal.
BE CONCISE
‘Information overload’ definitely is a thing. When you stop and think about what a POS display does and how it does it, you’ll understand that it’s important to be concise.
People aren’t going to stop and read everything you have to say because, quite frankly, no one really cares. No one cares until you give them a reason to care.
Be bold. Be concise. Introduce more information when the buyer is ready and responsive.
BE VALUABLE
People aren’t going to hand over their hard earned cash unless they can see the value in what you’re selling or how you’re selling it.
Don’t shy away from the prospect of giving something away. We know we keep saying this but, if you’ve done the research and understand your customers, you shouldn’t be thinking of this as an expense. You should think of it as an investment.
Think of it like this: properly designed, POS may cost you hundreds or even thousands of pounds (if you’re a national chain) across your business. However, your customers will reward your investment by giving you thousands of pounds month in, month out for as long as you keep them engaged.
Understand your customer. Provide value. Gain valued customers in return.
BE ENGAGING
There’s no blueprint for producing something that’s engaging to your customer. It all boils down to identifying your customer and how they identify your business.
Research. Research. Research.
POS displays offer so many opportunities for interactivity and engagement. Gone are the days of POS being limited to a cardboard graphical installation containing your products.
The tie between offline and online media has never been stronger. Use touchscreens, games or interactive visualisations. Once you have your potential customer engaged, guide them along the buying process.
BE OPPORTUNISTIC
You won’t get much if you don’t ask.
You’ve been bold. You’ve been concise. You’ve provided value and you have your customer engaged. You’re now allowed to ask for something in return.
People don’t know what they want until they see it. With the potential of POS displays being almost unlimited, this brings with it almost endless opportunities to up-sell.
POS displays trigger impulse purchases. There’s no reason why you can’t then trigger impulse purchases on top of that.
This is the last time we’re going to say it – do the research. Know your customer.
