No matter what it is you sell, where you sell it or whom you sell it to, there’s one element of your store that needs to be given more focus than anything else – your windows displays. Why? Well, quite simply because it often comes down to a store’s window displays to determine who will come inside for a closer look, along with which potential customers will wander by unimpressed.

Unsurprisingly, simply throwing a bunch of random bits in a window just isn’t going to cut it. Instead, it’s a case of following a few tips from the experts, which should help bring together a genuinely effective and impressive window display.

1 – Plan Thoroughly

As is the case in so many areas of life, planning is everything. In this instance, planning means knowing what it is you are setting out to accomplish, which products you wish to place in the spotlight, the message you wish to convey, how long it will remain relevant for and so on. Are you trying to enhance your brand’s image and reputation in general, or simply increase sales of a particular item or range of items? You have to know what you want before you can expect to achieve it, so don’t scrimp with the planning.

2 – Consider Focus Points

In terms of layout, you’ll need to consider the landing point and the general journey the customer’s eye will make upon first seeing your displays. This means thinking about which items and areas you’d prefer to take centre stage and stand out as key focus points, along with the items or decorative accessories that will form more of a background or framing. Remember the tendency for consumers to scan displays from left to right and from top to bottom, with the centre of course being the number-one focus point of all.

3 – Build Your Brand

Whatever happen to be the images, symbols, letters, colours and general themes of your brand, these should be reflected comprehensively in your window displays. It should be a reflection of the experience your customers can expect if they choose to enter your store – one that is true to you as a brand.

4 – Seek Inspiration

One of the best things about researching effective window displays is the fact that it really could not be quicker or easier. You only need to take a stroll up any High Street (or even carry out a web search) to see what the market-leaders are doing to pull in the punters. It’s not to say you have to replicate what they are doing exactly, but taking a little inspiration is never a bad idea.

5 – Trial and Error

Last but not least, don’t forget that there’s nothing to say that any element of your window display is set in stone and cannot be tweaked, once it has been set in place. It’s often good practice to adopt something of a trial and error approach whereby you try out an idea, see how effective it is, perhaps ask some of your customers for feedback and make the necessary changes. It’s free, it can help ensure your displays are seriously effective and it can also be surprisingly enjoyable!