Your retail store could be filled with the most marvelous merchandise ever, but without the help of well-crafted, well-placed signage, shoppers will have a tough time finding what they want or need. Not to mention finding that extra “something,” just perfect for an impulse purchase. Lighted signs can brighten the day for you and your customers – if you follow these do's and don’ts.

DO: Insist on quality, inside and out.

When it comes to lighted signs, there's a difference between modern and classy, and cheap or tacky. Lighted signs are still very popular for exterior advertising, but make sure you are sending the right message. A tired, faded sign can prevent you from getting the business you deserve.

DO: Use custom design.

Off-the-shelf lighted signs might do the job, but they won’t do anything else for your customers or your store. Custom design combines creativity and consistency. Without that, you lose the opportunity to please and engage shoppers:

• A mish-mash of random signs looks cluttered.
• It confuses customers instead of simplifying their shopping.
• Messages are harder to grasp at a glance.
• Branding falls by the wayside.

DO: Focus on branding.

Consistently branding everything about your store builds trust and comfort for customers. You can’t achieve consistent branding without custom design.

DO: Get creative.

Lighted signs are one of the most versatile merchandising enhancements you’ll find. You can use almost any material for the signs, and any number of types of lights, but nothing outshines LED lights when it comes to versatility.

For example. LED light boxes can liven up any type or size of signage. You can use strings of LEDs to decorate or frame signs, or create lighted “pathways” that lead customers around your store or to specific displays. LEDs are ideal for backlit signs, or to wordlessly draw your customer’s eye and feet toward enclosed display cases.

DO: Think tech (because your customers are!).

Digital signage is the ultimate in lighted signs – images can be static, they flash or scroll, or you can display videos. Let touchscreens do double duty as informative signs and interactive tools for customers.

DO: Review your signage through a customer’s eyes.

Lighted or not, every sign in your store has a psychological impact on shoppers. Learn about that, because your signs can subtly play to their emotions, creating a more memorable (and perhaps more meaningful) shopping experience.

DO: Create a comprehensive signage strategy.

The only way to take advantage of all these do's and avoid all the don’ts is to first create a signage strategy for your store. It should include both the lighted and unlit signs, inside and on your exterior. Think carefully about size and messaging, but think about placement, too. (Just think what you could do with digital signs in your fitting rooms!)

The more thought you put into your signage strategy, the more you’ll realize how adding light can elevate your store’s look and feel — and your customers’ shopping experience.