libby co | creative business coaching

7 Designer-Approved Ways to Attract Attention To Your Shop (Part 1 of 2)

You want your shop to feel so special it makes people giddy. You want them to be blown away by something they’ve never experienced before. You want people spontaneously taking pics and sharing about you because they just can’t help themselves.

You’re dreaming about being featured in coveted articles like: The Best Of, Top of the Town and Designer’s Guide to…

But how do you get there?

Well…let’s just assume that what you’re selling is worthy of all of the attention you’re dreaming of (because it is!).

Next up you must create a shop experience that engages, excites and inspires people. I promise if you do that right, you have the power to magnetically draw the right customers in and get them recommending you with close to no effort on your part.

Your shop design has the power to create a cult following all on it’s own.

So, where should you start? How do you create a shop that engages and inspires?

You start at the beginning. You start with your storefront.

Customer experience begins before she even enters your store. And I would even go so far as to say a successful experience starts from all the way down the street. What she sees, hears and touches as she approaches your shop all play a key role in determining how she feels and what she shares about your brand.

That is SO important it’s worth saying again.

What she sees, hears and touches as she approaches your shop WILL determine her opinion of you. (Now, getting her to hold onto that opinion requires more than just a stellar storefront. But that’s for another post).

So ask yourself, how do I want my customers to feel about my brand? What do I want them to think about me?

Once you’re clear on what you want to your customer to feel, it’s all about creating an experience that evokes those feelings.

Here are 3 (of 7 / part 2 coming next week) storefront concepts that go the extra mile to speak to your customer, attract your ideal customer and give a glimpse of what they have in-store (ha! get it?) if they engage with you.

1.GO MONOCHROMATIC

This approach exudes sophistication, and depending on the color selected it can either feel really minimal and modern (like in this James Perse storefront) or it can put off a playful vibe (like in this Sweethaus Cupcake Cafe). This concept is also really great if your brand identity is all about one very specific color – like if you’re all about vintage pink bubble gum.

photo credit: Retail Square (James Perse) + Domino Mag (Sweethaus)

2.USE A GRAPHIC WRAP

photo credit: Lucky Mag (Liberty) + Akiko Uryu. via design boom (Louis Vuitton & Yayoi Kusama collaboration)

Ekk! I LOVE this concept. Maybe it’s from my days designing attention-grabbing fashion events in NYC or maybe it’s growing up in home with every room clad in wallpaper? Whatever the reason, if this concept aligns with your brand’s visual identity this can be the ultimate way to stand out. This concept is especially great if you’re a fashion brand building your reputation around an iconic style or Signature Print (like this Liberty of London shop).

3.PLAY WITH 3D TILES

photo credit: Matahina vis flickr

I’m a huge fan of anything that adds texture and architectural interest in a sophisticated way. If it combines visual interest + tactile intrigue you’re engaging your customer on another level. That’s why I’m obsessed with these 3D Ogassian Concrete tiles from Ann Sacks (ugh…I want to barf they’re so cool).

I want to hear which of these storefront concepts speak to you. Would you be drawn into any of these shops based on design alone? Let’s hear it in the comments.

AND if you want to see more, make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get the second installment next week!