Every smart business owner knows how important it is to keep an eye on the competition. You don’t want to copy them, exactly, but if they’re doing something that’s working well, you should take note. And if they’re doing something that detracts from their business, you can learn from their mistakes. Nowhere is the opportunity greater to learn from your competitors than when it comes to commercial awnings.
Consider these five lessons:
1. If commercial awnings look interesting, they attract interest.
Style points count. Commercial awnings don’t have to stick to the traditional “slant” on things, you can design them your way to match your type of business and the tone of your business.
The physical design can be whatever shape you want. Materials should be appropriate for your location and weather conditions, but beyond that you can achieve virtually any look, thanks to the outstanding variety available in the commercial awnings marketplace. Whether you choose all-metal or some type of fabric-covered creation, you can certainly make a statement that intrigues potential customers.
You can combine styles, by mixing fixed and retractable commercial awnings or using both attached and free-standing options. The graphics you add provide the finishing touch. You can even take advantage of any-image-anywhere digital printing to give your commercial awnings a distinctive all-over design.
2. Branding, branding, branding.
Commercial awnings should make your business immediately recognizable, reinforcing your name and overall image. That means they have to be consistent with all your other marketing visuals. Branding is equally important whether your business is a franchise or one-of-a-kind independent, big or small in physical size, whether you’re brand new or long-established.
You can pull together the perfect look for your commercial awnings by using the same colors, fonts, logo and other images people associate with your business. And speaking of things that extend your marketing, adding trendy one-way window roll-down window shades or window films that coordinate with your commercial awnings can propel you ahead of your competitors.
3. If awnings are too busy, they’re eye-crossing instead of eye-catching.
You put a lot of effort – your heart and soul – into designing just the right commercial awnings, and then they don’t work for you. Why not? One of the most common problems is that business owners forget where their awnings are located in relation to the people seeing them.
If you’re in NYC, you can be sure people will be looking down on your commercial awnings from upper floor windows. But how far away will pedestrians be when they see your awnings? Are you located in a wide open space with easy visibility? Or a high-traffic area congested with vehicles as well as people?
Too much text, lettering that’s too small, colors that don’t contrast sharply or poorly placed text and other elements can all sabotage even the loveliest physical design. Pretty is nice, but if people can’t read what it says on your commercial awnings, you’ve wasted your money
4. Commercial awnings can do it all.
Versatility is the underlying value of all business awnings. Your competitors are using their awnings for:
- Decoration — to spiff up a boring façade, highlight wonderful architectural details or add an unusual visual element to a brand new building.
- Shade from the hot summer sun, for pedestrians or patrons.
- All-weather protection from rain and snow.
- Promoting their business around the clock and making it easy for people to find.
Are you taking maximum advantage of all the ways commercial awnings can enhance your business?
5. If your awnings don’t look good, you don’t look good.
Awnings that are dirty, damaged or obviously past their prime shout a message that says “skip this place” when commercial awnings should say “come on in!” Protect your investment and your image by properly maintaining your commercial awnings. You’ll look more professional, and that gives you a competitive edge.
