One of the many great things about New York awnings is that they give your store extra visibility. They make it easy for people to find you and know immediately what kind of goodies they’ll find inside. But standing out among a crowd of stores isn’t always easy. Exactly how your New York awnings can help you do that depends on where you are in New York.
Your “crowd” of stores might be a few quaint blocks in one of Long Island’s small towns. Or it might be a block on a quiet, narrow side street somewhere in the City. Your place could be packed in shoulder-to-shoulder with NYC’s famous high-rises on of the many multi-lane avenues. Maybe you’re located right on a super-busy corner.
What does that mean? Achieving the kind of visibility that makes your store stand out requires some assessment of your physical location. Size and distance are key factors, so consider these questions:
- How “naturally easy” is it to spot your location?
- Are you set back from the sidewalk with a plaza, or right up front?
- How fast are people passing – in vehicles or on foot?
- Is traffic one-way, even though pedestrians are moving in both directions?
- What’s in their line of sight besides that crowd of stores? Trees? Offices, hotels, apartment buildings, parking garages or other non-store businesses?
- If you’re in a suburban setting, how big is the parking lot people have to look across to find you?
- What are the zoning restrictions or other rules everyone in your district has to follow?
Stand out with panache.
New York awnings add character and charm, sophistication and that indefinable “something” that makes your place stand out in the crowd of stores. They can be flush with your building’s exterior – traditional New York awnings that shade and protect your windows and entrance. They can be installed at right angles to your building – covering your stairway or stairwell, creating a portico or a covered walkway to the curb.
And of course New York awnings are just the thing to cover your sidewalk café, whether you have two tables or spacious outdoor seating. You can stand out even further by adding “accessories” to your sidewalk space:
- Café curtains in portable sections create a defined perimeter for your space, and since you can make them of the same materials as your New York awnings, you can design them to match. You get versatile functionality plus extra business visibility and promotion.
- You can add full temporary sidewalls or curtains, too, to protect patrons from breeze or bugs – fabricate them with windows to give your space a cozy “sunroom” feeling.
- Add portable heaters and sit outside all year round.
Get creative and add a 3D sculpture that reflects your store, using the same fabric as your awnings. It doesn’t have to be as big or flashy as Dunkin Donuts’ famous enormous coffee cup to be eye-catching, memorable and bring a smile to people’s faces. Your business will become a local landmark, all because you used extra imagination when creating your New York awnings.
And do something with your windows that complements your New York awnings, so you can literally stay in front of folks as they pass underneath. Promotional window blinds and printable films are hot these days, and they look very smart.
There’s really no end to what you can to with New York awnings to make your business stand out in the crowd. Need more ideas? Call your local New York awnings professional – the people who know commercial awnings and canopies inside and out, as well as they know every nook and cranny of New York itself.
The pros know what works and what won’t for your location, and they’re happy to help you every step of the way, so your business can stand out in the crowd of stores.
