Tag Archives: marketing

Shop Signs Sheffield Share Top 5 Ways to Attract Customers to Your Retail Premises

When it comes to attracting customers to your retail premises and increasing the amount of people that you get through the door, appearances count. So here are 5 ways to catch the eye of potential customers and convince them that your shop is where they’ll spend their money!

Create an Eye-Catching Window Display

The more attractive your shop looks from the outside, the more chance you have of enticing customers inside. A beautiful window display is a great way of generating interest, and once people are peering in, hopefully they won’t be able to resist stepping inside! Make a big deal of holidays and seasons, everyone loves a Halloween or Christmas themed window display, and taking advantage of them will give you the chance to display a range of items for sale throughout the year.

A more permanent alternative to a window display is the use of window graphics. As you can see, your shop window is the ideal place to advertise your products, offers and services, so using simple wording or images can make a big impression. Of course, window graphics don’t have to replace a window display; they can be used in conjunction with it to create even more of an impact!

Invest in a Great Shop Sign Sheffield

Having a decent retail shop sign Sheffield for your business is the perfect way to make a great first impression. Passers-by will not only notice an effective shop sign, it will also help you to stand out from your competitors. When browsing and shopping, people are highly driven by the visual impact of their surroundings, and nothing creates a bigger impact than a quality, attractive shop sign Sheffield.

Consider a Digitally Printed Banner Sign

A digitally printed banner sign is the perfect solution if you need temporary signage. Whether you want to advertise a special promotion or event, or simply compliment your existing shop sign Sheffield, banner signs are a really economic way to promote your business. PVC banners are a great choice because they can be used indoors or outdoors, and can be hung from almost anywhere, including buildings, ceilings, poles or even fences.

Have a Sale!

Nothing attracts customers better than a big red sale sign! Everyone loves a bargain, and there’s something very exciting about getting something you want for a cut price. Try sending out an email newsletter to your current customers letting them know about your sale and creating a sense of urgency by offering it for a limited time. With any luck, this will get several people through the door, getting you the custom you deserve.

If you want to attract customers to your retail premises, the professional shop sign makers Sheffield at Image Sign Studio can help. Whether you are looking for digitally printed banner signs or illuminated shop sings Sheffield, contact us on 0114 261 7617.

Shop Sign Sheffield for Meadowhall Clothing Alterations ‘Sewfast’

Sewfast is a small shop on the lower Arcade in Meadowhall, very close to Marks and Spencer. It offers a clothing alteration and repair service, as well as an express alteration service for jobs that just can’t wait. They also offer a full dry cleaning and laundry service for clothing, and a specialist cleaning service for household items such as curtains and duvets.

CNC Routered Shop Sign for Sheffield Businesses

The shop sign for Sewfast was fabricated using a state of the art CNC routering machine. The letters are fine and exceptionally detailed and there are ornate flourishes to the letters, a stitching effect on the word ‘fast’ and a fine sewing needle completing the sign with an interesting underline.

LED Shop Sign Sheffield

The use of white LED lights behind the lettering creates an attractive and eye-catching shop sign, which really stands out in Meadowhall despite the fierce completion from a number of high street brands.

This computer numerically controlled system uses computer software to control the movement of the CNC machine, resulting in a high quality, professional and flawless finish to any shop sign. It can fly through a variety of materials including aluminium dibond, plexiglass, Foamex, correx, aluminium, Perspex, plastics and even wood, and is, therefore, perfect for cutting panels, cutting shapes, stencils and fret cut sign trays.

The level of accuracy attained using a CNC routering machine is above and beyond what could be achieved by hand, making this method a fantastic option for any shop sign Sheffield.

CNC Routered Shop Sign Maker Sheffield

Image Sign Studio’s sign making services include design and manufacture in a variety of different materials and a range of different techniques. As professional sign makers Sheffield, they have an on-site flat bed CNC routering machine that can be used to make beautiful shop signs. They also have extensive experience designing and manufacturing shop signs Sheffield, including CNC routered signage and LED illuminated shop signs.

If you are starting a business and want to stand out from the crowd with a great shop sign Sheffield, or you are an established business thinking of a refurbishment or rebrand, Image Sign Studio can help. For more information about the options available, or for some friendly advice and guidance from their expert team, call Image Sign Studio, professional shop sign makers in Sheffield on 0114 261 7617.

Social media: A personal touch in an impersonal world

Seven Creative’s well established and new customers are recognising the growing importance of social media. We’re proud to say that we can now offer customers new and innovative services ranging from writing blog entries, Twitter posts and Facebook updates, to designing and personalising social networks.

Ellie Storey, Social Media Manager at Seven Creative, said “There is so much competition on the digital high street that simply having a website is often not enough. So due to the changing needs of our customers, and demand, we have expanded our services to include a new social networking service.”

Twitter now boasts an impressive 175 million users, and Facebook has 640 million users across the globe, half of which log on daily. Blogs are increasingly common and websites including Search Engine Optimised text are now a must in order to compete successfully.

Seven Creative’s principle designer Chris Day said, “Using social networks to increase visibility is something we all need to do these days as the landscape of the internet changes. Social network integration is often difficult to get to grips with and certainly not something most business owners have the time to do properly. That’s where we come in.”

“We can provide the full spectrum of social networking services to get your business in front of your customers. We are able to assess how your company can benefit from social networking and work with your available budget to help you get the best from it, ” said Chris.

Social Media: The Benefits

Social media allows your customers to immediately give feedback on your products, services and marketing techniques.
It provides you with an easily accessible personal relationship with your customers that is designed to make them want to support your company and buy your product.
It provides you with advertising and encourages a sense of camaraderie between you and your customer.
Social media is a great way for your customers to remember you, your product and your brand. It’s also about customers getting to know other people and a product or service, with product loyalty being an end goal.

Contact Seven Creative now for more information.

T: 0114 383 0711

Email Ellie at: ellie@sevencreative.co.uk

Or visit our website: www.sevencreative.co.uk

Kenneth Hudson Interiors – Business profile and testimonial

Kenneth Hudson Interiors

About Kenneth Hudson Interiors

Kenneth lives just outside Milton Keynes on the borders of Buckinghamshire and South Northamptonshire with his wife Sarah and two daughters, Gracie and Eliza.

Kenneth Hudson Interiors was founded in 2000. Prior to this, Kenneth worked for 18 years in and around London on many residential refurbishments. In 2010, Kenneth Hudson Interiors became a Limited Company.

He enjoys the contrast of working on contemporary interior projects as much as traditional.

Kenneth and his team currently have projects in the surrounding areas ranging from decorating single rooms to complete restorations.

Kenneth develops strong working relationships with his clients which allows projects to run smoothly and professionally. The team produces a design that suits the needs of the client, taking into consideration the available budget and type of property concerned.

The painters and decorators, plasterers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters and carpet fitters are all qualified, highly experienced and skilled craftsmen who have worked with Kenneth Hudson Interiors for many years.

Kenneth Hudson Interiors brings together all aspects of making a house a home.

About Kenneth Hudson’s website and branding

Kenneth Hudson originally approached us from a recommendation to rebrand his business including a new logo, colour scheme, website and stationery set design.

We worked closely with Ken creating many different styles and variations of logo and colour scheme before building the website.

As a member the Guild of Master Craftsmen and as a Dulux Select Decorators it was important to communicate the high quality and professional standard of the work Ken Hudson produces so the website was carefully planned and designed to reflect this

With an integrated Content management System, Ken is able to update all aspect of his website to keep it fresh and up-to-date.

Advanced Search engine optimization also means that the site indexes very well for his keywords and phrases allowing potential customers to easily find his website

What Kenneth Hudson said about working with us

“An existing client of Seven Creative, “Penny Bruce” of “Denton Drapes” recommended that I use Seven Creative to design a website and logo for my business.

Chris was extremely quick in designing several logos that he thought would compliment my interiors business.

Chris promptly made any alterations that where necessary. He also went on to design letter-heads and business cards. Needless to say, we are more than pleased with the end results.

After many conversations with Chris about the design of my site, I was very impressed with her knowledge. It was great to know that when I had sent her my content and images , Chris would produce a professional and contemporary looking website.

Having worked with Chris , I would have no hesitation in recommending Seven Creative. In fact, I have done so already!

Many thanks for all your hard work.” – Kenneth Hudson, Kenneth Hudson Interiors Ltd

Visit Ken’s site – www.kennethhudsoninteriors.co.uk

The importance of having a website

"If your website doesn't do what it’s supposed to do, it’s pointless"

The website pictured here is a perfect example one that provides virtually no practical function whatsoever - neither form nor function.

Introduction

I was recently commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce to write a short article about the ‘importance of having a website for small businesses’.

When I looked at the ‘subject’ around which to write an article, I have to say I was a little stumped. The problem is that I just don’t agree with that statement! You might think this is a little paradoxical seeing as I earn a living building websites; however, the reason I disagree is due to the omission of several important words.

On the one hand, of course I think it’s imperative that a business has a website. The problem lies in the fact that unless the website in question is built properly, they may as well not have one.

In my many years in the business, I’ve seen countless examples of pathetic websites that are either invisible to search engines, don’t communicate their message or are just so user-un-friendly that they will never fulfil any useful function whatsoever.

For a website to actually fulfil its function it needs to be properly built, to allow it to be found on search engines, its keywords and phrases need to be properly incorporated in order for the site to appear in relevant searches, but most importantly, before a site is started, it needs to be properly planned to make sure that it actually does what its supposed to do!

If anyone were to ask me for advice before starting a website, I would tell them that the first thing they need to do is sit down and list exactly what your website must do for their business and also what other functions they’d like it to fulfil. These are the primary and secondary objectives that allow you to properly evaluate whether or not your finished website site is successful.

Obviously, I think that it is important for a business to have a website, but that website must be a successful website. If it doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do, its pointless.

The importance of having a website

Getting yourself a properly planned and well built website may be one of the smartest business decisions you ever make, and I should know: My entire career I’ve been involved in helping businesses with their sales and marketing from start-ups and sole-traders to large blue-chip organizations such as the BBC, National Geographic and Motorolla.

A good website opens up a whole new world of possibilities for your business. It will work tirelessly for you, promoting your products and services twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. It’ll save you money in print advertising and it’ll even help you break through geographical boundaries to reach people you could never normally have hoped to reach!

From a potential customer’s point-of-view, the internet will often be the first place they look to check your credentials! Your website will help you to quickly differentiate yourself from the cowboys out there by providing customer testimonials and a clear and open means of communication. Also, having your own domain name and email address @ your domain will show people you’re not a fly-by-night organisation.

Businesses who think they’ll be ‘just fine’ without a website run the risk of being left behind. Every day, people become more and more likely to use the internet as the first place they look for products, services, tradesmen and suppliers. That ‘over-the-fence’ recommendation is now an ‘over-the- internet’ one and the convenience a website provides to a potential customer has become less of a luxury and more of an expectation.

Over the past decade, business has changed, meaning traditional marketing methodologies have evolved. A website means there’s a good chance you’ll be there at the right time, when your potential customers are ready to buy. Without a website, however, you run the risk of being, effectively, invisible.

Sales and marketing optimisation

Consider the alternatives

If you were in any doubt that offline advertising spend had fallen in 2009, this physical comparison between the Yellow Pages directories from 2009 and 2010 should convince you. The 2010/11 edition is literally 40% thinner than the 2009/10 edition.

According to IAB (2010), in the UK, the entire advertising sector contracted by 16.6% in the first half of 2009, however, the online advertising share grew by 4.6% to a record 23.5% share of the market.

Obviously, in the midst of a recession, you’d expect advertising spend to decline, however, it seems as if many companies are realising that the traditional forms of advertising and marketing may not be the best way to reach customers and deciding rather to look towards the internet.

Google dominates the pay-per-click (PPC) advertising world with a 65.4% market share (AFP, Feb 2010) and for most people, they’re the only place they’ll ever think of advertising online.

There is, however, another way!

The primary objective, when deciding your marketing approach, will be to give you the best return-on-investment (a.k.a. ROI) which, to put it another way, basically means get the most customers for the least spend.

Google advertising is great for some businesses, but for others, it’ll never work – potential customers simply don’t use the internet to find some kinds of suppliers. Even for the businesses where it potentially works well, so much money is sometimes wasted through poorly researched and implemented key-phrases and badly-planned campaigns that they never reach their potential. Besides this, as the main player in the PPC world, competition for key words and phrases can be fierce!

Social network advertising, on the other hand, has shown some fantastic results with campaigns we’ve run recently. One of the main problems with Google PPC is you are only able to target customers geographically. Social Network Marketing, on the other hand, allows you to also target customers demographically and psychographically! As a relatively new avenue, the current costs can be much lower than Google PPC and you have the option to also pay by impression if you’d prefer.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) as another way to boost your organic search engine rakings. Whereas the results can sometimes be much less tangible than the PPC campaigns; a well optimised web site can give a much better ROI over time.

If you’re certain that traditional Search Engine PPC is the one for you, consider Bing, Microsoft’s search engine competitor to Google and Yahoo. Bing is currently gaining search engine market share from Google and Yahoo remains a force in the market.

Whichever you choose, as ever, the key to getting it right is good planning.

More information

With many years experience of online and offline advertising campaign planning, setup and management, Seven Creative are perfectly placed to help your business get the best ROI by optimising your sales and marketing activity

If you’d like Seven creative to help you with your marketing strategy, give us a call on 0114 383 0711 (international: +44 114 383 0711) or contact us through the website