Article

Digital signage selling carpet

Allwein Carpet One Floor & Home has a not-so-secret weapon to entice customers to visit its showroom: A new 3-foot-5-inch by 7-foot-3-inch video-quality LED sign.

August 8, 2016 by Travis Wagoner — Editor, Networld Media Group

Allwein Carpet One Floor & Home has a not-so-secret weapon to entice customers to visit its showroom: A new 3-foot-5-inch by 7-foot-3-inch video-quality LED sign. The 10-millimeter display is responsible for driving at least 67 percent of the store's new customers and brings in another 40-to-50 percent of repeat customers, said Sue Lane, the Annville, Pennsylvania, store sales manager.

"The image is so crisp," she said. "We are able to highlight our flooring options and colors. Another advantage is that it has a wider viewing angle, so people can see it better as they pass by."

The ROI of the upgrade

Although Allwein Carpet One Floor & Home added a digital signage program in 2010, it could only display words with no images. Last year, the company partnered with Watchfire Signs to upgrade its sign and sign cabinet for better curb appeal.

"Most of the messages we post are promotional, including Carpet One sales, warehouse sales, new product introductions, etc.," Lane said. "The rest of the messages include financing information, help wanted ads, community service notices, holiday greetings and local event reinforcements."

While Lane could not disclose the exact investment in the sign, she said employees track traffic and ask customers what inspired them to come inside. About 67 percent said that the sign caught their attention as they got closer to the store. While the store uses other forms of advertising, including radio, Lane said the LED outdoor sign performs best at getting customers through the doors.

"The upfront expense of the digital signs can be a bit salty. However, when you compare the audience you are captivating daily to traditional advertising, the sign investment is long-term and a better use of advertising dollars," Lane said.

Signage drives foot traffic

The results of Lane's unofficial poll are similar to a FedEx study, which found that 76 percent of consumers were drawn to enter a store because of its sign. Sixty-eight percent were inclined to purchase products or services because a sign caught their eye, and 69  also believe that a store's sign is a reliable indicator of the company's products and services.

The study also found that a small business' sign can be an influential word-of-mouth marketing tool, with three out of four consumers saying they have told someone about a store based simply on its signage, 

Knowing this, Lane rotates about 10 different messages on the sign each day and keeps messages up for two to three weeks.

Customizing the message

Allwein's corporate marketing team works with Watchfire to create customized messages that are consistent with the carpet store's national marketing campaign and calendar. Lane then supplements these messages by creating her own content using Watchfire's Ignite OP software, and schedules it to appear on the sign.

"Its ease of use allows us to make custom messages and display them within minutes of creation," Lane said. "For example, just recently we had visitors to our store from Carpet One Corporate and put their photos on the sign with a welcome message. They were very impressed."

About Travis Wagoner

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Travis Wagoner spent nearly 18 years in education as an alumni relations and communications director, coordinating numerous annual events and writing, editing and producing a quarterly, 72-plus-page magazine. Travis also was a ghostwriter for an insurance firm, writing about the Affordable Care Act. He holds a BA degree in communications/public relations from Xavier University.