It’s time to be thinking and dreaming…about window displays. Nothing boosts sales like stopping foot traffic in its tracks, luring them inside to check out your wares. From simple to high-tech, I set out to discover new tricks of the trade.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the computer displays. Forbes describes the newest innovations from Microsoft—motion-activated window displays interacting with a customer’s phone. It sounds expensive to me, and my phone is never handy. I know, I’m not a millennial, but just the same. The megabuck variety seems all the rage, but I don’t see most of us having that kind of money to invest in window dressings. My search for answers continued.

Begin with the ultimate five tips:

Ø  Know your audience. Make sure your display hits the target.

Ø  Be creative. Originality draws attention.

Ø  Remember—you’re selling lifestyle, not products.

Ø  Pack your punch at eye level.

Ø  Keep track of foot traffic and tweak as necessary.

So let’s look at these in a little more depth. Know your audience. What drives them? Love, marriage and family are huge attractions for the fairer sex. Teens love a runway. Older shoppers may be drawn by a display reminiscing bygone years. Once you have a visual image in mind, be creative. Think of an unusual way to drive the message. Create a scene and add questions or ideas. Insert items that hang and add a fan. Use a single mannequin and create a red carpet runway. Post trivia questions with answers inside. Offer prizes for correct responses. Focus on lifestyle. A dozen stores sell potholders. But a fresh apple pie alongside a couple potholders spells h-o-m-e. Get permission to post pictures from local life, like school games or teens modeling fashion. Sell happiness. If necessary, block off the top and bottom to force attention to eye level. Use inexpensive films to create more of a peek-a-boo effect with the center beckoning the eyes. Most of all, be ready to make adjustments. Count how many come in on a given day, and adjust it if you’re not meeting your goals. Here are a few more ideas:

1.      Remember that videos are constantly moving, and a laptop is readily available. It’s not large, but if you’ve blocked off the top and bottom, you can pack a lot of product around a centering display with a video showing a movie. Post a movie quote or trivia question in the window and see what kind of bites you get.

2.      Make lighting your friend. Add mirrors and extra lighting as necessary.

3.      Look for inspiration. On Instagram search for hashtags like #windowdisplay, #shopfront and #retaildesign. My go-to is always Pinterest. Look for “window displays.” Go online and find design:retail, which keeps you abreast of new trends.

4.      Snap a pic of your display and post it on your Facebook page. Draw shoppers by making them wonder about the trivia contest, and lure them into the store.

The key to selling happens when shoppers meet products. If you have a brick and mortar store, take advantage of your windows!