How to Increase Bar Sales with Signs for Pubs and Bars
You’ve planned your menus, stocked up on the best ales the world has to offer and spruced up the inside of your bar or pub with comfy seating, cosy décor and inviting plants. But how do you get customers to hop on board and enjoy your fantastic offering? It’s all well and good going the extra mile for satisfied clients, but if you truly want to become the go-to establishment in your local area, you’ll have to make sure the public knows your tavern or taphouse is the place to be, too.
Luckily, VKF Renzel has the answer. As specialists in both indoor and outdoor business signage, we know exactly what you need to do to attract, keep and please patrons – old and new. Here are our top five suggestions, all guaranteed to boost your turnover.
Understand Your Ideal Customer
If you run a gastro pub that serves traditional roasts, chunky chips and proper, praiseworthy pies, you’re likely targeting a different kind of customer to the swanky wine bar or cocktail lounge down the road. Likewise, experienced mixologists will have a different ideal customer in mind to the owner of a micropub or brewery. Before you begin buying signs and printing menus, it’s important to understand the type of people who are likely to visit your business. Don’t just visualise them, but really get into their mindset, working out what they want, when they want it and how they are most likely to want to be addressed. Then, and only then, can you begin to plan your advertising accordingly. Think price range, atheistic, type of food – who are you going to need to target? Who will your business appeal to the most? Following from this, decided on advertisements that will appeal to those specific demographics.
Remember to Advertise Outside
You know what they say – “out of sight, out of mind”. Regardless of the type of pub or bar that you run, if people don’t know where you are or what you have to offer, they simply won’t come in. Whilst a strong digital presence goes a long way in gaining traction with new customers nowadays, the instant attention that strategically placed pavement signs can garner cannot be overstated. Not everyone will search online and navigate to you using Google maps. In fact, most new clients will just happen across your drinking establishment as they amble along, entering only if the initial impression they get from your outdoor signage successfully suggests the kind of atmosphere they’re looking for.
Make sure prospective customers don’t pass you by with a carefully planned A-board. We find that chalkboard versions like this fast-switch pavement display work particularly well for those of you looking to create an informative sign that will provide an instant warm welcome. Want to advertise more than just your specials or your next pub quiz? Why not try chalkboard partition menus? They’re large enough to give a good idea of your full product selection without sticking out too far and causing a hindrance to the passing public.
Finding Your Unique Selling Points
Perhaps you have a signature cocktail or recently imported a new, highly coveted IPA? Whatever your specials – food or beverage – make sure your customers know exactly what you have to offer. When people are out with family and friends, they won’t always want to look through your full drinks menu in detail or analyse each beer you’ve got on tap behind the bar. Point-of-sales displays (also known as POS displays) are an ideal solution. They’re an eye-catching way of highlighting your best offers, guaranteeing immediate attention and hopefully, more sales as a result.
You could also use tabletop counter stands to advertise upcoming events, be it your next karaoke night or a fancy dinner for a special occasion. In fact, letting your customers know about things like this in advance will give them enough time to book or make plans with friends, which will ultimately boost the success of your event and the resulting sales.
Once Customers Are In. Keep Them There
Your menus should be as clear and informative as possible, whilst also matching your overall aesthetic. Why not go one step further and make sure that they can be easily accessed by your customers? By strategically placing menu holders on your countertops, tables and nearby shelves, you will likely encourage people to pick up your menu and see what you have to offer. This could be the nudge they need to choose a fancy cocktail over a cheaper beverage. Likewise, it might be just enough to intrigue their tastebuds and convince them to place a food order at a time they may not otherwise have considered it.
Menu folders are another great way to maintain custom, particularly as they protect your menus from getting dirty or splashed with food, which could put people off. Simply wipe them down after every use to keep things looking their best, as well as making things more hygienic.
Up Your Game With Digital Signs
From retro neon bar signs to inject a bit of quirky charm to sleek and modern LED signage to simplify your customers’ experience, digital bar signs go a long way in improving your advertising. This flexible LED info display would work particularly well in the entrance to a contemporary establishment, ensuring that visitors know exactly what to expect as soon as they walk in.
Improve Your Physical Advertising For Better Bar Sales and More Profitable Pubs
As you can see, the more you are able to grab and keep your potential customers’ attention, the higher your chances of making more sales. Aim to provide as much information as possible and ensure its instantly visible and accessible, without losing any of the charm or character that makes you who you are. When combined with successful branding,pavement signs, menu holders and digital signage go a long way in increasing your turnover, making them a wonderful investment in the long run.
At VKF Renzel, we specialise in all kinds of business advertising products that would be perfect for your hospitality business. We even make takeaway boxes like this to-go pizza box, encouraging your customers to remember the great meal they had with you the day after their visit. The longer you can stay in their mind, the better – you never know when it could lead to even more recommendations.
Contact us on 01527 878311or email us at sales@vkf-renzel.co.uk to find out more.