Holiday decorations are not just fun — they can be an excellent marketing tool. They create an atmosphere that encourages shopping and lets your customers know you care about them. For people who enjoy brick-and-mortar stores, the majority (62 percent) like to see, touch, feel, and try items, while 18 percent simply “enjoy the in-store experience,” according to Retail Dive.
To keep that ever-important market share, decorate your business for the holidays. It will entice customers to frequent your business. In fact, in an experiment at six Golden Corral restaurants, the chain saw an average five percent increase in sales during the holiday season when they hung up lights.
Even if you’re not selling a physical product, hanging decorations in and around your office adds life to your business. It creates a warm, inviting atmosphere that helps foster a personal connection with your potential clients.
Bring cheer to clients, customers, and staff alike — and boost your potential for sales — with these indoor and outdoor decorating tips.
Start with a Theme
Keep things professional — and avoid a confusing mishmash of decorations—by sticking to a cohesive decorating theme. These are some easy classics:
- Snowy: Include everything from snowflakes to snowmen.
- Traditional: Stick to the red-and-green decor.
- Glitzy: Add lots of sparkles, glitter, and twinkle lights.
- Vintage: Evoke nostalgia with old-fashioned decorations.
- Playful: Set the stage for Santa and his elves — and don’t forget the toys.
Head Outdoors
If you have a roof, sidewalk, or lawn space, attract attention to your business with outdoor decorations. The outdoor decor has become showier in recent years, and a flashy display draws in customers who might have otherwise looked over your business. Holiday projectors and spotlights can shine everything from stars to holiday greetings across the front of your business. A pair of potted-lit Christmas trees look great flanking your doors. Tall nutcrackers or holiday soldiers can guard the entrance. A waving Santa or polar bear inflatable might just draw the attention you’re seeking for your business.
Welcome Customers with a Wreath
Use wreath hooks or suction cups on exterior doors, windows, or walls to display wreaths. Choose a prelit and predecorated wreath, or purchase a plain one and customize it yourself to match your decorating theme. Swap your regular doormats for festive, holiday-themed ones.
Set the Scene
A store window, lobby, or waiting area is the perfect space to set up a holiday scene. Shop for big, showy outdoor decor — even if you plan to use it inside. For instance, you can plug in an LED Santa or snowman to light up a corner of the office or create “snow” with cotton batting and nestle in a few beautifully lit reindeer. You may also decorate chandelier for Christmas by decorating it with festive ornaments or hanging a wreath from the center. Don’t forget to line your windows with strings of Christmas lights or prelit garlands to complete the scene.
Trim the Tree
Use a Christmas tree as a festive way to hand out coupons and swag or display some of your smaller merchandise. If you purchase an artificial tree from somewhere like Decorator’s Warehouse, you can reuse it year after year. (Plus, there are no shedding needles.) Decorate the tree according to your theme — and don’t forget to add a few ornaments that feature your logo. Encourage clients and customers to pick out items from the tree whenever they visit your business.
Build Toward the Next Holiday
Think of your decorations as investments toward future years. You can add to your theme each year without starting over if you use good-quality storage containers. Choose sturdy canvas or plastic containers with sealable lids to keep out dirt and pests. Specially designed containers allow trees and wreaths to keep their shape and will safely hold your themed decor for years to come so that you can re-create the magic (and the sales figures) when the next Christmas rolls around.
About the Author:
Lea Schneider is a small-business owner and professional organizer who understands what it takes to attract clients. She provides tips on how to draw customers into a business around the holidays with outdoor Christmas decorations. To find some fun ideas and outdoor decoration options, visit The Home Depot.
nice article. thanks for sharing tips for Christmas tree decoration.
My child asked me if the shops in our town will add some lighting when Christmas rolls in because she wants to get some ideas on what we should put up in our home to make it look as pretty as theirs. It’s true that putting up holiday decorations will entice customers to come into their shops, and I’ve been curious if it’s a good idea for them to buy new decor every year. If I was a store owner, I think I’ll hire someone to do this while we rent decor from them, so in case I come across such a business, I’ll ask them so my daughter will get some ideas on what she should put up for this year’s decor in our lawn.