Vinyl window decals are an excellent way to turn untapped window space into something creative and attention-grabbing.
With just a logo, business name, and a few key details, you can turn your boring storefront into an informative and alluring display. Take a closer look at why you should use vinyl window decals for your business.
WHAT ARE WINDOW DECALS?
One of the best ways to draw more attention to your business is by installing store window decals. Window decals are made of vinyl sheets with an adhesive backing layer. With our help, you can create a design, print it onto vinyl sheets and affix them to any glass surface. They’re perfect for storefronts, offices, and vehicles.
While the adhesive is strong enough to stand up to weather and temperature shifts, the decals are also relatively easy to remove. Their durability makes them an excellent option for permanent use. Window decals are also budget-friendly, making them a great option for temporary displays and seasonal advertisements. With the correct tools, removal won’t do any damage to your windows and you’ll be able to reapply new graphics immediately.
TYPES OF WINDOW DECALS FOR BUSINESS
When it comes to choosing the kind of window decal to use, you have a wealth of options. Vinyl is an easily customizable material, so you can achieve almost any design you want. From coverage to transparency to shape, you can tailor decals to suit your business’ branding and advertising needs.
Window decals come in several sizes:
1. WINDOW WRAPS OR FULL WINDOW DECALS
If you’re looking for full coverage, window wraps are sheets that apply to an entire window’s surface. You can order them to fit your desired dimensions and customize them with colors, graphics or text. Several types of window wrap are available:
- Transparent: If you want customers to be able to see through your windows but still want to apply a full wrap, you can order transparent varieties. Clear vinyl will allow you to create intricate designs without having to apply the individual pieces. You can customize them with letters and graphics in full color while the area around them remains fully see-through. For a more modern look, you can also order frosted vinyl. It can serve as a privacy barrier inside offices or as a decoration for storefront windows.
- Opaque: Window wraps are also available in opaque vinyl. Using an opaque wrap is perfect if you want to block out the sun, create private spaces, cover vehicle windows or even keep the inside of your store a mystery. It also allows you to turn your entire window space into a creative mural. For graphics and lettering that really pop, you can create an opaque wrap with a contrasting background color.
- Perforated: Even if you want to use your full window space, you can still allow customers and staff to see outside the store with perforated vinyl. Tiny holes throughout the wrap make it possible for those inside your store or vehicle to see out while preventing those outside it from seeing in. The perforations don’t affect the graphics, so passersby still get the full effect. One of the best applications for perforated wraps is covering the back windows of vehicles.
2. CONTOUR OR DIE-CUT DECALS
Many business owners choose to display their logo or name prominently on their store’s front windows. But not every owner wants to cover most or all of their window space, or create a squared-off design. Die-cut decals are vinyl stickers that take on the shape of the graphic, with no extra material. Shaping the vinyl to the graphic’s edges allows for clean lines without sacrificing any extra window space.
Die-cutting is perfect for logos and other solid graphics as well as for creating vinyl shapes. If your business’ logo has a distinctive shape or artistic design, applying it on a die-cut vinyl decal will accentuate it and make it stand out. You can also make the entire decal an interesting or eye-catching shape and print your logo on it without following the lines of the graphic itself. If you want to include a slight border but still have the vinyl edge follow the shape of the graphic, there is a subcategory of custom cut decals called the halo cut.
3. VINYL LETTERING
Window decals provide you with a cost-effective and stylish way to convey information to potential customers. But, to impress your audience and give them the details they need, you should have more than a logo on your storefront windows. Vinyl lettering is perfect for including important details about your business, such as the name, hours and contact information. It is a separate category from die-cut graphics specifically for letters and numbers.
If the name of your business is not a part of your logo, including it separately or positioning it near the graphic will help passersby associate it with your brand. Wherever you choose to include it, the name should be prominent and distinguishable from other text. Vinyl allows you to print letters individually or with predetermined kerning, so you can customize the spacing.
Lettering is also helpful for adding other information to storefront windows and doors. Businesses with consistent schedules typically post their weekly hours on a window decal. The information lets customers know when the store closes and when they can return to find it open. It’s also a great idea to include points of contact, such as your website, phone number and social media pages on a window. Not only is it convenient, but it can also encourage people to get more involved with your company.
You can also give customers an idea of what to expect through the information you share on a window decal. For example, one of the more popular bar and restaurant window decals is vinyl lettering. With lettering, you can add descriptive standalone words to your front glass that tell customers what you offer. Reveal what you serve with words like lunch, dinner, cocktails or wine. Add in activities like billiards or dancing to attract those looking for fun things to do.
INSIDE GLASS VS. OUTSIDE GLASS
Vinyl is so versatile, it allows you to customize everything from the dimensions of your decal to the color and detail. But you can also decide whether you want to apply the graphics to the interior or exterior surface.
The most significant difference between the two options is which side of the decal is adhesive. Outside glass is the more common of the two options. The vinyl decals apply like large stickers — the design faces front with the adhesive surface on the backside. Vinyl is a durable material and the adhesive is strong, so it will have a long life, even with exposure to the elements. Temperature changes and excessive sunlight can cause damage over time.
Inside glass decals are printed backward on the vinyl sheets. The adhesive side is the front of the decal, so you can apply it to the inside of a window with the graphic facing outward. Keeping the graphic indoors provides extra protection from the elements, which may help it last longer without needing replacement. The only restriction is that you won’t be able to use opaque or perforated wraps on the interior window. Also, if your window has any patterns or lines of metal running through it, they’ll overlap your graphics.
THE BENEFITS OF CUSTOM WINDOW DECALS
Your business can benefit greatly from customizing window decals for your storefront or company vehicles. Window decals fall under the umbrella of out-of-home (OOH) advertising, one of the most effective ways to grab people’s attention. The category includes anything from billboards to truck wraps. With relatively low costs and a high level of exposure, OOH has one of the top return on investment (ROI) ratings in the advertising industry.
Not only that, but it merges well with your business’ online presence. Of the people who view OOH ads, 58% conduct a web search as a result. Not only do OOH ads spread brand awareness, but they can also improve your website’s statistics.
Using custom window decals for your business can also help you:
1. INCREASE YOUR VISIBILITY
Window decals are an excellent way to make your storefront more visible. Whether you’re located in an indoor or outdoor mall, on a busy street or in a standalone building, your front window space is crucial. Not only does it provide customers with a preview of what products or services you’re offering, but it also serves as an advertising platform.
Applying your name, logo and other helpful details to the front glass puts your branding right in the center of customers’ line of vision. Signs posted at the top of stores are visible from a distance, but are typically high up and become completely out of view as you get closer. If customers are walking past on the sidewalk or mall walkway, they may not see your sign. Posting your name on the front window in bold vinyl lettering ensures people can see it, no matter how close or distant they are.
2. EXPAND YOUR AUDIENCE
Whether you apply them to your storefront or vehicle windows, vinyl decals can help your business gain more exposure. They’ll make your building stand out in a row of others. Creating a distinctive look using your open window space can make your business more attractive and even turn it into a landmark.
But the better chance for gaining a larger audience is on your vehicles. If you have company cars, delivery vans or maintenance trucks, vinyl window decals can turn them into moving advertisements. Your vehicles pass hundreds of people daily, and if you brand them with your name and logo, you’ll be introducing your business to everyone your employees pass.
By advertising with vehicle and storefront window decals, you’re also exposing your business to every local demographic. Targeted campaigns bring in the customers you’re aiming for, but mobile advertisements don’t have a specific demographic. Instead, they spread your brand to everyone within visual range and may bring in new customers or clients that aren’t a part of your target audience.
3. STAY WITHIN YOUR BUDGET
Adhesive vinyl is a relatively inexpensive form of signage that provides you with a lot of options. It’s completely customizable, takes a short amount of time to print and is simple to apply. With vinyl, you eliminate many labor-intensive steps that are part of making larger standalone or wall-mounted signs. You’ll be able to decorate your store or vehicle faster and at a lower cost.
But just because you aren’t spending a lot of money doesn’t mean there’s a shortage of quality. If you work with a reliable imaging company, you can create beautiful designs and print them in bold colors. Also, applying vinyl graphics to your company vehicles is an effective advertising method. Since the cost of the vinyl decals is low while they provide broad exposure, vehicle graphics have a high ROI. You’ll have the advantage of one of the lowest costs per view in the advertising industry.
4. NOTIFY CUSTOMERS OF SALES AND PROMOTIONS
Custom vinyl window decals and their adhesive backings are durable enough to stand the test of time. They’re great for permanent uses, like displaying the name of your business or its creative logo. But low cost and easy installation processes also make vinyl an excellent option for temporary uses, such as to advertise sales and promotions.
Most businesses have several short-term sales per year. For example, you can run a buy one, get one promotion if you’re trying to move out older stock. Or you can get festive and create sales surrounding major holidays, such as Christmas, New Years and Independence Day. There are also national shopping holidays — like Black Friday — to consider.
With well-designed commercial window decals, you can create a dynamic and engaging display to draw in customers. They help to create an artistic atmosphere, especially if you have holiday sales. For example, around Christmas, you can create vibrant sale ads with the traditional red, green, silver and gold colors and maybe even add festive images.
But vinyl is more than decorative. Since it’s easy to customize, you can add text to your displays to give customers details about your sale before they even step foot in the door. Draw in new customers by emphasizing the terms and conditions of your sale. For example, if you’re running a promotion where customers can buy one item and get another for 50% off of the original price, make “50%” larger and bolder than the rest of the details. It’s sure to turn heads.
CREATE CUSTOM WINDOW DECALS FOR YOUR BUSINESS WITH SPEEDPRO
Investing in window decals is an excellent way to get the most out of your storefront or company vehicles. But to ensure you get top-quality vinyl decals, you should work with a reliable large-format printing company.
SpeedPro will help you with all of your vinyl graphic needs. From the design stage to the final application, our teams of professionals will assist you through the process from start to finish. We’ll make sure you get exactly what you need while remaining within your budget. And with our high-grade materials and industry-leading printing, you won’t need to worry about replacements anytime soon. Our graphics stay bright and beautiful for years.
At SpeedPro, our team approaches every job and every client with a sense of urgency, working diligently to learn about client needs and produce a display graphic product that matches those requirements. To learn more about our products or request a free quote for your custom window decals, contact us today.