Wayfinding Signs For Hospitality and Retail

Have you ever been to a hotel, conference centre or large retail store and struggled to find your way around? If you have, you know how frustrating and time consuming it is to find the department, reception or place where you need to be. Chances are by the time you do end up reaching where you want to be you are irritated and left feeling less than impressed by the company you are visiting. This negative experience is not the kind of mindset you want your customers or visitors to be in. There is a really simple solution to avoid all of the stress and that can easily direct people to where they need to be quickly and easily. The answer is wayfinding signs. While they are useful in many industries, there are two key places where they are essential; the first is hospitality and the second is retail.

Wayfinding is a crucial part of your business and it offers so much more than simply providing directional signage. Whenever a customer enters a building, they will have to make an immediate decision. While many will have a good idea of where they need to be, wayfinding helps them navigate their way, particularly in complex buildings.

It helps people familiarise themselves with their surroundings and move from where they are to where they need to be. With the right signage in a hospitality setting, you will be able to better engage with visitors and provide an enhanced guest experience. Depending on the hospitality business you have, you can incorporate interactive and digital screens allowing you to better connect with guests through animations, motion graphics and touch screen technology. These wayfinding technologies can be placed in guest rooms, in a lobby, at the entrance and exit, in hallways or even conference facilities.

When guests arrive in your hotel, they may be tired from a long period of travel, rushed from a last minute business trip or ready to relax and unwind with friends or family. Whatever reason guests are visiting, they want their experience to be as seamless as possible. This starts with being able to easily navigate around the premises or complex. This can have a number of advantages such as:

• Directing guests to the right place
• Creating a great impression
• Showcasing all the business has to offer
• Providing entertainment
• Speeding up the check in process

In hospitality, it is the little things can contribute to the overall impression that guests have of the company. If they are made to feel at home, cared for, informed and safe, they will have a better overall experience.

Retail Wayfinding

Many of the benefits associated with wayfinding signs in hospitality is also true for retail too. One of the most obvious benefits is that good signage makes the customer experience much better. It makes stores easier to navigate, less confusing and more effective overall. Good wayfinding signage can deliver consistent messaging and create a sense of familiarity throughout the store.

Self Service

There are customers who like to self-serve when they visit a retail store. Effective in-store signage can help busy people navigate around the store as independently as possible. Customers won’t need to spend time finding a member of staff to ask them where a product is or where a department is. Many stores are using signage to replicate the online environment, where customers can buy a product without having to interact with anyone other than selecting their products and checking out.

Store Identity

Good wayfinding signs can improve store identity, values and personality. You can be as creative as you want to be with wayfinding signs, from traditional static signs through to elaborate digital signage. So long as the signs are easy to use and customers can use them to get from A to B quickly, the signs will be a success.

Merchandising and Staffing

Wayfinding sign printing is just one element which is part of the wider store design. Using signage can help you identify any layout issues and place your products more effectively to make the customer experience better. The installation of wayfinding signs can also free up staff from helping customers with directions or locating products so they can concentrate on other tasks, making more effective use of their time.

The introduction of wayfinding signs can completely transform the experience that guests, and customers have. Whether you run a hotel, a large office block or a retail store, wayfinding signs can bring multiple benefits. Your goal is to make a customer or guest experience as positive as possible and effective signage is just one small element that has a significant impact on how well guests access and navigate around your building.