Twinkly lights, stockings, and wreaths are, without a doubt, classic holiday must-haves! But if you run a small business, you know there’s one thing that can take your holiday game to the next level: functional signage. You’ve come to the right place where we offer not only creative solutions, but also ideas you can use for your holiday makeover right away.
In this article, we’ve curated the ultimate list of Christmas signage ideas to give your storefront that extra festive flair inside and out. Plus, we’ll show you how to extend the holiday magic by taking your signage online and share the best Christmas signage practices to ensure your signs are a guaranteed hit this holiday season.
Indoor Christmas signage ideas
1. Add a holiday touch to your window display
As the holiday season approaches, it’s time to give your storefront window display a festive makeover. Whether you’re showcasing great gifts, hanging snowflakes, or decking it out with a rainbow of Christmas trees, let’s take it a step further this year!
Winter holidays window display at Selfridges via Retail Focus
Here are a few design ideas for your Christmas posters:
- A lively scene of Santa and his elves busy at work
- Glistening snowflakes, winter animals, and a cozy cabin adorned with holiday lights
- Favorite Christmas carol lyrics
- Vintage ornaments, nostalgic typography, and old-fashioned holiday greetings
- Holly, mistletoe, poinsettias, and other festive botanical elements
- A multicultural design featuring international holiday traditions and symbol
2. Communicate seasonal happenings
Are you planning on hosting a holiday sale or festive event? Let customers know what they can look forward to with posters hung throughout your store and flyers tucked into every shopping bag. A poster decked out with seasonal elements (like snowflakes, holiday trees or string lights) will instantly add a holiday feel to any wall in your store – and get customers excited about what’s to come.
3. Promote your seasonal specials
Even if you aren’t hosting any events this holiday season, there will definitely be seasonal specials you want to promote. So, why not make it a part of your Christmas signage?
Promote your holiday deals, discounts, or limited-time offers with eye-catching signs placed strategically throughout your store.
Vistaprint Tip
To make your seasonal offerings even more eye-catching, tie them to the current situation just like Lifestyle did in 2020 amid the Coronavirus breakout.
Lifestyle’s Christmas signage announcing changes due to Covid restrictions via Lifestyle
4. Build a festive photo booth
A well-designed and eye-catching festive photo booth instantly grabs the attention of passersby, drawing them towards your business. It also encourages customers to take fun pictures and share them on their social media accounts, effectively promoting your brand to a wider audience. Finally, it helps to strengthen your customers’ connection with your brand as you create a memorable experience for them.
Photo Booth & Oh-so-fun Christmas signage at Target via Pinterest
Vistaprint Tip
Add your branding elements to the photo booth and the props you leave there to get more brand recognition and raise brand awareness once your visitors share their festive pictures on their socials.
5. Do a Christmas countdown
If you’re aiming to infuse your space with festive spirit and create a jolly atmosphere, we’ve got the perfect Christmas signage idea for you — a delightful countdown to Christmas!
Christmas signage counting down to Christmas at The Otter via Facebook
It builds excitement and anticipation among your customers, turning each passing day into a magical journey toward the big celebration, encourages repeat visitors, and can provide you with content for your business’s social media pages. This means more foot traffic, increased opportunities for sales, and increased brand awareness!
To make your holiday signage even more of a customer magnet, reveal daily surprises or offers as each day passes. The “twelve days of Christmas,” with a spin, if you will.
Vistaprint Tip
Ensure the countdown Christmas signage is prominently displayed and designed to capture attention. Use vibrant colors, festive fonts, and captivating graphics to make it a visual delight.
6. Help your shoppers with a holiday gift guide
Christmas signage announcing colorfully curated holiday gifts
Holiday shopping can sometimes feel like navigating a winter wonderland maze, but with your helpful gift guide signage, customers can breeze through the aisles with ease. The clear and organized sections will guide them directly to the perfect presents for their loved ones — “Gifts for Him,” “Gifts for Her,” and “Gifts for Kids.”
7. Direct customers to the gift wrapping station
When it comes to holiday-themed indoor directional signs, creativity knows no bounds! To add a festive touch and guide your customers through the winter wonderland your space becomes during the holiday season, consider using these materials:
- Hang holiday-themed fabric banners or vinyl banners with cheerful designs and vibrant colors.
- Craft wooden signs shaped like ornaments and paint them with festive colors and patterns.
- Decorate mini Christmas trees with ornaments and lights, and place them strategically to guide shoppers through your store.
- Create whimsical North Pole signposts using pole banners.
- Add a playful touch by placing stickers of reindeer footprints on the floor, leading the way to the gift wrapping station.
Holiday-themed in-store directional signs via Front Signs
8. Gamify the process with an interactive Christmas signage
With an interactive Christmas signage approach, you can transform ordinary shopping into an exciting and memorable adventure.
Here are some delightful ideas to bring the holiday spirit to life:
- Scratch-off promotions: Who doesn’t love a surprise? Create posters or cards with scratch-off elements, revealing special discounts, secret codes, or festive messages. Customers will enjoy the thrill of uncovering hidden surprises as they engage with your interactive signage.
- Augmented Reality (AR) experiences: Embrace cutting-edge technology by incorporating augmented reality into your Christmas signage. Invite customers to use their smartphones or tablets to unlock virtual surprises, playful characters, or holiday-themed games that dance into reality.
- Interactive QR codes: Add QR codes to your Christmas signage, leading customers to online games, holiday-themed videos, or exclusive deals. This interactive twist brings an extra layer of engagement to your signage.
Vistaprint Tip
You can print out QR code stickers and place them on your signs or posters.
9. Hang up a festive poster on the door to wish your customers a jolly Christmas
Running short on time and budget but still want to give your business space a merry holiday makeover? Embrace the charm of easy door posters that bring the festive spirit to life without breaking the bank.
Examples of Christmas signage to spread the joy of the holiday season viaFront Signs
Outdoor Christmas signage ideas
10. Set up a sidewalk sign
When it comes to spreading holiday cheer and capturing the attention of bustling holiday shoppers, the classic sidewalk sign emerges as a true Christmas signage champion. It’s a time-honored tradition embraced all over the world, and there’s no mystery why — it simply works wonders!
11. Put up Christmas sale banners
When the holiday season arrives, ’tis the season for merry shopping and festive celebrations! And what better way to catch the attention of eager shoppers than with eye-catching Christmas sale banners adorning the exterior of your business? These vibrant banners act as festive beacons, drawing in customers with irresistible holiday deals and spreading the joy of the season far and wide.
An example of a Christmas special sale sign
The best thing? You can opt for a creative Christmas banner and come up with a funky phrase to announce your holiday sale. For example…
- “Jingle All the Way to Savings!”
- “Unwrap the Joy of Discounts!”
- “Sleigh the Season with Our Holiday Sales!”
- “Merry & Bright Deals Inside!”
- “Holly Jolly Savings Await!”
12. Tell customers when to shop with holiday hours signage
Details make all the difference – even with something as simple as holiday hours signage. Many businesses adjust their hours during the busy holiday season, so if you’re planning to stay open late on Fridays or offer private shopping on weekday mornings, order an updated sign to display your operating hours.
13. Install festive directional signage
In the bustling excitement of the holiday season, ensuring your customers have a smooth and joyful shopping experience is paramount. While we’ve already explored the beauty of directional signs indoors, don’t let the holiday magic stop there! Extend the enchantment by guiding visitors through every step of their journey from the moment they spot your store in the distance.
Embrace the power of directional signage to keep the holiday cheer flowing and shoppers in line, making navigation a breeze. Whether it’s the delightful floor decals inside your store or the festive A-frame sign on your sidewalk, directional signage plays a pivotal role in creating a seamless and delightful shopping experience for all.
14. Welcome Christmas carolers
The holiday season is a time of coming together, spreading joy, and giving back to the community. As businesses bask in the festive spirit, there’s no better way to embrace the true essence of the holidays than by welcoming Christmas carolers with open arms. Let your outdoor Christmas signage extend a warm invitation to these merry troubadours strolling down the street, and watch the magic unfold.
Vistaprint Tip
In the spirit of giving, consider providing goodies or small gifts to the carolers as they serenade your business. This gesture not only adds to the holiday cheer but also showcases your commitment to supporting and enriching the local community during this special time of the year.
Bonus ideas: Take your signage to your online channels
In today’s digital age, the rise of phygital experiences has revolutionized the way businesses engage with their audience. As the demand for seamless online and offline integration grows, it’s essential for businesses to expand their online presence creatively.
Embrace the power of your Christmas signage by taking it beyond your physical storefront and into the virtual realm.
Make your Christmas signage a star of your social media publications
Your Christmas signage deserves more than just physical visibility—it’s too good not to shine in the online world as well! So, why not elevate its stardom by showcasing it in the spotlight of your social media accounts? Let your fantastic signage captivate both your in-store customers and your online audience, spreading the festive cheer far and wide.
Here are a few ideas that will help your Christmas signage shine bright on your business socials:
- Create heartwarming stories related to your Christmas signage, showcasing how it brings joy and happiness to your customers and employees.
- Feature customer testimonials or reviews in front of your Christmas signage. Share heartwarming stories of how your products or services brought joy to their holiday celebrations.
- Utilize interactive features on social media platforms like Instagram Stories to showcase your Christmas signage. Use polls, quizzes, and stickers to engage your audience and gather feedback.
Show behind the scenes of your store’s Christmas signage creation process
There’s something captivating about the magic that unfolds behind the scenes, and your audience would love to be a part of it! Take them on an enchanting journey by offering glimpses of how you designed and brought your Christmas signage to life.
For maximum engagement, you can invite your audience to participate in the process by asking for their input or opinions on certain design elements. Conduct polls or Q&A sessions about color choices, holiday motifs, or message wording.
Tap into the power of UGC: Run a social media contest encouraging your store visitors to publish photos of your Christmas signage
Encourage customers to take photos in front of your Christmas signage and share them on social media using a specific hashtag. Host a festive photo contest and offer exciting prizes for the most creative, heartwarming, or humorous pictures.
Once the contest ends, announce the winners with fanfare! Feature their winning photos on your social media platforms, blog, or even display them in-store. This acknowledgment not only brings joy to the winners but also showcases your commitment to appreciating and celebrating your customers.
Christmas signage best practices
Go all out during the holiday season
In the world of holiday marketing, more is truly merrier! Don’t restrict yourself to just one type of sign; instead, adorn both your indoor and outdoor spaces with festive signage.
Explore the wide variety of Christmas signage ideas and don’t be afraid to mix and match various styles and designs. Play with different shapes, colors, and themes to create a visually captivating atmosphere that entices customers and evokes holiday joy.
Make sure to stay on brand
While embracing the festive flair, maintain consistency with your brand identity. Integrate your company’s logo, colors, and messaging into the Christmas signage, ensuring a harmonious connection between the holiday spirit and your business’s unique personality.
Double-check your signs are in the top-notch shape
Examine your Christmas signage with a discerning eye. Is it time to replace faded prints or worn materials? Keep your signage looking fresh and inviting by updating it if needed. A vibrant and well-maintained display enhances the overall shopping experience and encourages customers to explore the magic you have to offer.
If you have outdoor Christmas signage, consider using weather-resistant materials to withstand the seasonal elements. Wind, rain, and snow can take a toll on signage, so opt for durable materials that ensure your messaging remains intact throughout the holiday season.
Add a pinch of humor to your Christmas signs
Humor is always a good idea, especially during the holiday season. By adding a pinch of humor to your Christmas signage, your business will…
- Capture attention of the visitors
- Evoke positive emotions
- Create a memorable experience
- Effectively build your brand personality
- Drive social media engagement
There are lots of different ways you can incorporate humor into your Christmas signage. For instance, you can…
Craft witty and playful messages that evoke laughter and resonate with your audience. Use puns, clever wordplay, or seasonal jokes that showcase your brand’s personality while capturing the holiday spirit.
- “De-light-ful Decorations: Brighten Up Your Home!” for a business that offers lighting solutions
- “Un-fur-gettable Christmas Toys for Your Pawesome Pal!” for a pet store
- “Jingle All the Way: Accessorize with Sparkle and Shine!” for a clothing and accessories store
Complement your humorous messaging with delightful visuals that evoke laughter at first glance. Incorporate quirky illustrations, amusing caricatures, or unexpected twists on traditional holiday elements.
Vistaprint Tip
While humor can be a delightful addition to your Christmas signage, always consider your audience and the context in which you are using humor. Avoid jokes or content that may be potentially offensive or exclude certain groups. The goal is to bring smiles and joy to all customers, making them feel welcome and appreciated.
From twinkly lights to snazzy print ideas, functional signage can transform your storefront into a captivating wonderland all year round. With our ultimate guide to creative signage, you’re well-equipped to leave a lasting impression on your customers. So, unleash your creativity and make your business stand out with show-stopping signs that draw in crowds and boost your brand.
