Will altering the colour of your shop increase its bottom line?

We have a guest writer posting today. John Goodman is a manager at Zeeba Books as well as a budding filmmaker. He shares his thoughts on colour and its effects on business.

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Colour your online and/or book world.

There are many theories concerning colour and how it affects the world and individuals. Conclusions may vary but the general consensus seems to be that colour matters and not only to people. For example, it has been demonstrated that the taste and vitamin content of a vegetable can be influence by the colour chosen for the plastic sheeting hanging above or below the plant. But more importantly, how does colour affect the book business? Your business? Perhaps drastically.

From a marketing perspective advertisements and words in print can be made more or less affective based solely on colour choice. This is hardly revolutionary but surprisingly easy enough to skip over when trying to decide on a particular palette scheme for that half page you’re thinking of purchasing in the upcoming town quarterly. The research is ongoing but certain statistics and theories seem to be convincing enough to at least consider. This detailed web site is worth a glance or two to help you with colour choice and your presence online. It would be sad to lose a potential customer solely because they didn’t like how you painted your virtual welcome mat.

Or your physical one. Aside from grabbing and keeping the attention of a passerby (online or not) it is important to address how they feel, whether consciously or not, once they step through your door. Perhaps it is best to approach this as if successfully scoring a film. You wouldn’t want your viewer commenting on the music of your Oscar winner while watching the film, even if it is a particularly well written piece, because that would require the viewer stepping out of the world in which they have become engulfed. Subtlety is key. What is the first thing that greets a customer as they enter your store? Will the colour they see encourage them to take their time and look around or to sprint down the isles? The more laid-back the clientele the more likely they are to notice something they may not have had they been on edge or in a rush. Do you offer coffee and biscuits? A relaxed individual may be slightly more inclined to purchase one and sit down with a book that seems interesting (the counter affects of the caffeine in the coffee are currently moot). The possible financial benefits aside, the result may be a customer that leaves your establishment feeling happier and maybe even healthier. That is definitely something to be proud of.

Burnt umber and cornflower yellow may comfort you and remind you of the days when your biggest worry was whether the rope on the tire swing would snap, but it may also influence the shady character in the self-help section to pocket Richard Carlson’s latest. Please, colour wisely.