Do Your Door Hangers Pass the ”˜Pause’ Test?

Door hanger marketing is a boon to small businesses on tight budgets. Door hangers are incredibly cheap to print and distribute – they are among the cheapest printing jobs you can order, and distribution is free if you do it yourself or recruit a team of volunteers to help. But simply printing and distributing door hangers alone won't net the sales you crave. You have to have compelling copy that reveals an offer customers can't refuse. But first, you have to print door hangers that pass the “pause” test. The following lists the elements necessary to print door hangers that get noticed and earn profits.

What is the door hanger “pause” test? The door hanger “pause” test attempts to identify whether potential customers will be compelled to take a closer look at your door hangers. Imagine yourself as the customer: You arrive home after a day of work, thinking about what you're going to have for supper and all the things you have to accomplish in the evening, and as you reach for your keys you notice a door hanger hanging on your knob. Do you grab it without hesitation and toss it in the trash, or do you take it off the door and read what it says? In short, does the door hanger cause you to pause long enough to consider the offer? If it does, the door hanger passes the “pause” test. Read on for tips on how to develop door hangers that pass the “pause” test.

Attention-commanding design First and foremost, an attention-getting design is absolutely critical to earning a closer look from potential customers. Your target customer base will dictate what is most attention-getting; but some general options that have proven successful include odd or humorous images, bright, contrasting colors, and symbols that are relevant to your customers. Large product images are excellent, too, so long as your target customers are already interested in buying the products you sell. Make sure you print your door hangers on premium paper stocks to bring out the best in your design.

Compelling copy Once your door hanger design has your customers' interest, you can reel them in with compelling copy. Large headlines that reveal your offer or key benefits can help draw customers in. Your offer should be time-limited and good enough that your customers won't want to pass it up, yet still turn a profit for you. A list of the major benefits of buying from you are integral to creating desire. A call to action that makes it clear what customers should do next is essential to encourage the next step in the purchasing process.

Coupons and coupon codes Draw attention to coupons with large perforation or cut-out borders, oversized dollar signs and numbers or percentage-off statements, and terms such as “coupon,” “sale” or “save.” This will reinforce the idea that customers should take advantage of your special offer right away to receive the benefits of your product or service at the best possible price. The human eye is drawn to money statements such as these, and so they will go a long way toward helping customers register your offer at a glance – and then take action on your offer.