Trade Show Booth Displays That Make Customers Buy

Published April 14, 2008

Discover how to create craft or trade show booth displays that motivate your customers to buy.

When you're designing your display you need to convey a clear image to your potential customers. You'll do well if you:

  • Determine the one most important message that will compel your customer to walk into your booth. 
  • Communicate that one, single message in a way that is striking and clear. 
  • Determine whether your booth conveys that message or confuses your customers. 
  • Remember that focus is key. If you try please everyone, you will please no one.

Here are some examples:

Customers' Motivation to Buy - Stress Relief

If you make handmade aromatherapy soaps and bath products, and your customers buy them because they provide stress relief, then creating a booth that conveys a soothing, spa-like atmosphere will connect with your customers.

An art or trade show booth display filled with whites and muted colors and soft lighting will help convey the concept of stress relief at a glance.

If you tried to sell relaxation products from a display booth painted in jarring primary colors, you'd confuse shoppers, and you wouldn't draw the right people to your booth.

Customers' Motivation to Buy - Emotional Satisfaction

Similarly, if you make handmade organic soaps and bath products, and your customers buy for the emotional satisfaction of being earth friendly, a booth that conveys an all-natural feeling will connect with your customers.

A display booth in earth tones and made of natural materials will help to convey that concept at a glance.

A booth with displays made from plastic, however, is not going to convey an earth friendly, all-natural image, and, again will confuse shoppers and won't draw in the right customers.

Stay Focused and Consistent With Your Image

Once you determine why your customers buy your products and what type of image reflects your customers' motivating factors, creating your display booth becomes easier. You'll simply focus on that image and motivating factor, and with each decision you make about your booth design, ask yourself whether that choice fits with the image and message you want to reflect.

You wouldn't paint your booth bubble gum pink if your customers expected a masculine or sophisticated image, and you wouldn't use glass or metal shelves if your customers expected a warm, earthy image.

Choose a single image to portray in your craft and trade show booth display, and ensure that image communicates something compelling to your ideal customer.

More Craft Display Ideas

  • Craft show success hinges, in part, on bringing customers into your booth. Here are 9 strategies to entice customers into your booth.

    Craft Show Success

    Craft show success hinges, in part, on bringing customers into your booth. Here are 9 strategies to entice customers into your booth.

  • Find craft show display ideas with three free and easy ways to find great booth photos that will give you inspiration to create your own great displays.

    Craft Show Display Ideas

    Find craft show display ideas with three free and easy ways to find great booth photos that will give you inspiration to create your own great displays.

  • These craft show success secrets will help you use effective merchandising strategies to make the sale at your next craft show.

    Craft Show Success Secrets - Merchandising

    These craft show success secrets will help you use effective merchandising strategies to make the sale at your next craft show.

Readers Share Their Craft Booth Tips

Click below to see what other craft professionals have said about creating a great craft show display...

How to Attract Customers 
Following is a collection of craft booth ideas and tips from readers about how to design a craft booth that attracts customers. Know Your Audience …

Craft Show Display Booth Ideas 
Here are some quick tips based on my experiences helping my wife with her craft show displays. We were looking to make some displays for her first few …

Lisa McGrimmon

Hi, I'm Lisa, the creator of Craft Professional. I create and share printable coloring pages, calendars, and simple creative resources for kids, adults, teachers, and busy families. Learn more about the site and the person behind it.