Hold a people’s choice vote for downtown holiday windows
Window display contests bring people downtown, but the judging is often a few board members on one evening walk. Add a photo of every entered storefront to a Rankd and share the link through your business association’s newsletter, social posts or a small sign in each window. Shoppers rank every window from their phones whenever they walk by. The winning shop gets a result card to post, and the full order shows which windows drew people in.
- Hartwell Books: paper snow village
- Main St. Bakery: gingerbread skyline
- The hardware store’s train layout
- Bloom Florist: the winter forest
- Two Rivers Toys: the moving elves
- The barbershop’s retro Santa scene
Free. Add your own options (these are just examples), then send one link to your group.
Why ranking beats a regular poll here
- Shoppers can rank whenever they walk by, not just on judging night.
- Ranking every window keeps one shop’s regulars from deciding the contest alone.
- Photos keep the vote fair to windows on quieter side streets.
How it works
- Add the question and 3 to 30 options
- Send one private link to the group
- Everyone ranks privately, in about a minute
- You reveal the winner
Tips
- Photograph windows at dusk with the display lit, and angle the camera to avoid streetlight glare.
- Use the business name plus the theme, so shoppers know which window is which.
- Set the reveal for after the busiest shopping weekend, so every window gets its foot traffic.
Questions
Can shop owners vote for their own window?
Anyone with the link can rank, but each person ranks every window, and one ranking is a small part of the total. A shop needs broad support from shoppers to win.
Can people see how I ranked?
No. Each person’s order stays private. Everyone sees the group’s final order and where they personally landed, never anyone else’s individual ranking.
Is it free? Does everyone need the app?
Rankd is free and runs in the browser, so there is nothing to download. Friends open the link from any group chat (iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack, email) and rank in about a minute.