Your signage is one of your businesses’ best marketing and advertising tools. A good sign will attract customers by being easily readable, clearly visible, and conveying just the right message.
We’ve put together a shortlist of elements to consider when choosing your next sign.
The Design
The design of your sign needs to attract new customers while retaining the old ones. Designing a sign on your own can be difficult without proper training. That’s why hiring a custom sign designer is always a good idea. You might know what you like, but a designer understands what is and is not attractive to the general population.
A good designer combines your overall business theme with color, font, and many other elements, to provide a clean, modern, and attractive design for your sign.
Be Consistent With Your Brand
Your brand is what sets you apart from your competition, and so your sign must match the other branding elements of your business. Be consistent with color, style, and themes across marketing and advertising materials.
If your business’s tone is light-hearted, or professional, or serious, your sign should reflect that. Consistency shows that you understand the market and creates your unique identity and feel your customers will recognize.
Choose Your Colors
Most of your customers are visually oriented. Colors create an instant subconscious impression that will impact the appeal of your business. The specific colors you choose gives your customers a clue to how they should feel when they think about your business.
While there are no hard rules, it’s good to keep in mind certain colors are generally associated with different emotions. Warm colors such as reds and oranges tend to elicit more aggressive emotions, while cool blues and greens are more calming. Warm colors, for example, can increase appetite, while cool colors can suppress it.
Similarly, heavy color contrast will stand out more, while similar colors create a sense of harmony and calm. Think about what emotions you want your customers to feel when they think about your business.
Brand Personality
While branding your sign with the company name is standard, it is by no means the only elements you can incorporate. Your exterior sign is a chance to let your creativity and personality shine. As with colors, different elements such as pictures, messages, or logos will trigger instantly emotions and convey a lot of information about your company.
A cartoon animal printed on the sign of a child-care center instantly elicits certain emotions.. A personalized message such as “thank you for shopping” on your sign can further connect you with your customer.
Function
You might have a good design in mind, but determining what you want your sign to accomplish is an important consideration. Signs can perform more functions than just as a billboard to let people know you exist. They draw attention from people on the street, advertise special deals, and internal signs can act as salespeople for displaying merchandise and other useful information.
Location
You want your sign to be as visible as possible while respecting local regulations. If your business is set back from the road, consider a pylon or a monument sign to increase visibility.
Durability
Consider your cities weather and climate before choosing your sign. Factors such as extreme heat or cool, humidity, or strong winds may affect your signs life-span. Extra protection may increase costs so have that in mind before you buy.
The elements will wear down your sign over time, so consider installing an awning or canopy for increased protection.
The Type Of Sign
There are dozens of sign types available that suit a range of functions. Freestanding signs can be placed near roadsides or walkways to increase visibility, or building-mounted signs if you already have high visibility. Interior signs are for a variety of purposes from wayfinding to digital prints, etching, and menu boards.
Content On Your Sign
The words you choose to write are one of your signs’ most important elements. What do you want your customers to know when they read your sign? Signs can be as simple as just the company logo, or loaded with contact information, special offers, and personalized messages. Your decision should be based on an understanding of your clientele’s preferences.
Know The Regulations
Don’t make the mistake of choosing a sign only to find out it’s against regulations. Some places restrict the size, type, or location of signs, while others have rules around displaying up to date and correct information.
Make sure you put in the time to research your local restrictions to avoid issues later on.
Remember that business signs are much more than a display for your company’s name. It’s your number one sales tool and marketer. Choosing the right sign will change your business for the better.
Ready to get your new business sign? Contact National Neon Signs or visit our website today! Our experts will help you every step of the way from design to installation. We serve businesses across Canada with all of their signage needs.
