Business signage is often thought of as a stepchild to a business. Something that needs to be there but overlooked with other more important items taking the lead. A good sign can produce so much more than just a visual reference to your location. It has proven to improve ROI with the right design.
The purpose of a sign is to navigate, identify and advertise a business. They are used in location management, public awareness and are useful in forming a brand identity. When considering business signage for the outside of your building, signs should be large enough to be visible from the street but small enough to not distract drivers.
Our society is accustomed to relying on a visual description in order to fully comprehend what’s being presented. Just think of those infographics that are becoming popular with social media posts. These images lay out information differently than just putting words on a page. The biggest reason these have been so effective is because the brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text. This is beneficial to business owners and their sign designs.
There is a significant difference between indoor and outdoor signage. For our purposes we will focus on the costs associated with outdoor signage (since that’s what Plumb Signs excels in doing!). Outdoor signage is everything that is located on or around a building to signify the location and services offered from the business.
Costs
Enough of the fluff? How much does signage cost?? While we wish there was a simple answer to that question, we can advise that it is more than you originally thought. Most small business owners experience sticker shock when first shopping around for business signage. Why? Being realistic, they don’t consider all the ins and outs of a custom sign. Sure, there are stock signage options but that won’t help your business stand out against competitors.
Consider starting a business. Where do you start? First, maybe you pick a location and factor the rental or ownership costs. Second, you’ll need to apply for licenses and/or permits to operate out of that location. Third, you’ll need to purchase equipment to produce the products or services you want to offer. This is a very elementary way of explaining the process of beginning an entrepreneurship or franchise location. It is also similar to the process of shopping for a sign.
In regards to a sign, first you want to find the sign company (you found our blog, check out our signage services!). Second you’ll want to request a consultation which includes a site survey to figure out placement of the sign. Third you will review the quote which may or may not include removal of a previous sign, shipping charges, material costs and permit fees. Each of these add up quickly and are not all of the charges that can be added to the final cost of your sign.
What to consider
When shopping for signs you’ll want to take into consideration these important factors of creating the perfect custom sign:
(1) Tips for Buying Business Signs. Mie-Yun Lee. January 20, 2002. Retrieved April 28, 2015. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/48404
(2) How to order a custom sign with infographic. Lisa. March 16, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015. http://sign-depot.on.ca/how-to-order-a-custom-sign-with-infographic/