Your store front signage is the most important piece of advertising you can invest for your business. First impressions can make or break your business and start with your logo and brand image. As you build your brand image you should focus on communicating to the average viewer. Know that assumptions will be made if they know nothing else about your business.
"A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well." Jeff Bezos
You will eventually come to the point where you need business signage. While we can caution you against cookie-cutter designs, the decision ultimately lies in your hands. The benefits a custom sign can bring to your business will have immeasurable value for your ROI.
If you’re a small business or franchise owner do you understand business signage terms? There’s more to signs than just putting some words on your building. We have created a sign glossary to help you understand some of the terms we will mention often during the consultation, estimating and sales processes.
As you familiarize yourself with these sign terms, keep in mind what type of sign you have or would like to see on your business front. If you are a franchise owner, you might have a leg up in the process with an established image the corporation you want to represent has built. Yet you are still responsible for purchasing the signage for the building you’re renting/leasing.
When searching for signage you will need to understand these 5 tips:
1) Placement. When thinking of placement for your sign you may have some regulations with local municipalities or your property manager. Be sure to check these things while in design as it may impact the location of the sign. If possible, test out several locations and ask customers for their opinions.
2) Visibility. Consider how visible you would like your sign to be. This could determine whether you go for a Pylon or Monument sign. There are many benefits to both types of signs, but these benefits can become hindered by your location of storefront. If your business is tucked away from a main street one of these will be more valuable to marketing your location.
3) Lighting. When your sign is non-illuminated your sign should still have illumination to it. Spotlights placed near the sign can provide the right type of lighting during the dark hours. This is also a great and potentially inexpensive alternative to an illuminated sign.
4) Competition. Scope the competition. This will give you leverage over them in knowing what they’re doing and how you can do it differently. When it comes to signage dare to be different! This involves creativity and a little imagination. Your competition can make or break your business so be sure to study them well!
5) Time. We can never reiterate enough: Signage for your business is an investment. This investment is a type of confidence appearance to your customers. You want it to withstand the length of your business and any weather conditions. Business owners should also keep in mind that a good sign takes time to design, permit, build and finally install. Don’t expect to call a sign company and get a new sign up next week. Typically the longest part of waiting for your sign is permits.
Be visually ahead of the curve with your signage by following these tips and understanding the signage terms! Your commitment to the signage process is encouragement for us to build the perfect sign. If you still need more information regarding the signage process check out the Small Business Buyer’s Guide. Although you need to give us information to get the guide, we can promise we will never sell or distribute your contact information to a third party. We use the information to gauge how well our website is doing, please leave us comments so we can continually improve!
