“Sign, sign. Everywhere a sign.”
This is a famous line from a hit song the Five Man Electrical Band released in 1971. If the songwriter thought there were a lot of signs 40 years ago, what would he think now? Every business has a sign. Business signs come in many shapes and sizes. There are indoor signs, outdoor signs, backlit signs, wayfinding signs, A-frame signs, rotating signs, highway signs, etc, etc, etc.
How many signs does your business have? Do you have enough? Are they effective? If you are going to the expense of producing a sign for your business, do it right to maximize its effectiveness.
When creating a sign, make sure it sends the right message to your customers and says what you do. For example, if your company name is Joe Smith and Sons, you’d better make sure the sign says what business you are in.
On the other end of the spectrum, a common mistake made is putting too much on a sign. Recently, we were discussing A-frame signs with a client and I took a drive around looking at what other businesses put on their roadside A-frames. Wow, one business listed nine or ten services on his 24″ x 36″ sign. I was travelling at 50kmh and only got to read the top two. What a waste of premium sign space.
It is important to step back and look at the factors that go into a successful sign. Who is going to read it, how long do they have to read it, what is the proper placement for the sign, how many other signs are you competing with, is it made to last and most importantly, is it getting the right message out.
Strategic thinking should go into every sign that you have for your company. The better you make your sign, the better it is for your business.