Any short cut you take when you purchase your sign may reduce your upfront cost, but it will most likely reduce your sign’s effectiveness and thereby decrease your return. That short cut can cost you in lost revenue in the long run.
If you were going for a job interview, or wanted to impress a certain someone, would you get the cheapest haircut you could find? Would you be proud of the bargain clothes you were wearing? The answer is no because you intuitively know that a nice appearance would be worth the extra cost because of the return you would expect from your investment.
Back when I was taking college courses in economics, my professors would to love to say, “Any time you can spend $1.00 to make $2.00, do it.”
So here are the top reasons why signs will produce one of your best returns on your marketing dollar:
1) Get noticed. An effective sign can place you up front in visibility even if you are hidden from view. Real estate with high visibility to passers by goes for a premium. But an effective sign can give you that all-important exposure that brings in new customers. Plus—and we have all done it—people often remember an item that they need to pick up, reminded by the appropriate sign. That is why companies like IKEA, Best Buy and Staples always invest in the largest signs possible.
2) Unlike employees, signs sell for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And they never get sick, take breaks or have unproductive days. Potential customers are reminded of your presence and what you offer day after day. With an effective sign, it will be you they think of you when they need your product or service.
3) As effective and important as signs are to your marketing efforts, they are also the least expensive. Traditional advertising, print, radio and television, are expensive. Plus they have temporary impact. That is, use it today and then it’s gone. But a sign is paid for once, then it does its job year after year; it becomes a permanent asset.
According to the Small Business Administration, to reach 1,000 adults a sign costs as little as 5 cents. Meanwhile, newspaper advertising will cost an estimated $3.00 for the same exposure.
So instead of asking, “How much will my sign cost?” Be sure to ask, “How much will it pay?”
