Step 1. SIGNS YOU CAN’T AFFORD
Signage is often an afterthought for businesses. Many people buy the least expensive sign that they can get away with, waiting until their budget is nearly depleted before slapping something up. These are signs that you cannot afford. If you don’t believe that your new sign is going to pay for itself then you’re wasting your money.
A sign is often the only visible indicator that a business exists, so it should be the most noticeable physical feature of your building. The purpose of a sign is to attract new customers, brand your site in the minds of consumers, and create impulse sales.
Frenchy’s Bistro, a family-owned Southern California restaurant, opened in the mid-1990’s on a four-lane street with plenty of traffic. But after initial healthy growth, revenues leveled off at two hundred fifty thousand and wouldn’t budge. Though they attracted local clientele from their neighborhood, they were known as “that restaurant next to the paint store.” Poor signage meant that they weren’t generating any business from hungry passing motorists.
When a friend of theirs suggested that they invest in a better sign, they selected an internally illuminated V-shaped sign, and mounted it outside the building. Their result? Sales grew 16% in the first year, and 32% in the second. By the fourth year they needed to expand into adjacent space, and their business grew 322%, or over $823,000.
TIP # 1 Good signs are worth some time an money. Invest in signage that makes a positive impression on your marketplace. Your sign should be visible and worth noticing, reflective of your company’s look and feel, and easy for customers to recall.
Step 2. MARKETING 101
Signage should always be the first consideration in a marketing a promotion plan. Why? Consider this: since 1997, a group of 488 Southern California businesses collectively polled 7,200 first-time customers to learn how they found out about the businesses. The results:
Your signage should be your first consideration in your marketing and promotion plan. Why? Consider these facts: since 1997, a group of 488 Southern California businesses collectively polled their 7,200 first-time customers asking how they found out about them. Here are the results:
| Your Sign | 46% |
| Word of Mouth | 38% |
| Newpaper Ads | 7% |
| Yellow Pages | 6% |
| Radio Commercial | 2% |
| Television Commercial | 1 |
- Signtronix Survey, 2003
Two conclusions jump out immediately: their signs spoke effectively to potential customers, and signs are the most effective form of advertising for the small and independent business person.
TIP #2 Don’t be as concerned about how much you can save on a sign, but rather how you can bring in more paying customers.
Step 3. WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?
Your sign needs to be big enough to be seen by passing traffic, and should never be obscured by trees, lampposts, or other objects. It needs to be legible, and this includes both log and text. It should stand out from its background. Here’s a chart to keep in mind when selecting the size of your signage.
|
Speed of traffic |
Legibility Distance |
Size of Letters Needed (height) |
|
55 mph |
440’ |
12” |
|
50 mph |
400’ |
10” |
|
45 mph |
360’ |
9” |
|
40 mph |
320’ |
8” |
|
35 mph |
280’ |
6” |
|
30 mph |
240 |
4” |
|
25 mph |
200’ |
3” |
TIP #3 A sign has less than two seconds to capture a consumer’s attention.
The best signs offer simple and direct messages, highly visible letters, easy to read type styles, illumination, and contrasting colors. The most readable background colors are white and yellow. The most readable letters are black, dark blue, and red. Use of a border can help your viewer absorb your information 26% faster.
