Signage FAQs | What type of signage is best for my business? | Signage News

This is a hard question to answer because there are so many variables.   What type of business do you have?  Are you a service, professional or retail business? Where are you located?  Are you in a storefront on ground level, in a freestanding building, an office complex, in a shopping center or strip center?  What are the landlord’s requirements or restrictions on size and type of allowable signage?  What does your city or village’s sign code allow you to have?  Does the sign need to be illuminated? What is your budget? Are you a franchise of a national chain? (They often have their own specific sign criteria.)  Get the idea?  It can be pretty overwhelming and complicated!

There are a couple of general “rules of thumb”.  If you are a retail business, you almost always want to have the biggest sign allowable.  The purpose of a sign is so that your potential customers can easily see you and know what you are, e.g. a restaurant, retail shop, dentist, bakery, etc.  Avoid “cute” signs that are hard to read. Avoid fussy logos, they’re great on business cards or on a website – but they usually make lousy signs. When it comes to signs, simple is almost always better!

In  the many years that we have been in business, we have never had a customer say “I wish that I had a smaller sign.”  However, we frequently hear the opposite.  Keep in mind that your sign is your business’s  most important permanent identification.  Many customers fail to budget for signage in their business plan — and then try to get a cheap sign.  Signage is critically important to the success of every business.  It should be part of your business plan and budget.  More important is that you should seek out the advice and services of a sign professional.  Someone who will work with you on the design of your entire sign package and be your partner in making sure that your business can be seen and looks great!