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% Newspaper Ads 7% Yellow Pages 6% Radio Commercial 2% Television Commercial 1% o Signtronix Surveys While lots of business owners think in terms of running email campaigns, web advertising and investing in optimizing there website, a well designed and well-placed sign will bring in a high or highest number of customers, especially for storefronts.  A sign requires and upfront investment, and then a small amount of power.  Any kind of web advertising or email campaign requires more follow-up campaigns to be effective adding up to far more than you would invest in a business sign.  Furthermore, your sign sells for you 24 hours a day, day in and day out.  You don't have to keep throwing your hard-earned dollar at it compared to any other form of advertising; with a sign, it's paid for! [caption id="attachment_3168" align="alignnone" width="296"] Neon Sign Attracts passers by and lots of customers.[/caption] Clearly two conclusions jump out: their signs were effectively speaking to potential customers and signs can be the most effective form of advertising for  independent business person.  This is another reason why not to scrimp on your business signs.  It would make the most sense to regard your sign as the foundation of your market strategy.  If budget is an issue, consider paring down your advertising budget and apply it to an investment of the best sign possible.