Entrepreneurs often underestimate the power of a good sign. The principles that control the effectiveness of online and print ads also governs how useful modern signage can be for any business, even one that is run out of someone’s car or truck. While updating the public-facing image of a brick-and-mortar business can involve considerable expense, the advantage such an image gives a company can more than offset that expense over time.
In fact, that advantage can advance the entire company’s position in the marketplace, if you can avoid making any obvious mistakes. Amortized over the life of the signage, the actual expense often doesn’t present much of a burden to the company at all. Here are some other advantages of having new signage to help promote your business.
Forward Motion
A company that looks like it is active and vibrant is a company likelier to attract new customers. Signs that are broken-down, dingy or look like they haven’t been updated in some time send a signal to your potential customers, and it isn’t a good one.
Customers are attracted by new things. A company that is moving forward, updating its image and getting ready for new business is likely to arouse curiosity in the people who see new signs and a new image. New customers are rarely a bad thing for your business. Take advantage of this phenomenon when you can.
Visibility
If your company can take advantage of a few simple principles, your new sign can serve to make your business more visible. For example, you should utilize color theory. Have you ever noticed every fast food company uses red and yellow in their outdoor signage? Ever wondered why? That’s color theory in action.
White on a cardinal color is one of the most effective contrast combinations. Signs that are at eye-level are more likely to get noticed for the same reason candy at a child’s eye level in a grocery store is. Use these principles to make your signs visible and your business will be visible as well.
Photography
A dramatic photograph can change everything. Just ask the average Instagram user. When it comes to your company, your sign could be the star of the shot, provided it is already effective in-person. Once you have the right image for your store or building, you can amplify its effectiveness by using it in a photo campaign. In a world where we are carrying portable television stations in our pockets, getting your new sign in front of new customers is more affordable than ever before. This is definitely something you could use for your benefit, even if you are only serving local customers.
Repeat Business
Signage eventually becomes a brand, especially if your company knows the rules of advertising. It generally takes seven reminders to get a customer to buy, but once they decide they like your product, that sign you spent so much time on becomes a beacon to those customers to return to the experience they enjoyed so much the first time.
It’s not necessary to start out trying to create a brand. All you have to do is make your customers happy and they’ll do it for you.
The good news about signage is you have all the opportunity you need to experiment. Try different things. Use color theory and eye-level positioning to get the best results. Once you find something that works, you’re likely way ahead of your competition already.
