How To Make The Most Of Your Business's Signage
Advertisements come and go, but for a local business, the holy grail of exposure is a permanent sign. If you're lucky enough to secure permission from the local authorities to put one up, make sure you're not missing out—this is a huge opportunity for your business, so you need to make sure you get it right. There are a few key questions you should ask yourself before you send your final design off to the manufacturers.
Where will our sign be displayed, and what are the implications of that?
Chances are, every business owner has spent some time thinking about their target market and how best to reach out to them. Different demographics are more or less likely to be in different places, so it's well worth considering who your sign will be seen by. A sign in an urban train station will be seen by everyone—but particularly by commuters, who are more than likely to be professionals between the ages of 25 and 50. A sign on the corner of a classy shopping street will be seen by a different group of people than a sign near a children's play park.
Does this design tie in with my business's image and branding?
Very few people walk past an advertisement, think it looks interesting and immediately change their plans to go straight there. Temporary adverts might exist mostly to promote a single event or special offer, but with longer-lasting signage your primary aim is to keep your establishment in the minds of the people who see it. This is much more effective if your business has a consistent brand identity; a logo, colour scheme, typeface and general design concept that is consistent throughout all your signage, flyers and advertising as well as on the storefront itself. After all, when someone walks past your building, you want them to know at a glance that it's the one they've seen promoted.
Is all the text on the sign carefully thought out and properly proofread?
Don't fall into the trap of spending a huge chunk of your budget on a sign only to discover you made a mistake in your text. Find someone whose spelling and grammar is known to be good and ask them to proofread every last word for you—a misplaced apostrophe can put off potential customers and damage your business's reputation in the community. The last thing you want is for your beautiful new sign to become a laughing stock!
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