Have you ever stumbled across a business and thought, wow, I never even knew this was here.  Or have you ever had someone come into your business and proclaim that they didn’t know you existed or that it was hard to find you?  That’s not good.  In fact, those are the last words you want to hear from your audience.

It’s pretty frustrating when you are told that a business you are looking for is right off the highway and you can’t find it.  You drive up and down the road, taking exit after exit and you still can’t find it.  Only to find it’s the big warehouse-looking business with a small little sign on their door – that isn’t even visible from their parking lot.  How annoyed are you?  Would you refer friends to that business?

If this warehouse business had a large sign on their roof or a large, illuminated pylon sign – you probably would have found the place a lot sooner and easier, right? Bottom line is the small signage and lack of adequate visible signage is hurting that business.

Consider these factors when wondering, “Is my sign hurting my business rather than helping it?”

Location

Location can truly be everything when it comes to your business signage. A strategically-placed sign provides superior visibility both from afar (think highway drivers) and from close proximity (think passersby on Main Street). When both aims can’t be accomplished by a single piece of signage, a more comprehensive signage approach combining a pylon sign with other forms of signage such as wayfinding and store front signs may be warranted. Potential obstacles – such as trees, telephone poles and signage for neighboring businesses, must also be taken into consideration when determining your sign location.

Size

Size matters in the case of signage for business. Ideally, your sign’s degree of readability will cater to both the nearsighted and farsighted segments of the population by being large enough to be read from distance yet simple and clear enough to be read from close-up. In general, bigger is better for business signage. Just be sure to work within your local zoning laws and secure approval for the maximum signage size your particular municipality allows.

Lighting

Don’t let darkness descend upon your business. Proper illumination can mean the difference between 12 and 24 hours of daily visibility for your outdoor business sign. Should you find your business in the dark, contact Forerunner Signs & Graphics to expertly perform the maintenance necessary to return illumination to your sign. Additionally, with the advent of LED as an increasingly affordable illumination alternative, a growing number of businesses are investing in an LED retrofit solution and reaping the returns. LED lighting provides a host of benefits ranging from reduced energy expenses to lower maintenance costs to better performance with regards to brightness. And modern timer systems enable you to control exactly when your lighting turns on and off.

Quality

Business signage represents an investment that can pay a return many times over when done right. For this reason, quality should not be compromised. High quality signage companies regularly fabricate a sign for a customer, implementing a manufacturing process that relies upon the highest-quality materials available. This ensures your business sign features the durability to last decades, as well as an exemption from most regular maintenance needs.

Wow Factor

Ultimately, many businesses will optimize the location, size, lighting and quality associated with their business signage. Where you can truly convert your brand into a more impactful statement, however, is by making your sign stand out from the crowd. A digital signage design sporting some pizazz will induce prospective customers to take notice. Refurbishing and illuminating a vintage sign, suspending your iconic company logo within the sky atop a pylon sign or installing an electronic message center complete with clever messaging represent just a few of the many ways your sign can become the talk of the town.

Once you implement a successful signage strategy, you won’t have to worry about people driving around…lost…trying to find your business.  In fact, you’ll probably hear, “I saw your sign and just had to stop in” could become the norm rather than the exception.

Don’t stay out of sight and out of potential customers’ minds.  The right signage can help you stay in sight and at the forefront of your target audience.  If you have a business that is off the beaten path and are needing assistance in drawing customers in – contact Forerunner Signs & Graphics today!

Michael Ryan