Creating A Sign For Your Business

Your business sign is not just there to let customers know where your company is. In many cases your sign is the first impression a potential client may have of your business, which makes it a very effective marketing tool if designed properly. In addition to your logo, business signs should reflect, clearly and simply, the ethos of your company. Here are some things to bear in mind when you are thinking about the design:

Work Out Your Message: With a sign, the marketing or branding message is all-important. It is this which tells your customers what kind of business you are – not just what you offer, but what makes you different from your competitors. Take time deciding on a message which is clear, concise and ties in with your marketing strategy. This is quite a skill, as your message needs to be conveyed in seconds.

Customer Base: Business signs should always be designed with the core demographic in mind. For example, if you run a shop selling clothes aimed at younger people the graphics you use need to reflect this. You sign needs to ‘speak’ to your target customer group. Make sure the graphic designer you are using understands the needs of this target group.

Bold Design: When it comes to the design of the sign itself, it needs to stand out in some way – even if you are going for a more subtle, classic feel. Some people make the mistake of believing that a subtle sign needs to blend into its surroundings, but this is not the case at all. Your sign can stand out without being brash, if you make sure you use contrasting colours and don’t over-clutter it with too many graphics. Also, make sure the wording is large enough to be read clearly and easily.

The Right Positioning: Think about where you are going to put your sign in order to make it visible to the most people possible. Approach your business from every angle and decide which is the most obvious spot. You’d be surprised how many companies, after spending a long time creating the perfect sign, put it in entirely the wrong position.

Keep It Fresh: Don’t just create the perfect sign and then assume that’s it for the foreseeable future. After all, your essential company ethos and product focus may remain the same, but times change so your sign – one of your biggest marketing tools – must reflect this. In this fast-moving age, customers will be put off by dated advertising, so don’t get stuck in the past.