So many companies rush through the process of creating signage and fail to fully take advantage of a powerful marketing tool. When designed properly, business signage can grab the attention of a passerby and pull in new business from the outside world. When not designed properly, signage is mostly ignored. It is no more than a waste of space at that point.
Designing quality and powerful signage isn’t rocket science, but it certainly requires some attention to detail. It’s often in the best interest of the business to work directly with the signage manufacturer when choosing the color, size, font, and other aspects because those manufacturers tend to have a lot of experience. It’s even more beneficial to work with a marketing firm that will be able to make a lot of the tough decisions for you.
But what if you are a fledgling company that can’t invest in an expensive marketing firm? And what if the signage manufacturer doesn’t have the marketing expertise required to help you with your design? That means it’s left entirely to you and your staff to design a sign that can attract business.
It’s not an impossible task by any means. A sound piece of advice at such a moment would be to keep it simple. A sign with only colors and text is the ideal starting point if you are handling the entire design process yourself. Adding images could potentially help, but it makes the design process more complex and increases the likelihood of detracting from the core message.
For now, it’s best to stick with a simple sign and a simple message. Experts agree that a sign should be able to convey a message or theme in less than five seconds. If it takes longer than this to decipher the meaning of the sign, then it is too complete and needs to be reworked. When designing such simple signage there are three key components you should consider. They are the color, text, and location of the sign.
- Color
When dealing with the most basic of business signage, color often refers to the background color and the color of the text. If you are attempting to design a more advanced sign with logos or imagery, then you must also consider the color of those elements and how it will interact with the background and text color.
A huge part of brand recognition is color identification. Most people associate a specific color with a particular brand. The color of Coke is red while Pepsi is blue. FedEx is associated with the colors of purple and orange while UPS is associated with brown and yellow. When designing signage and other forms of advertisement these brands tend to use those colors to increase brand awareness and recognition.
Thus, it would be a good idea for your signage to include the signature color associated with your brand. This would likely be the primary color used in your logo or in your company name. The easiest way to implement this color would be via the background color of your sign.
Next, you will need to consider the color of the text. The most important aspect to consider when choosing the color of your text is the contrast. You generally want to aim for a high level of contrast between the color of the background and the color of the text. This may mean a dark-colored text on a light-colored background or the other way around. Contrast improves readability and it causes the message to “pop-out” at people who pass by.
- Text
Now you will need to choose the actual text itself. The two important factors to consider when creating the text for your signage are the size of the text and the actual message. Remember, simplicity is the key to success. You should try to convey your message using as few words as possible. Instead of saying “We are having a 50% off sale on select items in store” you could get by with only “SALE! Up to 50% Off”. That message could be shortened even further to include only the word “SALE!” and “50% Off”.
One of the advantages of using fewer words is that it allows you to use a larger font without increasing the size of the sign. The original message for the signage in the previous example may have required three-to-four lines of text in a small font. The final example could have been completed in two lines with a very large font. A larger font is easier to read and is more likely to grab someone’s attention from far away.
What about instances where you have a lengthy message to share with customers? It may be better to invest in multiple signs instead of cramming everything into a single sign. Studies have shown that people are more likely to read sequential signs with short messages than a single sign with a long message. You could even use the position of the sequential signs to lead the reader in a particular direction. This brings up the final point of concern when designing simple business signage.
- Location
The location you choose for a sign can determine whether or not it has an impact. Obviously, if you place the sign where very few people will ever read it, then it’s not going to help at all. But choosing the right location in front of a store can be difficult. You will need to consider how close to place the sign to sidewalks or other sources of traffic.
Some experts agree that a sign should be no further than 10 feet away from the reader per each inch of text height. This means that a sign with 5-inch tall text should be no further than 50 feet away from the potential readers. In any case, it is important to familiarize yourself with local zoning and lease regulations before placing your sign outside.
A Simple Sign Makes A Big Difference
A simple sign from HTTPS://ATLANTICSIGNCOMPANY.COM with a clear message can attract a lot of business every day. It’s an affordable marketing tactic that is utilized by nearly all businesses; large and small. If you find yourself in charge of the design process remember to focus on the colors, the text, and the intended location of the signage.
