The market has never been more competitive, and companies are all vying for the space they need to attract customers and gain brand recognition. Instead of spending money for a spot on a diner placemat or running an ad in the local newspaper, there is a more cost-effective measure to marketing your company name, location, and services to those around your business—a sign.
Never underestimate the power of signage done right, especially in your marketing strategy. Most entrepreneurs overlook the influence a sign has for their company, but that means missing out on an extremely high payoff.
Here is what you need to know about using signage as a marketing tool.
5 Reasons You Need Signage For Marketing
So just how important is customized signage for your business’ marketing pursuits? Consider your goals for a moment. You want to be successful and grow, right? How will you ever get momentum in your business if people don’t know who you are, what you stand for, and how to find you? If that’s not enough for you to consider signage in your marketing strategy, here are 5 reasons that show why marketing with signs is both relevant and effective for your business:
- Signage can be used for communication with old, new, and potential customers. Signs give a first and lasting impression.
- Signs point to discovery. Beyond announcing your presence, a sign leads people to your front door—and to your services.
- Signs are the perfect way to attract business. A beautiful design will speak volumes and get people interested in what you have to offer; because regardless of how the saying goes, people do indeed judge books by their cover.
- Signage establishes your brand. You can put your personal logo and slogan on your sign, merchandise, website, and social media as a non-invasive way to gain attention and repute.
- Signs bring your team together. Nothing unites the people in your business like a sign they can be proud of. Proud employees lead to more sales, too.
The ABCS of Marketing With Signs
As can you see from the reasons above, a sign is your main marketing tool. It’s consistent, powerful, and influential in terms of getting you the customers—and profits—that you want.
Studies done by the Sign Research Foundation found that the addition of a single sign at every fast-food outlet in Los Angeles could boost business revenues by $132 million. In turn, those businesses would pay an additional $10 million of sales tax revenue to the local municipalities.
Aside from generating more income, signs are necessary for helping people identify your business, the location, and communicate your services. To make sure you are using your signage correctly to maximize the results, follow the ABCs of signs as a marketing tool:
Attract Customers With Signage
Did you know that more than 80% of your customers live or work within a 5-mile radius of your business? These are the people who are going to help grow your business—and so you need to let them know you exist. The quickest way to access this customer base is to erect a sign.
According to two studies conducted in 2012 by the University of Cincinnati, the Consumer Perceptions of Signage and the Economic Value of On-Premise Signage, signs have an incredible payoff.
In fact, the reports stated that when a single business combined a building sign modification and two minor signage changes, that business saw a 16% increase in weekly sales. In other words, by updating your main outdoor sign and the ones on the exterior or interior of the building, you could see a double-digit increase in sales almost immediately.
Secondly, signage increases visibility. Within a four-year study average, 54% of shoppers declared that they drove by or failed to locate a business because of inadequate signage. Without a highly visible sign, you’re not going to be found—and that could potentially drive business away.
Lastly, the studies found that 33% of shoppers stated they were drawn to stores that they had been to before based on the overall quality of their signs. The age group most prone to this behavior were 18-24-year-olds. In other words, the design of your sign is also a factor in visibility and attracting potential customers.
Branding With Signage
As mentioned earlier, a sign is part of the overall first impression of your business. Similar to how a logo makes certain food brands recognizable on a grocery store shelf, your sign will help you standout among the crowd in a shopping center, mall, or even as a standalone unit on a busy road.
You need to consider the color, shape, size, typography, and more when making a sign, for anything that seems to random or doesn’t match up with the letterhead, print ads, business cards, and other merchandise could look unprofessional.
The same studies mentioned above also found:
- 34% of shoppers in North America associate the quality of signs with the quality of a service or product.
- 29% of shoppers choose stores to visit based on information delivered by the store sign.
- 38.5% of North American shoppers (based on a four-year average) made assumptions about a store based on the design quality and attractiveness of the store sign.
Creating Impulses With Signage
Although reliance on technology has changed the way consumers shop for services and products, people will still make a decision on a whim to stop at a store merely because the sign attracted them.
This means that the sign created the impulse for those shoppers to make a split-second decision. Even as they drive down a road at high speed.
Studies have found that 75% of drivers pick out keywords in signs the first time they pass it, meaning that you need to incorporate important bits of information. Once those potential customers see the sign, they will have the chance to make the decision whether to stop and shop or not. But giving them the notion that you can help is where it all begins.
There you have it: the ABCs of signage as marketing. Use these tips to help design the signs that will deliver you results.
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to get the answers. Fill out the contact form to receive more information about how signs can be an effective marketing tool for your business.