All businesses need visibility in order to be successful. Every company, from small to large, needs to get its message across to the public through advertising.
Without letting people know about your business, you will have difficulty attracting customers. Having proper advertising makes your company seem approachable and authoritative while enhancing its reputation.
Outdoor signage is a crucial component of advertising. When a customer sees an attention-grabbing outdoor sign, they are more likely to visit the business in question. Having successful outdoor signage is the mark of a reputable company.
Keeping your outdoor signage up to date is one of the best ways to ensure future success. James Neumann of Foxpoint Media explains why outdoor signage is so important and how companies can take advantage of new methods to promote their businesses.
Focus on Readability
Your new outdoor sign should have as little visual clutter as possible. Your company logo should be clear and easy to understand, and any text needs to be in a readable font that is large enough to see from a passing car.
Rather than concentrating on all of your artistic ability to make an outdoor sign, strive to make your sign as clear and readable as possible.
Adding a border to your sign can increase the reading speed by 25 percent. Having a border on your sign is an easy way to make it more legible.
Sign Placement
You will want to put your sign close enough to the road to make it visible. If you are advertising on the side of your building rather than with a roadside sign, make sure that this is also legible from a moving car. This will help draw new customers in and also help service providers and suppliers find your business.
Color Combinations
The most visible color combinations for lettering are black on yellow, black on white, yellow on black, white on blue, and green on white. Combining these with a streamlined version of your company logo will make your sign more readable and easier to focus on.
Text and Fonts
You should make sure that your text is large enough to be read by all age groups. This may mean making your letters larger than you thought necessary. Have people of all ages try driving past your sign to make sure that it is visible. Text should be in mixed case for the best readability. It may seem counter-intuitive, but all-caps text is harder to read than mixed case.
For fonts, do not use anything “fancy.” A plain font is best, because it will be easier to read. Block letters are good, along with stylized lettering that retains simple characteristics. If your company logo uses a certain font, try to adapt that for your signage. You may want to consider changing your company logo so that you can run the non-adapted version on your sign. This will consolidate your company’s message and make sure that you are reaching people.
Lighting
No matter what kind of sign you choose, it is important to make sure that it is lighted at night. Signs with interior lights are easiest to see. For signage on the side of your building, make sure to shine exterior spotlights on it. Your municipality may have specific regulations for the lighting of a sign, and you need to find out what these requirements are in advance before building your new signage.
Keep it Brief
The average adult can read about four words per second. Keep this in mind when designing your outdoor signage. If your sign is indoors or in a protected location, you can put more text on it. For a drive-by sign, you need to be careful not to let your text overwhelm your message. Your company logo and the name of your company should be enough to get the point across, together with a visual representation of what your company provides.
For example, a pizza restaurant may want to have a piece of pizza represented on its sign. This will cause your customers to make quick associations with your brand the next time they want to order a pizza.
Billboard Design
Designing a billboard can be challenging as well. While you have more space on a billboard, you should make sure that your message is simple enough to be read by a driving customer without distracting them from the road. Using language like “you,” “your,” “I,” “me,” and “my” will personalize your message.
Providing graphic context for your message is extremely important. For example, if you are advertising a certain model of car, you should include a photo of the car on your billboard. Using the logo of the company you are representing is a good idea.
For example, if you are representing a Ford dealership, you should use their trademark in your ad provided that you have permission to do so from the company. Adding the brand logo to your ad in addition to your business’s logo will make your billboard clear and direct.
Be Creative
While you should be creative in your outdoor signage, don’t push the envelope too much. You do not want to offend or confuse any of your customers. Customers do like gentle humor incorporated on signs. If your sign has an element of changeable text, you should consider filling this text with something witty. Customers may take pictures of your funny sign and post them online, giving you invaluable free publicity online.
Success with Outdoor Signage
When you follow these principles of outdoor signage, you will find that it is easier to meet the needs of your business. You will draw in more customers, and people will have a better understanding of what your brand is all about. James Neumann recommends that all businesses have outdoor signage. This is especially crucial for retail and restaurants, along with all other businesses that want to attract foot traffic.