To maximize your business traffic, your potential Customers in your area should be able to find your field or store literally by accident – when they’re not even looking for it! This requires signs that will draw attention, exude professionalism, and be totally readable in only a brief glance. Your sign is the very first impression most people will receive about your business, and as the saying goes, “You don’t get a 2nd chance to make a good 1st impression”. This challenge raises certain questions:
– Are professional signs expensive?
– How big should my sign be?
– Should it include more than just the company name?
– Should it be lighted?
– Should I have it made professionally?
Are professional signs expensive? This depends on size, color, materials, lighting choices, and more, but one thing is certain; A professional sign will never cost as much as the cost of trying to overcome the bad first impressions left by an unprofessional one. We’ve all passed businesses with crooked, hand painted or misspelled signs that look like they were inflicted by idiots. Every sign in your business – inside and outside – should look professional, and easy to read from a distance.
How big should my sign be? Your sign must be readable at a glance by the furthest car traveling by your business at the full legal speed. Example: if your storefront or field entrance sits 50 feet from the furthest lane of a 50 m.p.h. road, then your sign MUST be easily readable from 50 ft at 50 mph. Bigger is better, since some cars speed. If you must be closer than that to read it, it’s too small – period. You may need to simplify the sign to make it legible for this formula. Some towns regulate maximum sign size, so be sure to check local ordinances beforehand. REMEMBER: Your sign must attract the people who are looking for you, and especially those who are not! Your sign should be so good that people can find you accidentally! Great signs will regularly bring you walk in Customers saying, “Hey! I didn’t know there was a Paintball place here!
Should I include more than just the company name? Its been proven that a sign that reads “PAINTBALL” will attract drastically more Paintball Customers than a sign that only reads “Xtreme Sports” or “McHenry Sports” or “Johnson’s General Store”. If your business carries a wide variety of sporting goods, the additions of a prominent “Paintball” sign will work wonders.
Let there be LIGHT! Obviously a professional, lighted sign is best, and it might be more economical than you think. Weatherproof internally-lighted signs cost much more, but you can always consider outdoor spotlights to light a regular sign. Lighting will make a measurable difference in your new-Customer traffic, especially in busy nightlife areas with stores, restaurants, bars, or nearby night schools or manufacturers running night shifts!
Professionalism PAYS: Based on the premise that “anything worth doing is worth doing well”, your decision to go to the pros should be simple. You run a professional business. You always strive to improve. The money spent on excellent, professional signs will be worth many times the cost of the sign. Be sure to carry the professional signage theme through every single printed communication in your business – including your in-store price signs, sale specials, and business hours. A good first impression is a lasting impression!
