A good shop sign can be the difference between a business thriving and merely surviving. Quality signage makes one business stand out from all the others nearby, drawing customers towards their company. So, it’s important for businesses to invest in signs that stand out and signs which showcase their business so effectively.
Why is Signage So Important?
If a customer is faced with a row of nondescript shops with no signage, they don’t have the tools to choose the right business for their needs. If they’re looking for a specific type of business, a lack of quality signage can mean they walk straight past your premises whereas clear and effective signs can bring customers in. Equally, if a customer is looking specifically for your company, the lack of an appropriate sign could result in your business losing that customer permanently, as well as failing to attract other custom via the signage.
How Effective is Shop Signage?
A good shop sign is an effective piece of advertising for your business, along with being a visual representation of your company and sector. So, as we’ve already mentioned, the best retail signage will direct customers to your business from a distance and confirm its location if a customer is already looking for it. As well as the immediate benefits, however, good signage is also an investment in the future for any business. For instance, an optician or pharmacy may not be needed when a potential customer drives past, but effective signage will increase the likelihood of them remembering your business when they do need to use those services. Different industries use signage in different ways, so it’s important to think about what your customers are looking for when you look to design signs that stand out for the right reasons. Ultimately, businesses only have a finite amount of time to attract customers to their business – and that amount of time is probably much shorter than you think.
How Do You Make a Sign Stand Out?
The best retail signage doesn’t blend into the background, nor does it overpower everything else nearby. While the goals of quality signage are to attract customers and solidify your branding, being gaudy in a street of refined signage is going to get you attention for the wrong reasons. Stand out signs include distinctive colouring which separates them from their near neighbours. Having the same brand colours as your next-door neighbour or a competitor nearby can cause confusion (at best) and lose you customers (at worst). Choosing the best retail signage for your business involves choosing the right colours, shapes and signage material to suit your niche. Sometimes it pays to be different, but it’s always wise to know which conventions you’re breaking and why.
What are the Best Colours for a Business Sign?
Every colour has different connotations, and these affect the way a customer understands signage in the few seconds it takes for them to look around a street. If they’re looking for a specific shop, they may be searching for familiar brand colours but, if they’re simply trying to see what’s on offer, their attention will be caught by signs that stand out. White backgrounds on shop signage make a good contrast with most brand colours, while black is also a viable option for lighter coloured sign branding. Remember, however, that some colours clash horribly and putting them together on a sign may not necessarily grab the right attention. Breaking the mould and including your favourite colours together on signage may fulfil your own goals but ask whether the end result is a good shop sign or something that doesn’t understand your ideal customers.
What are the Different Types of Shop Signage?
Shop signage comes in many forms, and there may be multiple options which appeal to your brand (and budget) – choosing the right one can attract the right kind of customer. Here are some common choices:
- Fascia signs
- Illuminated fascia signs
- Projecting signs
- Window graphics
- Pavement signs
- Illuminated signs
- Digitally printed banners
- Post mounted signs
Some businesses opt for multiple signs to attract attention at different eye-levels – using a window graphic in conjunction with a pavement sign, for example.
Examples of Good Shop Signs
Some of the major high street brands have evocative signage that customers are immediately drawn to or which uses the connotations to full effect. Think of the white on black stylish simplicity of Next, for example, or the clean black on white elegance of Marks & Spencer signage. Other brands trade on colour contrast like Boots (blue and white) or Five Guys (white and red). Still others decide to pop out from their competitors – think about the way a fully illuminated Pizza Hut sign stands out at night. All these stand out signs convey connotations about their brands and, ultimately, a good shop sign can’t (and shouldn’t) be separated from your business branding.