How to create a sign and graphics plan for your business

As a business owner, do you have a sign and graphics plan for your business? If not, you may not be receiving the visibility your business needs to flourish. Read on to find out more from Strand360.

Why does your business need signs?

There are several tangible reasons your business needs signs:

• Gone are the days when signs were just informative placards hanging outside stores. Today, signs are turned into decals, murals, backlit billboards, banners, and point-of-purchase displays that are used to captivate the attention of customers. These signs are installed in areas that have high foot traffic for the greatest impact.
• Customer base: Attract your early customer base with innovative and surprising display items and signs to re-engage with them. Customized signs have the power to re-attract your customers, making them feel more connected to your brand once again.
• Innovation: Innovative digital signs can be highly interactive, and create a fun relationship with the customer. Other marketing techniques that can be incorporated to make your signs even more engaging are social media giveaways, branded hashtags, and competitions.

How to devise an effective signage plan

• Begin by putting your strategies, ideas, and plan into writing. You must also review it quarterly to tweak the strategy and make changes for greater impact.
• Establish a budget for signage, both interior and exterior for greater visibility.
• Consult with marketing and design experts such as Strand360 to create a comprehensive graphic design plan that aligns with your brand.
• Determine what is the messaging you want to communicate to your customers. Understanding this critical piece of information can help you choose the right types of signage you need as well as the information that should be included in it.
• Think of your signage like this: it must create an experience for your customers, be it in a store, facility, office, or other.
• The most common signage that businesses use include banners, digital kiosks, wayfinding signs, safety signs, vehicle wraps, promotional posters, and more.

Make your signs and graphics memorable

Your customers are exposed to hundreds, if not more, signage and billboards a day. If you want to stand out, you must make your signs the most memorable. Effective and attractive signage can create brand awareness and ensure customers remember your business. So, how can you make your signage more memorable:

• Include enough information that will grab the attention of the customer
• Be innovative and think out of the box – remember, when it comes to signage, normal is boring
• Include optimal lighting for better visibility any time – day or night
• Most customers are attracted to digital applications and using digital kiosks and menu boards can lure them to your store or facility

Mistakes to avoid when using signage

It’s not just enough to hang a sign and expect great results. There are certain signage mistakes that you must avoid:

• Rushing into the design and installation stage without having a proper strategy in place.
• Filling up the sign with too much information or leaving out critical details that may be useful to the customer.
• A huge design mistake is to include colors, patterns, or aesthetics that do not match your brand and look.
• Using inexpensive, poorly constructed signage that does not withstand the weather or other external factors.

For more information on developing a comprehensive sign and graphics plan, contact Strand360 today!