Building Your Business with Signage: It’s as Easy as A-B-C!

How does proper signage contribute to your bottom line as a business owner? The answer is as easy as A-B-C, says the International Sign Association.

A: ATTRACT CUSTOMERS
Did you know that 85 percent of your customers live or work within a five-mile radius of your business? If you want to grow your business, it makes sense to focus on this customer base. The quickest, easiest and most economical way to do this is with signage.

What’s the payoff? According to data gleaned from major signage research reports from the University of San Diego and the University of Cincinnati, proper signs can:

· Increase sales by double digits. The studies showed a 16 percent increase in weekly sales for one business that combined a major building sign modification with two additional minor changes.

· Reach drive-bys with increased visibility. More than half of shoppers (54 percent) said they have driven by or failed to find a business because the sign was too small or unclear. Both older and younger age groups have reported this problem.

· Reach new customers with quality design. A third of shoppers said they have been drawn into unfamiliar stores based on the quality of their signs. Other studies have shown that the 18-24 age group is more prone to this behavior, with more than half in agreement.

B: BRAND YOUR BUSINESS TO GET RECOGNIZED

A company’s signage helps a customer recognize its brand, just as labels on a grocery store shelf make a product instantly recognizable.

Make sure the name of your business, logo, company colors, catch phrase, etc., are consistent everywhere they’re used: on your sign, letterhead, business cards and print ads etc. This builds recognition and helps brand your business firmly in the mind of the consumer. Think of the McDonald’s “Golden Arches” as a time-tested example. No matter where in the world you are, that signage represents consistency in service, experience and product.

Consider, too, that your sign design can be copyrighted, which increases its value as a commercial asset ─ keeping your overall message from being diluted by similar designs.

What’s the payoff? According to Consumer Perceptions of Signage and Economic Value of On-Premise Signage:

· 34 percent of North American shoppers associate sign quality with store and product quality.

· 29 percent of North American shoppers make store choices based on the information communicated by store signs.

· 38.5 percent of shoppers say they have made quality assumptions about a business based on whether that company has clear and attractive signs. Again, those in the 18-24 age group have been most prone to making such inferences.

C: CREATE IMPULSE SALES

Today’s consumers are more likely to shop online or at the first convenient place they see that seems to be selling what they need. Who hasn’t been driving down the street, stopped at a store and made a purchase, merely because they saw the sign?

Best Buy discovered that about 17 percent of its customers were people who did not intend to stop there but did so specifically because they saw the sign.

If your sign is going to convince the impulse customer to stop at your business, design it so that important information is easily recognized at a glance.

People driving down the street can take in a great deal of information. 75 percent will pick out the key word on a sign the first time they pass it.

Make sure the first time someone reads your sign they immediately understand the most important information – what you are selling. Any additional information should be designed to keep your repeat customers interested in your sign and your business so they remember to come see you.

If you’d like to learn more about how a new sign can help your business grow,  contact your Persona representative today. We’re here to help!