How Many Signs Do You Need?

Some businesses are littered with too much signage, while others lack it, frustrating the customer. Signage is a part of a customer’s “good service” experience, and needs to be in balance. Here are 3 ways to figure out how much signage your location requires:

• Can it be found by driving or walking by in any direction? Produce signs that will catch the attention of all passing cars in either direction. This could be one, two or more signs.
• Are people asking for directions? If so, you may need more signs. Pay attention to what directions people ask for — for example seeking to find the washrooms, escalators, or the ballet slippers. Any such questions mean that another sign, or a more descriptive sign, should be placed in another location. Master, searchable directory boards are another option for stores with great numbers of products.
• Are there traffic issues? Check tills and parkades – if people are lining up to block the flow of traffic, signage can be used to redirect the problem more appropriately.
• Are people asking other product-related questions frequently? Signs could be used to answer these questions in strategic locations. For example – “Products Do Not Contain Nuts” or “Imported from USA”
• Are cars driving up to your door to stop and try to read your posted hours? A lit “Open” sign may do the trick.

It is impossible to say an exact number needed in your retail store, but most retail businesses need at least 10 signs for every 2000 sq.ft. Be sure to do your planning and homework carefully to get all you need! And keep your ears open to the above indicators of when you need a few more.

What is the Secret to Successful Signage?

At Topmade, there are 5 keys we consider to make your signage solution successful:

1. Graphic Design – Never “skip” getting a professional logo designed. Professional graphic designers know that logos need to be readable from afar, use striking colour combinations, and interesting and memorable icons that reflect what you do or stand for. It takes years of training to become a graphic designer, so unless you have that yourself, go to a pro – it’s well worth it.

2. Visibility- Size of your sign matters, and if it’s an outdoor sign, we always recommend illumination. We also recommend you get the biggest your landlord (and city permitting authority) will allow. Signs are such a powerful marketing tool, you might as well get the biggest you can afford.

3. Positioning – Always examine the walking and driving traffic patterns to ensure you get the most “eyeball” attention. Take photos and create mockups of where and how you could position your sign.

4. Amount – Make sure you’ve ordered enough signs to direct traffic from as many directions as possible. This will always maximize your walk-in and drive-in traffic.

5. Quality – Carefully consider the how long you need your sign to last.  At Topmade, we almost never need to return to fix or repair signs — we already know how windy  and snowy (not to mention hail) Alberta can be!  Beware of cheap materials and lighting solutions that do not last….give us a call to learn more.

Are you ready to order your sign?  Click here to give us your order information.

Do Signs Actually Impact Sales?

A market research firm in Calgary recently told us about an interesting signage study they conducted.

The survey involved visiting businesses in a specific part of the city to determine the approximate amount of walk-by traffic each day, and compare it to each business’ storefront signage.

SIGNAGE SURVEY: FINDINGS

Based on averages in surrounding cafes and other businesses, it was determined that indeed, signage – its size and prominence had a lot to do with attracting people into various shops.  It generally appeared that the larger the signs, the greater the walk-in traffic on a store-by-store basis, even though there were variations between various kinds of businesses. Those with the largest signs often considered 100% of their client base to be “walk in” and those with smaller/non-existent signs were largely selling to internet audiences with little walk-in.

CONCLUSION

In short, there is no reason not to have the biggest signs you can get to represent your business, especially if you see benefit in getting walk-in traffic.  It’s a personal billboard that says, “Hey we exist” – and you might as well use it to your maximum advantage.