So why do you need physical signage anyway? After all, in a digital age, aren’t physical signs obsolete? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth, with physical signage occupying a unique place in creating a trusted relationship between you and your customers.
Think about it from your customers’ point of view – a suite of well designed and executed signs are the ideal visual reinforcement that they’re dealing with a valuable and reputable brand. The visual assets of your retail signage or wayfinding signs are a shorthand for the consistency and strength of your organisation. Investing in great signs shows that you’re proud of your brand and what you have to offer your clients.
If you make it easy for your customers to navigate your store or find their way around your building with wayfinding signage, you’re creating the kind of positive user experience that can differentiate you from the competition.
Is your signage an afterthought?
If your wayfinding signage or retail signs have become jumbled and confused over time, then you need a sign maker with a design department that can establish cohesion and a strong brand aesthetic. Well designed and well positioned signs make the best first impression and get your customers and clients to where they want to go with the minimum of fuss.
Good signage should do more than simply give clear directions and allow people to navigate your premises. It should establish the ethos of your business up front. Harnessing a creative design team to establish visual assets that can establish your aesthetic is one part of the puzzle, but the other is having a clear vision that you want to implement.
Crafting your message
Although the sign company in Hailsham that you eventually choose should be able to offer you support and professional input throughout the process, it helps if you’re clear about the message you want to convey.
For example, if you’re creating retail signs, put the product front and centre and address the customer directly, calling them ‘you’ or ‘your’. Keep it short and to the point – 140 characters or less – and then be ruthless and edit the message to the bare minimum. Ask your designer to show you samples of clear and easy to read fonts that keep the message front and centre.
Be creative in your wording, and avoid a generic message that’s simply boring. Humour does work, but be careful how you use it. Avoid nannying or scolding language – if you want to give a negative message to your customers, find a clear and creative way to do it without being rude. Again, a good sign company should be able to guide you through the process.
Getting the aesthetics right
Great design can’t exist without great content, so it pays to be very clear on your signage strategy, before you approach your chosen sign company in Hailsham.
Colour and contrast matter, along with materials and size. Want to make a big bold statement? The bigger the better. Want to project a vintage look and feel to your retail signs? Choose specific materials that reflect your aesthetic.
It’s critical that your signs are readable, so find a sign maker with a design team that is well versed in accessibility and can suggest high contrast and attractive colour palettes that mean your signs will look good and be fully inclusive.
Implementation is as important as design
It’s true – you can have the best looking signs that project exactly the right image for your business, but if they’re poorly implemented, then the impact will be lost. It’s one of the reasons that your sign maker should also be able to install your signs for you and why you need to look for a company that is vertically integrated from design to installation and beyond.
Look at it this way – you wouldn’t pay out money for an outfit and then take it out on the hanger, rather than actually wearing it. Yet many businesses are losing out on the maximum impact of their wayfinding signage and shop window signs, because they’re poorly installed.
Take your customer’s physical viewpoint into consideration when you think about positioning your signs. Should they be at eye level or street level? If you didn’t discuss halo illuminated signs or the impact that illumination can give when you were at the design stage, can your chosen sign making company retrofit an illumination solution if it’s necessary?
If you’re using exterior signage, are there particular permissions that need to be granted by the local council? If so, is your sign making company capable of clearing the design with the relevant department? Can they mock you up a sign so you can test mount it in various locations until you find the one that creates the most positive feedback?
Installing a sign properly is one of the key ways in which physical signage can add power and value in a way that digital can’t.
Trust the professionals
At the Sussex Sign Company, we’re experts at helping you craft a sign from concept through to installation. We also offer maintenance programmes to keep your signs looking their best and to give you an excellent return on your investment.
Want to realise the value of physical wayfinding signs and retail signage in the digital era? Contact us and we’ll be happy to advise you.