If your company is located off the beaten path it can severely limit your foot traffic and hold back your business. Of course, thanks to the internet and social media (not to mention television and radio) there are still plenty of ways to reach customers who are out of eyesight, but that doesn’t diminish the importance of having good old fashioned directional signage on main roads to promote awareness of your brand and lure in the customers you depend on.
So, if you are looking to expand your advertising program with new directional signs, consider these 6 lessons for great directional signs and why each one matters when it comes to reaching out to customers in your area.
1. Keep It Simple
The customers who see your signs will almost certainly be in motion, and when you look at motorists that means you may only have 2-5 seconds to reach them. That brief window won’t give you the time to transmit a complex message or appeal, but it will give you the time to show off your logo and identify your business and industry.
2. Aim for Clarity
Contrast and clarity are intensely important for wayfinding signs. Not only will high contrast designs and designs featuring large, simple text make your sign stand out, it will be simpler to read and far more memorable as well.
3. Don’t Leave Gaps
Perhaps you are close enough to a main road to make do with two signs. If so, great! Just make sure that you take the time to look at your signs from the perspective of a customer and follow their direction as if you had never been to your own front door before. If you find any gaps in the directions or notice that customers are being misled, make sure that your trail is patched with new signs to help get your customers to your door. A breadcrumb trail doesn’t work if you leave gaps in the middle.
4. Check out Local Traffic Patterns
Putting out signs randomly may not be much help. Instead, take a look at the local traffic and place your signs intelligently based on driver and pedestrian behavior. This may mean placing signs beside other points of visual interest, adding directional features to your signage, placing extra signs further away so drivers have time to decelerate and pull over, or placing your signs on completely different roads if your closest intersection doesn’t have the traffic volume you need.
5. Consider Portability
If you can set up permanent signage, no problem. However, if you are going to be relying on temporary signage that will need to be taken in or moved frequently, you’ll want to consider its weight and the storage you’ll need to manage it. After all, if moving and keeping the signage is a pain for just one day there is no way you’ll want to keep using it it for years to come.
6. Buy the Right Quality
Low quality, cheap-looking signage will turn customers away. Be willing to spend what you need to get great signage that sends the right message to your customers. If you aren’t sure what signage is best for your situation, contact the experts here at Sequoia Signs & Graphics, Inc. As local Walnut Creek sign makers we are deeply invested in our community and ready to help local businesses design and implement the very best signage for them, with directional signs that meet your goals and contribute directly to your long-term success.
To make an appointment, call us at (925) 300-1066 today!
