As promised I explained that this blog would not only be here to post updates, news and ramblings on the business side of Buffalo Sign Rental, but also as a forum of information on general sign tactics, information and strategy. If you have been to the blog before, you have noticed some previous posts which included…
Those resources can provide some helpful tips and tricks on how some effective signs from others and might even make you laugh. However, what is the real secret to making an effective sign? On average, over 75% of my customers are determined to get full use out of every letter and line on one of my signs. They figure, they are paying for the whole sign, why not pack as much as possible onto it? Get the “most bang for their buck”… many times, this does more harm then good and I will tell you why.
On average, a car that drives by will scan the road and quickly glimpse at road and store signs. If it is a new sign, that they are not familiar with, they will scan the sign for 2 seconds or less. Even if they are interested in reading the whole sign, they are probably driving at 30-50 MPH, they only have less than 4 seconds to read it. So, it makes sense to keep it short and sweet.
But how short do I make it?
I would always recommend a short and concise sign. I find these to be most effective. Why give potential customers a reason to NOT read your sign by making it out to be a novel?
Another effective way to garner attention is to write a funny sign. These make people laugh and can train people to always make it a habit to reading your signs in the future.
Keeping it short does not even guarantee it to be effective. There are certain items that you need to address.
1. Is the sign located outside of your business?
If not, then you need to put your name, or your address or even both. This way, people can be aware of what the sign is supposed to be advertising. In some cases, if you are located in a strip mall of stores, you might even need to include your Name, because people might be confused on what store the sign belongs to.
2. Does the sign make sense?
Does it get the point across? Or is it just short fragments that can be interpreted any which way? This may be signs that it is ineffective if there is any question on what the sign means.
If you have a big message to announce, and it is impossible to cut short, it might even be a good idea to put a phone number on the sign for more information. It is a lot easier to get a new customer when they call you on the phone, then by other methods. You can answer all their questions and even set up an appointment over the phone if necessary.
Hopefully you will use this guide to plan an effective sign in the future. If you have any questions, or anything to add, you can always shoot me an email.
