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3 Tips for Effective Exterior Signs

September 5, 2018

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Welcome back to the Sign Central blog! In our last blog post, we covered 3 Steps for Creating a Brand Color Palette and 3 Reasons You Need a Channel Letter Sign. In both blogs, we discuss how crucial the design of your sign is to effectively market your business: your exterior sign is essentially a 24-hour means of marketing! To get the most out of your sign, it must be as designed with efficiency in mind. Today on our blog, Sign Central, your Top Rated Local® Aurora Sign Company, will share with you some tips for designing the most effective exterior sign for your business in the Chicagoland area.  

Tips on Wording

Less Is More

Words are powerful tools for sharing more about your business. However, when choosing what words to put on your sign, it’s important to remember that less is more. It’s easy to want to include as much information as possible on your sign; you must remember that too much wording can be distracting and confusing, especially for those in a car who have a limited amount of time to read your sign.

Include the Essentials

With the “less is more” sentiment in mind, it’s time to think about the essential bits of information that you need included on your sign. How much information will depend on your business, the size of your sign, and where you will be placing it. However, usually we recommend that you include:

  • Business name
  • Phone number
  • Website URL
  • Slogan
  • Logo

When you include these elements, your customers should have an easy time finding your business and your sign will draw more potential clients.

Design Essentials

Brand Consistency

Your brand represents not only the services or products that you offer, but also who you are as a company. Designing your exterior sign to match your brand is important, because it can help current and potential customers not only find your physical location, but also your website. Digital marketing has become increasingly more important over the years, and bridging the physical and digital world is crucial for success. Representing your brand in a consistent way is a must to create this essential connection.

Font Size

In the design process, it is easy to forget the size that the font on your sign will actually be when the sign is created, especially when you are looking at a miniature representation. You must pick font sizes and styles that will be easy to read, represent your brand, and allow you to emphasize the most important parts of your sign. Remember most people will be moving when they see your sign!

ProTip: Place the most important information in the left-hand corner. Why? Most people read from left to right and they will have a greater chance of seeing this information.

Placement Musts

Obstructions

Businesses may do everything right when it comes to sign wording and design, but then still fail to get the most out of their sign due to placement. Obstructions such as trees and shrubs, electrical lines, and even other buildings can all make your sign less effective. For the most advantageous placement of your sign, avoid as many obstructions as possible and put it where the greatest amount of people can see it.   

Lighting

Lighting is another aspect to consider when creating your company’s sign. No matter when you are open, your business can benefit from a lit exterior sign. How so? As you may remember earlier, your sign is a means for 24/7 advertisement. Why limit your exposure to only the daytime? If you are open at night, you most definitely need a lit sign so your clients or patrons can easily find your location.

We hope these tips are helpful for designing your next exterior sign and be sure to contact Sign Central your Top Rated Local® Aurora sign company!

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