Some business owners don’t really pay much attention to their signage. They put together basic signs that get the job done, but they’re not always the most attractive or really stand out from the crowd. Some don’t even have the business logo or name on them. While they might work, they’re not exactly going to boost your sales because they’re not going to grab people’s attention. For that, you need custom signs that get noticed.
Signage may seem pretty basic, but it’s actually one of the most important parts of your business. It’s a form of passive marketing, which means you design the sign, install it, and that’s it—it continues to market your business without any further work from you. Even signs inside your business can continue to serve as a marketing tool by reinforcing your brand or providing your customers with more information about your business.
Let’s take a deeper look into how signs can boost your business and why you should reach out to TNT Signs for all of your custom signage solutions in Santa Rosa.
The Role of Signage in Business Success
Why should you invest in custom signage when basic signs will work? There are a few reasons. First, as mentioned, basic signs don’t really do anything to promote your brand. They may provide information to your customers, but that’s it. They may also fail to do even that since they may blend into the background. If there’s nothing to make your signs stand out, people may not even notice them. This is a major problem if the signs are supposed to promote your company and draw people into your store or office.
Second, basic signage sends the message that your company either doesn’t want to invest in custom signs or doesn’t have the skills needed to design signage that’s interesting and unique. People may assume you decided not to bother with learning about sign fonts, color combinations, layout, or other elements of good sign design because either you don’t think it’s worth it or you were lazy. You don’t want people thinking either of those things. In the end, basic signage reflects poorly on your brand because it shows you don’t care about the little details.
Exploring Custom Signage Solutions
There are a number of different types of signage solutions, so you will want to make certain you’re using the ones that best fit your needs. In many cases, you’ll want to make use of several different types of signs. For example, you may need a large exterior neon sign on the front of your business to bring in customers. If you want to use your exterior sign to advertise different products or services, you might want a digital sign. These signs allow you to easily change what’s displayed on them.
Inside your store or business, you may need signs that help direct people to specific products or offices. You may need signs explaining how your services work or when payment is due. Some signs may be fairly small—office signs or small price signs don’t need to be that large, but they can still be well-designed and include your branding. Just by selecting a sign font that matches or compliments the font you use for your business name will help tie everything in and reinforce your branding.
Design Principles for Effective Signage
Now that you have an idea of why you need custom signage, let’s look at the design principles behind making these tools. Signs on their own may or may not be effective. The basic signs we discussed earlier may be effective in some ways, but they’re not going to be effective marketing pieces. For that, you need to create visually appealing signs that use the right colors, fonts, and other design elements.
The first thing you need to consider when designing a sign is its function. A sign designed to let people know where the register is doesn’t need to be overly complicated. You may not need any graphics on it, for example, but you may want to have a sign border and your logo. You might also want to add a bit of color. Your sign lettering is also important. The font should be easily readable, and you want to be sure it’s the right size.
Other signs may need to have more elements. If you’re advertising a product, you may want to include a photo of that product and information about it. You may want to have the price in a larger font and in a different color so it stands out. You may want to use a colorful background, too, so the sign really grabs people’s attention. You may want to spend some time learning about the best colors for sign visibility and which fonts are easiest to read from far away. Doing some research into color combinations and the best font for signs now will save you from needing to redo signs later.
TNT Signs Can Help You Navigate the Process from Concept to Installation
Taking a custom sign from concept to installation is a fairly straightforward process if you have the right partner. TNT Signs can help you with everything from design to manufacturing to installation. The first step is to figure out what signs you need, and that typically means figuring out how you want to market your business. This, in turn, also means learning about legal considerations. What regulations are there pertaining to signs in your area? Some cities do not allow large signs on buildings, especially if they’re historic. Others may not allow you to put yard signs on the grassy areas outside of strip malls or other areas.
Once you know what types of signs are allowed and have determined which signage solutions are right for you, it’s time to get started on design. TNT Signs can help you with designing your signs, or we can take your completed designs and print them for you. We’re here to help with whatever needs you have, so just let us know! In addition to signs, we can also help you create custom stickers, banners, vehicle wraps, and more. Reach out today to start a discussion about your projects.