Open for biz but not quite sure how to get the word out? Many businesses utilize signage such as banners to capture the attention wandering eyes.
Banners can be used for announcements, to promote products, and even just to look cool and raise awareness of your company’s name in the minds and hearts of onlookers. Signage can at times be an important method of promoting a business. This is dependent on the type of business you run of course.
Businesses are able to utilize signs that can literally shout to viewers, in a way other forms of marketing can’t. (If you’ve ever been bowled over by a big sign on the side of a bus, you know what I’m talking about here.) Provided you have the budget for it… otherwise more modest signage is definitely recommended.
If you’ve tried everything short of standing outside your place of business in a costume with an arrow that says “Come On In, We’re Open for Business”, you might want to try designing a banner or three. (Trust me it will save you a lot of time and embarrassment.)
Banner Design Advice
There’s no point in investing in a banner to advertise and brand your business if you’re going to haphazardly throw something together. Theoretically, you could have a fifth grader could draw your company name on some posterboard and call it a banner. I doubt however, that it’d get you very far in the marketing race.
The wrong design can quickly do the opposite of what you’re trying to accomplish and make your customers run for the hills. So… follow some of the tips below and try not to scare your customers.
Make It Visible
Your potential customers need to be able to see and read your signs without any trouble. According to eSigns, one of the most important aspects of custom banners is their readability and viewership potential. Customers shouldn’t have to squint or struggle to see and understand what your banner is advertising.
When thinking of designs, it is important to ensure that they are large enough to be seen up close (for customers walking by) and far away (for customers driving by). If they can’t see it in either scenario, you’ve pretty much wasted your money.
Make It Eye-Catching
As I mentioned before, anyone can make a sign and call it a banner, but if it doesn’t grab the attention of others, your sign is simply filling up empty space.
When thinking about your designs, it should be attractive and noticeable to others. Bold colors and vivid graphics that will pop out against it’s surrounding environment, (i.e. the wall), work well on banner designs. What you shouldn’t do however, is choose too many colors or graphics, and make your sign “busy”.
A sign that makes a customer go “Yikes!” is certainly going to grab attention, but probably not the kind you’re striving for. Nor will you be able to keep said attention.
Make it Legible
You’d be surprised how many signs and banners I’ve ran across and wondered what in the world it said. Using fancy scripts and other types of fonts causes confusion (and sometimes even pain… true story) for the eyes.
Those driving by only have a split second to check out what your business is all about. If they have to pull up in front of your store, get out of the car, and squint to see what its all about… who are you kidding?
Chances are no customer is going to go through all of that in the first place. That’s why its best to focus on fonts that are bold yet easy on the eyeballs.
Place It Properly
Where you place your signs and banners is also important. A sign in the corner of your store window is probably not going to get much viewership. Likewise, a sign that is half hidden by other products will not attract much visibility either.
However, a sign that is placed high in a window, will attract the attention of those walking by and those driving by. When placing your signs, its a good idea to see from the eyes of your potential customers. So enlist an employee to do a walk by and see what they notice. Then have them do a drive by (NOT that kind, for shame) and see if they notice the same thing.
Keep it Simple
If there’s nothing else you take from this post, please understand that simplicity almost always wins. There are a lot of business owners that make the mistake of cramming too much information on their signs and then later wonder why no one’s interested in what they have to offer.
Um…maybe it’s because your company name, logo, graphics, bold colors, and crazy fonts were so jammed up that they couldn’t decipher what you wanted them to do. Whatever your call to action is, whether you want them to stop by, make a call, use your services, strive to make this clear and cool, without putting too much pizzazz in it.
Using customized banners and signage to advertise and market your business can be a very cost-effective way to bring in new customers on a regular basis (provided you’re not bannering the side of a bus).
Please take heed of the above tips when creating your designs. Remember, visibility, legibility, location, making it eye-catching, as well as simplicity are all vital when seeking to make a good first impression of your brand.
Over to You
Do you use signage when advertising your business? Bannered any buses lately? Ha. Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
