Business Signs

Attributes of a Good Business Sign

An attractive business sign will draw customers and bring new life to your business. But what are some of the attributes of a truly exceptional business sign?

We've all seen them.

Business signs that make an impact because they are ill-conceived, badly designed and poorly constructed. For better or for worse, some small business owners base the design and construction of their business signs almost exclusively on their personal preference. But should personal preferences have that much influence when it comes to a business sign?

Although personal preference does play a role, the answer is a resounding, "No!" Business signs should be designed and built primarily for the benefit of prospective customers. And from a customer perspective there are definitely certain attributes that make some business signs better than others:

• Aesthetically Pleasing. Your business sign should be pleasant to look at. But again, aesthetics should be based on the preferences of the average customer. Your favorite color may be jet black, but it's probably not an appropriate shade for your flower shop's signage.
• Readable. It seems like readability should be an obvious characteristic of any business sign, but it's not. For example, even though the sign on the outside of your building looks good from the parking lot, it might not be readable from the inside of a car hurdling past your business at 55 miles an hour.
• Size & Distance. Readability is usually determined by the size of the sign and the distance it is located away from the reader. Signs that are intended to be read by people who are driving by your location need to be significantly larger than those that are intended for primarily for pedestrian traffic.
• Supports Branding & Imaging Efforts. Your sign is a visible representation of your business so it makes sense that your branding efforts should be reflected in both your interior and exterior business signage. The easiest way to do that is to incorporate your company logo into your signage. However, you should also be diligent about using colors, fonts and other design features that are consistent with your marketing initiatives.
• Improves the Community. An attractive business sign improves the community by trying to match the character of the neighborhood in a visually appealing way. Being a good neighbor is good for business and the right sign can help your business integrate with the local community.
• Complies with Safety & Zoning Standards. Business signs are typically required to comply with both safety and zoning requirements. If your sign is out of compliance, you will be required to change it so it's easier to just get it right in the first place.

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