5 Reasons your Signs Aren’t Driving Sales

When a business designs a well-balanced sign as part of their marketing strategy, it can really increase traffic and drive sales. Unfortunately, sometimes the sign a company doesn’t actually attract customers. Instead of giving up on signage altogether, take a moment to really examine your sign and consider what may have been the cause of its failure. Below, we’ve listed some of the most common mistakes companies make with their sign campaign; do you see something familiar on the list? • Your sign is handwritten. You may have the best handwriting in the city, but a handwritten sign almost always looks unprofessional. In fact, a number of surveys have shown that up to 50% of shoppers will bypass a place of business if the sign looks unprofessional or poorly designed. With that said, a sale looks infinitely more appealing if its associated signage is bright, well-designed, and professionally printed. • Your font is small or difficult to read. A sidewalk sign has a split second to catch the attention of someone walking by; often, it is the colors and font you use on your signage that initially causes customers to continue reading. A strange font style, or lettering that is too small to read from a distance, can encourage passing shoppers to keep walking without a second thought. To avoid people passing up your sign, make sale prices larger than normal, with specific details smaller print. Remember that less is usually more when it comes to content, and that whatever wording you do place on your signage should entice readers to come in to learn more. • There is no color contrast. Color contrast helps the eyes differentiate between wording, background, and graphics. For example, although a red background against orange lettering is bright, the colors are so similar that there is no contrast. Two bold colors often overwhelm the senses; on the other hand, two cool colors like blue and purple can meld together and cause people to lose interest quickly. Balancing the color of your sign is just as important as the message you use. Keep cooler colors in the background to help warmer colored font pop on the sign. • There are typos in the sign’s content. When you read an article and notice a typo, doesn’t that mistake just follow you to the end of the page? The same can be said for signs that have typos. That glaring “your” instead of “you’re” on your company’s sign can (and will) push customers away. Choosing to ignore an honest mistake like a typo or grammar error may seem harmless, but the negative affect it has really does stand out when you look at your overall sales. Avoid (or correct) typos, or new business may avoid you. • The sign is not visible to passing traffic. If a sign has amazing aesthetics, great content, and a perfect layout, your likelihood of drawing in customers will soar. If, of course, your community can see the sign. All too often, companies hang their signage in odd locations that make it impossible for passing cars and foot traffic to see it. Instead of hanging your new ad immediately, take some extra time to consider what part of your building is most visible. With some strategy and hard work, you can create a well-received sign that not only drives sales, but also gets your local community buzzing about your brand. If you’re considering looking into new signage for your business, take a look at our wide variety of signs.