Unless you are playing hard to get and want to keep an extremely low profile, you probably have some outdoor signage identiyfiying your business.
Who said looks don’t matter? What do people think of you when they drive by? Like it or not, how you present yourself matters to your business, and your outdoor sign is the first impression people have of you. Primarily, your outdoor commercial sign identifies who you are and it should reflect your level of excellence.
Truth be told, you may be doing some incredible things inside your business, but if you outdoor sign doesn’t give them confidence in you, they may never get inside to see what matters most. That being said, these are tough economic times so it’s important that you don’t give people reasons to drive by, but instead display an image that draws them in.
Let’s take a quick look at the most important components to your commercial outdoor sign.
The Structure Itself
Your sign is most likely mounted on top of some kind of support structure or mounted onto your building. Safety is the first concern here, so you should always make sure that your sign support system is strong enough to safely support your sign, free from rust, corrosion, and meets all legal and local ordinances. Also check any electrical conduit that is used to run electrical power to your sign.
Once you know that your sign support system is safe, ask yourself how it looks. Repainting a sign support structure can be one quick and inexpensive way to clean up the appearance of your existing sign.
The Sign Cabinet
Again, safety first. Is your cabinet securely holding the sign face in place? Are there any gaps around the cabinet or between the face and cabinet which could let water into the electrical components? If there’s any conduit here, is it properly connected and in good condition? Are all of the lamps inside the cabinet working properly? When it comes to aesthetics, again, some paint can do wonders.
The Sign Face
This is the most important part of your sign. It is after all, the part that people look at. It’s the part of the sign that really identifies who you are and communicates a message. First of all, it should have a pleasing design that is appealing. The design should effectively communicate your image to passers-by, whether it’s cutting edge, retro, contains images of your product, your logo, etc. Also, you’ll probably want to take advantage of all the sign face area that your local ordinances will allow.
The colors should be vibrant and not faded. We use a glare-reducing, luster-laminate on all of our outdoor commercial sign faces to insure maximum visibility and color life. The sign should be evenly lit and clearly visible at night.
Taking It to the Next Level
Want to take your sign to the next level. One word…ok…one acronym: LED! LED Signs are becoming extremely popular; mainly because they are becoming extremely affordable and cost-effective. Studies have shown that outdoor LED signs can consistently boost business by over 15%. There are also leasing options that, with the boost in sales, can make this a fairly easy decision. And, they demand attention, communicate multiple messages, and give your business a world-class image.
Our Port City Signs division handles a full range of outdoor commercial signage. From new construction, repairs, and upgrades, to large LED message centers and programming, we can affordably take your sign project from beginning to end.
Give us a call and we’d be happy to discuss your options. In business, looks do matter and we want to help you look your best. Also, here are just a few of the hundreds of commercial outdoor signs we have done!
