It’s true to say that people are inundated with sales messages today. We have to filter out the irrelevant ones simply to have a few moments of peace in our overworked brains. Knowing this, successful companies make use of the three key factors which form the foundation of effective signage.
What Makes Effective Signage?
Know the objective
We can become so immersed in the colours, imagery and font choices available to us that we can veer from the initial point of the sign. What is our objective?
When we can answer that question, then we will have a clear direction. For example, do you want to entrench your brand in the minds of the consumer? A sign focused on branding will differ from that with a more immediate sales objective.
Knowing who your audience is and knowing what you want them to do will inform your choices going forward.
Placement
Once again, your objective will determine the placement of your signage. As an example, if you want your audience to pick up the phone or visit your store for a special offer, then placing it on a national freeway would be less effective than within a shopping mall where your product is actually sold.
Too many businesses place a great deal of stock in the volume of traffic. Yes, you want as many eyes as possible on your sign, but are they the right people who are going to act on your message?
Content
Are you positioning a digital sign in a restaurant or mall, or are you putting a video on a big screen in an airport? With so many consumers admitting to ad blindness and sales resistance, the position, content and timing of your signage are critical.
Consider this, when you are waiting in an airport you may have a lot more time on your hands than when eating in a restaurant or pub. Therefore, a video which tells a story will be better received than a flashing salesly “buy now” offer which repeats every minute or so.
Business signage is an investment, and effective signage is a gift. Take care to create an experience for your customers and lead them down a positive path, and you will certainly see the benefits.