Thinking that signs are only useful for direct product or service
promotion is a common mistake with many small and medium businesses.
Signs have multiple purposes and when properly used they can have a
positive impact on almost every area of a business. Generally speaking
there are two main types of signs – business signs and advertising
signs. Between them they tell people who and what you are, where you
are located, how you can be contacted, the benefits of dealing with you
and lots more. Put all this together and signs become a mirror that
reflects an image of your business.
What a Sign Should Convey
Simply placing signs that basically say “buy from us” will never
work. Yes, you are telling people where they can get the goods or
services they need. But why should they come to you and not go to
someone else? The sign could mention prices, if they are among your
positives. But only mentioning prices could result in the goods being
considered as “cheap”, i.e. of low quality. Customers today consider
quality, durability, warranties and after sales service as being as
critical as the price point. Obviously you cannot have signs that have
hundreds of words in it, telling people about the product or service in
great detail. No one will read it. This is where the wording of the
sign plays a huge role. Anyone who has done online marketing knows about
the importance of “keywords.” These are the common words that people
use when searching for information online. A website with these words
in it will appear high in the search results. The role of keywords in
signage is somewhat different. With signs, keywords are those words
and/or phrases that are associated with a product or service and which,
when seen, trigger a memory or response. That is what an effective
sign should do – trigger a response that will attract potential
customers.
Using the right words, in the right combination is the key.
Finding the right keyword depends on the product and the target market.
For example, a sign about high end furnishing fabrics should not focus
on the price factor – that is not a key consideration with the people
who buy these products. Instead the sign should focus on quality,
variety, uniqueness and other things that those buying high end
products look for. These will trigger the kind of response and interest
that will bring people to your business.
Use Only Quality Signs
We take it for granted that using electronic and print media
for business promotion will be expensive. So when it comes to signs,
there is a tendency to cut costs as much a possible. This is a mistake
for many reasons. Firstly, as mentioned earlier, the sign reflects the
image of the business. A cheap looking sign will create an image of a
“cheap” business. Secondly, signs do not have a fixed life. As long as
they look good, they can be relocated and reused almost endlessly to
maximize coverage. And signs do not become stale. Business promotion on
other media demands almost total viewer attention and will become
irritating after repetition. Signs do not make this demand. They are a
part of the scenery and the message they convey can be subliminal and
not obtrusive. This means that repetition does not become irritating
and repeated exposure to a sign only reinforces the subconscious
message which will enter the conscious thought process when a need for
the product or service arises.
The business and science of signage is a specialized one. The best
way to maximize the benefits from using them is to work with a professional signage company
that will provide your business with signs that convey the right image,
provide the market with the relevant information and ensure that the
return on your investment in signs is maximized.
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