How Does Bad Signage Hurt Your Business?

By Visual Group
schedule3rd Sep 21

The quality of your signs can affect everything from customer acquisition to brand awareness and local reputation. After all, for many customers and visitors your signs will be their first exposure to your company and its branding, so it is very important to get it right.
In this article we are going to explain how bad signage can hurt your business! With an experienced team making up around 30 years’ experience in the sign industry, they team have come across lots of bad signage over the years and today we want to share this expertise with you so that you do not make the same mistakes and it costs your business.

The right signage will make your business - With its ability to immediately communicate with your customers, demonstrate your brand and win attention and foot traffic.

Signage is one of the most important marketing investments any business can make!
It is simple, if your signage gives a bad impression then customers are unlikely to do business with you.

You could end up wasting all that effort and money spent on it.
And it is proven, studies undertaken by the Sign Research Agency and Fed ex found,
• 55% of all consumers admitted to dismissing a business if signage message was unclear*
• 52% of consumers would not enter a business if signage were hard to read*.
• 68% believe quality of sign reflects the standard of the product or service on offer.
• 80% of consumers said they became frustrated and annoyed when signage is hard to read.
So apart from loss of investment, bad signage also has lasting effects that can damage your business.
So, what does this mean for your business?
Your signs ultimately reflect on your business and your brand – so what does it say about the company if the signage is badly designed, broken, dirty, or outdated?

Signage is not something you can just ignore.
Good signage helps customers to know what to expect when they visit. It can help to prime them for the types of products and services you offer as well as the general character and ethos of your business.
And just as an aside, three out of four people in the FedEx study said that they would be likely to tell somebody else about the store if they liked the signage – so there is no reason not to prioritise getting it right.
So, lets look at how signage can hurt your business.

1/ Your business loses impact
You might be thinking that surely a bad sign cannot ruin my business that much, it is just a sign and people know that I am here. Your signs are the first impression that people have of your business. We have explained that signage plays a big role on your brand identity as this is what represents you as a business. A poor sign outside your door means you will struggle to bring in new customers, therefore losing valuable foot traffic and hitting your sales figures.
Do not forget, research shows that over 50% of people would not enter a business with a poor-quality sign or misspelled wording.

2/ How can a sign frustrate and confuse customers?
If your sign is hard to read or the placement and positioning is all wrong, this will cause people to become frustrated. You must think about how many customers or visitors come to your business, will they easily be able to see where you are, will they be able to find their way around your premises easily.
Do not forget, research shows that over 80% of customers have stated they have become frustrated when signage was hard to read. So, a hard to read sign is not a great first impression to make when you are trying to win new customers.
You must think about if you turned up to a business that you had not been to before, could you easily find where you need to be so ensuring people have a clear line of sight at a good distance is key.

3) Signs communicate much more than just a message!
They show who you are as a business and what to expect when they set foot through the door. If your sign is dirty or broken, customers will think your brand is low quality or that they will receive a poor in store experience. Ensuring your sign is well maintained is so important.
Do not forget, 55% of consumers admitted to dismissing a business if signage was unclear.
If a sign is broken or missing letters, many customers will walk away assuming you are no longer in business.

4/ Losing valuable foot traffic
As we have covered a bad sign can affect your business in so many ways, but ultimately it loses you valuable foot fall and costs you sales. Customers are making a conscious choice not to spend their money with you due to the quality of your sign. Not only does this keep foot traffic away from your store, but it is also degrading your local market presence and making it that much harder to win businesses you could have had with easier-to-read signage.

With all this in mind, can you afford not to ensure your signage is of quality? So just how can you make sure that your signage is as good as it can be?
• Keep your signage in a great state of repair.
• Use a chalkboard so you can easily erase and change your sign.
• Use sentimental content – Family Owned, since 1940 this establishes your brand.
• Before introducing humour, assess your customers food puns or cheesy lines can work if your customers understand them, rather than what you like.
• Use words sparingly, you have only a few seconds to catch attention and even less for drivers for passing by
• Display simple and effective text.
• Say it and show it, let your products do the talking, using window space to advertise.
• Advertise day and night by using lighted signs.
• Consider viewpoints, cars, vans, or trees can obstruct the view of your sign.

Do you have a signage project that we can help with? Contact us for a free quote https://visual-group.co.uk/contact/ or view our gallery for inspiration.


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