Signage Maintenance Tips to Attract More Customers

First impressions matter, especially in business. When you have an office or storefront, signage plays a huge role in establishing your brand in your market. No matter the type of sign, it’s one of the best tools for brand communication. Maintaining both interior and exterior signage is an investment in your business's visibility and brand consistency. Because of how important these signs can be to your business, signage maintenance should be one of your highest priorities. Anytime you're unable to use your signs, you risk missing out on potential new customers, so let's dive into why and how to maintain your marketing signage.

Why You Should Maintain Your Signs

According to a James Kellaris, PHD and University of Cincinnati study, businesses with higher quality signs can expect a slight increase in new customers. Plus, 75% of participants said that the first thing they notice about a new or unfamiliar business is its signage, so if your signs are broken or dirty, you’re losing out on potential new customers. Let’s take a look at a few other major reasons to prioritize signage maintenance.

Brand Recognition & Consistency

One of the main reasons to focus on signage maintenance is the impact it has on your brand recognition. Signage serves as a visual representation of your brand, and keeping it in good condition ensures that customers associate your business with professionalism and reliability. Worn-out or outdated signs send a negative message and suggest that the business may be neglectful or in decline.

Consistent branding across all signage helps create a cohesive image. When potential customers repeatedly see a brand presented in the same colors, fonts, and style, they begin to associate those elements with the company's identity. This consistency builds trust and familiarity, which are essential for customer loyalty. On the other hand, signage that's dirty or in disrepair can lead to a fragmented brand image, confusing customers and weakening your presence in the market.

Street Visibility & Walk-In Traffic

Exterior signage, in particular, plays a critical role in attracting new customers. A well-maintained, clearly visible sign acts as a beacon, drawing the attention of people passing by. In areas with heavy foot traffic or competitive storefronts, eye-catching signage can make all the difference between a customer walking into your business or choosing a competitor. 

Signs that are clean, brightly lit, and free from wear or damage are way more likely to be noticed. Faded colors or graphics, burnt-out lights, or broken panels not only detract from the overall appearance of the business but also diminish its ability to stand out. Keeping exterior signage in near-new shape ensures your business is visible day and night. This way, you effectively communicate to customers that you are open and ready to serve.

Functionality & Cost Efficiency

Marketing signs come in all different shapes and sizes, and many of these varieties rely on certain mechanical components to function properly. When these types of signs aren’t maintained properly, you risk them breaking and being unusable. Because of this, you’ll then have to pay to either repair or replace this sign, something that could’ve been caught sooner or avoided entirely by a regular inspection of your signage assets. Additionally, if you have signs that display your available products or services, neglecting your signage maintenance could result in a loss in revenue because you’re unable to upsell customers or properly inform them of everything you have to offer.

Signage Maintenance Best Practices

As with any other kind of maintenance, the best thing you can do is to prioritize proactive routines over repairs because of the added cost and/or time involved. However, keep in mind that the exact signage maintenance tasks you’ll implement into your day-to-day will depend upon the materials your signs are made of and the location of those signs (i.e., some signs may need daily cleaning, while others may only need attention monthly).

Implement a Cleaning Schedule

Assets like sidewalk signs or other exterior signage can get dirty very quickly because of the foot traffic going by (if your business is inside a larger facility) or exposure to the elements (if your business has direct access to outside). Keep in mind that the dirtier your signs are, the harder it is for existing customers to identify you and new customers to discover you. 

To counteract this, you can easily include wiping down all your signage to your or your employees’ daily to-do list. This small addition to your everyday routine can ensure you’re always putting your business’ best foot forward and reminding your customers of your offerings.

Incorporate Routine Inspections

While regular cleaning is a great aspect of signage maintenance, it’s easy for things to get overlooked, especially by employees less familiar with how each sign is displayed or works. That’s why you should supplement your cleaning routine with inspections. This step should be as thorough as possible, and everything from checking the customer-facing design to the mechanical elements (i.e., the display stand, hinges, storage case, etc.) should be checked and its quality and/or status noted.

For example, if you’ve invested in wall and window graphics, you want to protect that investment by regularly ensuring that your signs are still visible and attracting potential customers to your storefront. To do this, you could add a quick exterior inspection to your (or your employee’s) monthly housekeeping checklist. Alternatively, if you pay for a cleaning service, you could also ask them to wipe down your window and/or wall graphics, or take note of their appearance and pass along their observations to you each week, month, etc.

Prioritize Proper Storage

For your signage assets that aren’t permanently installed, finding a storage solution that makes sense for you can be a fantastic preventative signage maintenance measure. If your sign is typically displayed outdoors, bringing it inside at the end of each day or only taking it outdoors when you’re open can help avoid any weather-related or public-facing (i.e., vandalism) damages. On the other hand, if your sign is usually kept inside, storage could be in the form of moving it away from windows to avoid unnecessary sun exposure, or in its original case when not in use to avoid accidents.

For instance, if you have a vinyl, canvas, mesh, or any other fabric-based sign, like an exterior flag or stand, if you don’t ensure it’s stored at the end of each day, it could be subject to unnecessary wear and tear caused by weather or sun damage.

Consider Your Lighting

While not physically part of your sign, having the proper lighting does just as much as your other signage maintenance tasks in ensuring your branding can be seen from the street and draw people in. If your sign is in near-new condition but you either don’t have any outdoor lighting or what you have isn’t functional, then the value of your sign will be wasted.

AlphaGraphics: Your Source for All Your Signage & Marketing Materials

When the time comes to replace your marketing signs or add new signage to your building, AlphaGraphics is here to print customized marketing materials to fit any of your needs. Our team can even supplement your physical signage with digital marketing services to maximize your brand awareness. Visit your closest AlphaGraphics location to get a custom sign made for your business today! Don’t know what kind of sign you need? Check out the different kinds of building signs available now.