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5 Outdoor Sign Mistakes to Avoid in New Bern

3/16/2021 | admin

The signage that resides on the outside of your business plays a vital role in persuading new customers and clients to set foot through your front door.

Poor quality outdoor signs can confuse and lead people to draw incorrect conclusions about your New Bern business. There’s so much more than having the name of your company printed in big letters when it comes to outdoor signage. It’s a chance to stand out from your competitors while giving prospective clients and customers a hint at the quality of products and service they can expect. Read on to learn more about five outdoor signage mistakes that could negatively affect the amount of foot traffic that they should be driving through your front door.

Weathered Outdoor Signs and Sun Damage

Over time, the morning and afternoon sun can wreak havoc on an outdoor sign. The harsh UV rays can weaken plastic and cause it to turn yellow, while the humidity can cause the metal to rust. When a potential customer drives by your business, your outdoor sign is literally the first thing they see. If it’s cracked, rusted, and damaged, consider what that prospective customer will think. People are only human, and they often make an instantaneous opinion based on the limited information at hand. For example, if you own a restaurant and your sign is faded and cracked, people might assume that your food is just as stale and old. While that’s an unfair assumption to make, this happens more often than New Bern business owners realize.

No Logo or Branding on Outdoor Signs

Consider two theoretical clothing stores for a moment: both sell the same kind of clothes and are looking to attract the same demographic of customers. One store has an overhead outdoor sign that reads: “Clothing for Women,” and the other one has an outdoor sign that reads: “Martha’s Boutique Clothing” and has their logo and tagline that reads: “Affordable activewear for today’s modern woman.” Which sign do you think will attract more customers? Of course, it’s the branded one with the tagline that doesn’t sound generic. Far too many New Bern businesses neglect to put their company branding information on their outdoor signage.

Ignoring Expert Advice

Outdoor signage costs good money. This is because each sign needs to be custom-made by hand, and sign shops cannot mass produce them. Sign shops, such as AlphaGraphics of New Bern, have decades of experience and know-how—their designers and master craftsmen know precisely what makes a good sign. If you’re in the market for a sign, pay close attention to what the expert designers in the sign shop are telling you. Take their advice into consideration as they know how to design and create outdoor signage that will not only persuade people to enter but help set your business apart from your competitors.

Ignoring the Options

Your outdoor signage should help differentiate your company from the competition. Depending on what kind of outdoor sign you opt for, you may have several customization options at your disposal. For example, LED lighting or UV-resistant materials are just a few of the many signage options that can take your outdoor sign to the next level—and it just might cause your competitors to get a little green with envy when they drive by.

Too Much Information

One of the bigger outdoor sign design faux paux’s that we see is when companies try to add too much information. Outdoor signs should only display the most relevant and critical information possible. People will not sit there and attempt to read a novel of information. The goal of an outdoor sign is for people to glance at it and understand it completely without having to read. Try to keep the information on the sign to a bare minimum. This will help prevent people from ignoring your sign wholly or getting confused about the exact message.

Outdoor Signage in New Bern

As the old saying goes, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” This is why dialing in your outdoor signage is so important. It will help instill trust in new customers and make your brand recognizable city-wide. If you’d like to learn more about your available outdoor signage options, give us a call. To learn more about how AlphaGraphics of New Bern can produce and design your next project, you may email us, request a quote, or call us at (252) 633-3199.

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