The indoor and outdoor signage that powers your business plays a crucial role in driving new foot traffic through your front doors while promoting brand awareness. It’s also a significant financial investment. Alexandria and Arlington businesses start to run into trouble when they take their signage for granted.
Cracks, outdated information, and fading from sunlight are just a few of the many things that can immediately cause an expensive sign to stop doing its job. The immediate state of your indoor and outdoor signage can cause people to get the wrong impression about your products or services.
A little maintenance goes a long way to help ensure the effectiveness and longevity of your business signage. Read on to learn more about how to perform maintenance on your indoor or outdoor signs properly.
Clean off the Dust
Indoor signage accumulates dust faster than you think. If you see the same sign daily, you may not notice that it’s becoming dusty, and the colors aren’t as bright as they once were—but your customers can.
Grab a feather duster and give your indoor signage a good once-over. If the dust is stubborn, use a damp rag to wipe the sign clean. You’ll be surprised at how a little dusting can make your indoor signage come alive again.
Clean off the Dirt
Indoor signs get dusty—outdoor signs get dirty. Car exhaust, actual dirt, and pollution can really cause an outdoor sign to lose its luster and shine. Grab a wet rag and wipe down the entire outdoor sign.
Smog contains all kinds of nasty and corrosive chemicals that can eat away at plastic and metal. Even though you may not see it, it’s there on your sign. Consider setting a calendar reminder to clean your outdoor signs once every few months.
Perform Structural Repairs
Both indoor and outdoor signs can get damaged if they’re installed near the ground—or anywhere pedestrians or customers can accidentally run into them. You might be able to get away with minor repairs—but if the damage is big enough, consider contacting the professionals at AlphaGraphics of Alexandria and Arlington for help.
Weather can also play a role in damaging your sign. Hail can cause little dents to form and even wreak havoc on the internals of illuminated signs. Rain also causes dirt and water spots to form, and that decreases sign visibility over time.
Graffiti and Vandalism
If the local graffiti “artist” decided to paint their signature on your outdoor sign, you might be able to remove the spray paint with some common cleaners you can find at any home improvement store.
You might also be able to find a spray that makes it hard for graffiti to stick to your sign—however—be sure to check with the person who made your sign to ensure that the spray won’t damage it.
Birds and pigeons can also “leave their mark” upon your outdoor signage. Consider cleaning it off sooner than later, as it gives off a very unprofessional image. Be sure to wear some sort of respiratory and take adequate safety precautions when cleaning bird waste.
Wrong or Inaccurate Information
Has anything changed since you first installed your sign? Phone numbers, email addresses, website URLs, and hours of operation. Consider performing a sign audit to ensure that the information conveyed on your current signage is accurate and up-to-date.
Having the wrong information on your signage is one of the quickest ways to lose a potential customer. For example, if your Google My Business profile has outdated or incorrect business hours, people will go somewhere else if you’re closed when they thought you were open.
Rusting
A rusted sign gives off a very poor impression, and it suggests that the business doesn’t care about their products and services. Rust also eats away at certain types of metal and can cause your sign to come crashing down.
If your outdoor signage is corroded in spots, all is not lost. Contact AlphaGraphics of Alexandria and Arlington for help. We’ll be able to offer some suggestions on how to remove the rust or prevent further damage from occurring.
Lighting
Are some of your outdoor signs illuminated? Consider driving by at night to check to see if the signs are lighting up properly—and not flickering due to an electrical issue or bad light bulb.
Signage Design and Creation in Alexandria and Arlington
A little bit of maintenance goes a long way when extending the longevity of your indoor and outdoor signage. If you need signage help, contact the expert sign makers at AlphaGraphics of Alexandria and Arlington.
Over the years, we’ve helped countless Alexandria and Arlington businesses, individuals, and organizations create amazing and impactful store signage. If you’d like to learn more about our sign services, give us a call at (703) 549-2432 or
contact us on our website.