A great deal of time and a creative investment generally goes into the creation of a business’ sign, especially when designing the main sign for the company storefront. We’ve compiled a list of 10 commonly made signage mistakes you’ll want to avoid. While this list has been devised with business name signs in mind, the advice could be applied to many different types of signage as well. Here are 10 sign mistakes that are easily avoided:
10. Using too many colours or too bright of shades, all neon, etc.
Colour is beautiful, and, when used correctly, can make a sign vivid and attractive. But colour overload makes a sign just plain ugly. When you include a myriad of colour shades on your sign, you run the risk of it looking garish or cheap. A complementary colour palette should be utilised, avoiding any clashing shades or shades that border on neon. These are painful to the eye, and will turn customers off from most businesses. An exception to the rule, of course, might be a highly unusual business that is part of the entertainment industry, such as a bowling alley, skating rink, or laser tag venue. These companies might do quite nicely with neon hued signwork.
9. Misspelling anything.
Perform a simple Internet search, and you’ll find hundreds of posts lambasting poorly written and misspelled signage. A misspelling on a sign is not only a costly mistake, but often incites ridicule, making your business the butt of an unfriendly joke. You want to secure confidence in the intelligence and acumen of your business, so do the work and make sure every word on your sign is spelled flawlessly.
8. Using a font or design which is too difficult to read.
It is fun to get fancy with your business’ sign, but the purpose of a sign is to present basic information and indicate a business’ whereabouts. The fancy stuff is better saved for a logo or smaller piece of company literature, where the intricacy can be better appreciated. On your primary business signage, you’ll want to make sure the sign is completely legible, and hopefully easily read from a reasonable distance. There are numerous fonts out there which are exciting and pretty but make for poor signage because they are too difficult to make out. Stay safe and go with a bolder font in a more common style. Your customers will find you much better!
7. Infringing on copyright.
The vast majority of business owners never mean to infringe on any existing copyright. Most individuals want to be the first to create a brand new vision. Sometimes, however, designs or business names or even certain colour schemes may bring you into dangerous territory. It’s worth doing some research when designing a sign for your business to make sure nothing too similar is already in existence.
6. Not stating what the business is.
It might seem obvious to you, but to the casual passerby, your business sign may not indicate directly what kind of products or services you provide. A common mistake on many signs is not including the type of business, whether using words or giving hints with icons or pictures. A car mechanic may not need to specify that the sign is for an auto shop, but including the simple icons of a wrench and a car may be enough to let people know. Experiment with including unique icons, perhaps incorporating the creatively into the business name itself.
5. Designing with a colour scheme too close to other well-known brands.
Many popular and well known businesses utilise 1 to 3 colours in their logos and accompanying signage. Examples of this include companies such as Coca Cola, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Kodak, and Mastercard. You can probably see most of these company’s logos in your head, or if you can’t picture the actual logo, the colour scheme likely stands out. When crafting the perfect sign for your business, try and avoid these famous colour schemes and matches, as you don’t want customers associating your business with a different company. You want your signage and logo to make customers think only of YOU.
4. Not facing the right direction.
Though it might seem silly to mention this, many signs end up being placed in areas that don’t give them the maximum visibility. If on a busy two-way street, you’ll want a two-sided sign to account for both lines of traffic. Depending on your business location, however, it may make sense to orient your sign in a way that is facing the majority of oncoming traffic. You want a main sign directly over your business as well, making it extremely easy to find and easy to enter. For businesses located in walkable areas, consider using A-frame or corflute signs to catch the eyes of foot traffic and further draw in customers.
3. Manufacturing which is too flimsy.
When you come to John Hills Signs we make sure to build you signs using only the most durable materials. Whether you’re starting a new business or replacing an existing sign, you intend for your business to last for many years. You’re going to want a sign that will go the distance with you. Make sure whatever sign you have constructed is made from high quality materials that will weather the years. You’ll want to consider things such as sun-resistant paints or materials which will help keep your colours from fading in the sunlight. If you live in an area of extreme weather, you’ll want to make sure your sign is outfitted to be protected from the elements.
2. Including too much Information on one sign.
Your main business sign should do a couple things: indicate the physical location of your business, and let potential customers know what type of business it is. It might seem tempting to put even more information on your sign, but unless your sign is absolutely massive, additional writing on the sign face is going to make it too crowded. An overcrowded sign looks unattractive and sloppy, and many people will lose interest in reading a sign with too much information squished in. Save your extra info for signs posted on your business door or within the premises.
1. Failing to make the sign visible from the road.
If your sign can’t be seen from the road, you will lose hundreds to thousands of potential customers who pass by and do not realise your business exists. Customers who are already coming to your business may grow frustrated if signage fails to point them in the right direction. Make sure your sign is fully visible from the roadways and is not blocked by any trees, other signs, or other items.
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If you learn from the 10 mistakes above, you will be on the right track to creating the ultimate in awesome signage!
