Member Article

Do your signs make the right first impression?

First impressions count – they say someone makes their mind up on whether they like you or not within the first 20 seconds of meeting you. That means they are normally basing their opinion of you or your business purely on their first visual glance.

So… how does this relate to signs?

Well if your signage looks scruffy, dirty, faded, broken or in poor order, potential clients might well draw the same conclusion about you and your business.

Is that a sweeping statement? Well if I asked you to go and buy a sandwich from a shop that had dirty windows and a fascia that had missing letters, or a shop that had a bright and clean façade with a window display showing all the fillings available, which one would you choose?

Signs don’t need to be complicated to make a dramatic impact, often the simplest designs have the greatest wow factor; but the best design in the world can be undone if the wrong materials are chosen for the application or environment the sign is installed in.

It’s clear that many companies spend an awful lot of money coming up with a brand identity only to see that investment undone by poor implementation. If the materials chosen are not suitable for the location they are being installed in failures will often come to light soon after installation.

This might not seem like an issue if the sign is offered with some form of warranty, but this doesn’t take into account the inconvenience of having the sign removed for repair and the potential impact that a poorly maintained and performing, or missing sign has on your customer footfall.

I could throw the old adage “Buy Cheap, Buy Twice” into the pot but I won’t; what I would say is talk to your sign provider about the life expectancy of the sign you are about to purchase. Look at your surroundings. Check out the signs in your neighbourhood that have stood up well to the environment they are in and the tests of time. Your sign provider should be able to explain why those signs still look good whilst others are showing evidence of premature ageing.

This might also sound obvious, but check that quotes you receive are based on a like for like basis. Often I’ll visit a site after installation to see something that is either far smaller or an entirely different specification to the one that was briefed on. This isn’t always a problem if the materials are suitable, but I often get to speak with people who assume that a sign is just a sign and that all material reacts the same way in heat and cold. They only become aware of the short comings when elements begin to fail.

I like to think we are providing a service to our customers by offering our knowledge and expertise, the signs we create not only advertise our clients business but also ours, as they become constant reference points for any new clients in the area.

So simply put; brief well, know what you are buying and feel comfortable that your sign partner understands your needs before pushing the button and making the purchase.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Signs Express Newcastle .