Choosing the right business sign can be a daunting process. From outdoor business signs and custom signs to vinyl signs or illuminated, there’s a wide range of options that can make getting a sign a headache. We want to make it easy for you, that’s why we created this article to walk you through the entire process of building a business sign start to finish.
If you’re in the market for a business sign, we’ll help you make the right decisions along the way. Let’s walk through it step by step.
1. What’s The Strategy For Your Business Sign?
Business signs can cover a lot of different areas of signage, so you need to know the strategic purpose of your business signs. For example, your business signage may be used to promote your brand, help navigate customers through your store, make prices more visible, or may be needed for regulation.
You need signs for specific reasons. So, what’s the purpose for your company signs?
2. Where Are You Placing Your Signs?
The location of your sign(s) is very important. A great company sign has no benefit to you if it can't be seen. Likewise, if you need regulatory signs or traffic signs, many of them have to be placed in specific locations.
The location of your sign will play a role throughout the signage process, so you want to know where your sign will be located so you can choose the appropriate sign, design, and materials.
3. Regulations, Surveys, And Permits
Once you know what you need and where you’re going to place it, you have to discuss regulation. Depending on where your business is located, you may need a permit for your company sign. At this early stage of the signage process, you just want to make sure you’re aware of the legal requirements for your location that affect the way you can make and install your business sign.
Our team can help perform accurate surveys and procure the appropriate permits to ensure your signage is in full compliance. Let our team handle all the legal details while you focus on running your business.
4. Choosing A Signage Company
Your business signs play a pivotal role in your business, this is why it’s important to choose a signage company to build your business signs. Make sure you take the time to do your research, choose a signage partner that has a long track record of building company signs.
Take your time to look at reviews, case studies, and look at their past work. Check out their case studies if they have them.
5. What Sign Type Should You Choose?
There are many types of business signs you can choose for your business, these could include digital signs, illuminated signs, aluminum signs, or wayfinding signs. Any type of sign you choose for your business will have pros and cons. Let’s talk about a few.
- Illuminated Signs are great for creating attention at night, but illuminated signs or digital signs can cost more than other sign types.
- Outdoor Signs are great for attracting eyes and creating attention, but they do need regular maintenance.
- A Frame Signs are great for drawing attention from pedestrians, but they’re rarely seen by anyone traveling in a vehicle.
- Banner Signs are great to use in a variety of different scenarios, but they don’t hold up over time like other sign types.
If you’re not sure which sign type to choose, don’t hesitate to reach out and talk to the SOULO team.
6. How To Choose The Materials For Your Sign
We use many materials when it comes to signage, so how do you know what signage materials to choose from?
As with signage types, there are many different types of sign materials to choose from. According to our professional signage design team, they feel the most effective types of sign materials include acrylic, aluminum, vinyl, and corrugated plastic.
Here’s 8 of the most common materials used for building signs.
- Acrylic
- Aluminum
- Vinyl
- Forex
- Corflute
- Metal
- Foamcore
- Self adhesive vinyl
7. Designing Your Business Sign
Designing your business sign can be a big challenge. After all, you’re a business owner, not a graphic designer. And even if you do graphic design, designing a sign with it may prove difficult.
Words are just one aspect of your sign. When paired with the right design, size, and type of sign, they can truly make an impact on prospective customers. Our graphic designer will create an impactful, effective design that will catch the eyes of your customers while effectively conveying your message.
Research by the Economic Center, the University of Cincinnati found that roughly 60 percent of businesses reported the changing of a design or enhancing the visibility of their signage had a positive impact on sales, number of transactions, and profits with an average increase of about 10 percent. That’s impressive!
If you can increase your sales by 10 percent just by adding an outdoor sign for your business, would you? Every business owner would sign up for that. Every element of your company signage is important, this is why we recommend partnering with an experienced team. SOULO's sign design team can develop a design strategy that will help you efficiently meet your business objectives.
8. Taking Care Of The Permits
With the plan for your sign ready to go, it's time to submit an application for a permit with your local government or municipality. As discussed earlier in this blog post, many cities and towns require signs to meet specific regulations regarding size and style of lettering, dimensions of the sign structure and copy area, and more.
The good news, our signage services can help with this too. We’ll help your company through all the permitting requirements, that way you can focus on what’s most important, growing revenue-generating business projects.
9. Building Your Company Sign
Once you have all of your local city or municipality permits, we can then build your sign. No matter what type of business sign you are building, SOULO's talented professionals can take care of the fabrication process for you. We offer a complete A-Z service, helping you build your company signs from start to finish.
10. Installing Your Sign
The final step of the process is installing your new business sign. While you can install your sign by yourself, the SOULO team can help with sign installations as well. We do it all!
Installing your sign is a delicate process to ensure it’s both visible and durable. To make sure your sign is free of defects and optimally visible, we recommend hiring a professional sign company using proper best practices and safety protocols.
Any company installing your sign should be licensed and insured. Not only might there be safety concerns, but there are also local regulations to consider around signs.
Being licensed and insured (as SOULO is) means the company has met the legal requirements to safely operate. This can help you avoid fines and unnecessary rework around signs that might not meet current standards.
Our Signage Team
SOULO's professional technicians use the latest sign tools and technology to ensure businesses get maximum bang for the buck with their sign. Commissioning your perfect outdoor business sign takes hard work, and our experts manage the entire process for you.
From sign design and permitting to sign installation, SOULO is here to help with every aspect of the signage process. Contact us today to see how we can help your business with our effective, affordable signage solutions.
