Signs can cause your customers to read between the lines
Posted by Terry McCloud on Fri, Jul 31, 2009 @ 02:32 PM
Signage is the single, largest promotional tool you have. It is your way of saying to the public, "Hey! We're open for business and here to serve." Nice job! You've reminded your current customers that you are here ready to take care of their next need and you've introduced your business to future customers.
But what if your sign is in disrepair? What if the lights in and around your sign are out or the face is broken or dirty. Worse yet, what if it is outdated? Now what kind of impression or message are you communicating? It still reads "Hey - pick me" but it consciously and subconsciously causes your customers to read between the lines . . .
. . . and what they're reading isn't good!
It's saying, "maintenance and upkeep isn't a priority for this business and neither is quality or cleanliness." "If they care so little about their business, how could they possibly care about me, their customer?" What your sign has done is effectively set a negative expectation of your business in the mind of your customer. Your unkept sign defeated the very purpose for which it was intended.
Upkeep and freshening of your signage and lighting shouldn't be an afterthought; it should be a priority . . . protect your marketing investment and allow your signage to do what you intended - work for your business, not against it!
Something else to consider: On average, 46% of first-time customers find your business as a result of your sign. (Claus 1998) What would a 5 or 10% drop in sales mean to your bottom line simply because your sign was in disrepair or out of date?
Some food for thought the next time your sign is screaming.