Making your business stand out with illuminated signs

An illuminated sign, whether on your building or the roadside, announces who you are and what you do. It also helps attract new customers and reminds existing ones you are there.

In most cases, you will have only seconds to catch the eye of a passing motorist or pedestrian. That's when illuminated signs can help your business stand out from the crowd.

Work smarter, not harder

"The basic reason for having illuminated signs outside your business is so you get 24 hours use out of it instead of 12," says Erinn Peterson of Letter Rip Signs.

"Without an illuminated sign you could be missing 50% of your potential market, especially if your business is located along a busy highway or shopping strip."

Getting the right sign

"I sit down with the client to work out what they need," Erinn says. "We work out what they are hoping to achieve with the sign and go through all the different options."

A company like Letter Rip Signs will help you choose illuminated signs that:

• project an appropriate image for your business
• are highly visible, properly placed and easy to read
• reinforce the message of your other advertising
• provide a visual indicator about the values of your business and what you offer. 

Ideas and imagination

"The options for illuminated signs are virtually endless," Erinn says.

"We've done tower signs outside shopping centres, with all the tenants' names on them, and a pylon sign. We can do a floodlit billboard on the side of your business, or we could do a small lightbox menu for a restaurant.

"We've also done the pokies signs with fibre optics in them that change colour and flicker, which are great for point-of-sale applications."

In other words, the final look of your sign is limited only by your imagination, budget and, of course, any local council limitations on height and placement.

Interior use

"Backlighting, such as a business name at reception, can help give a room a lift," says Erinn. "It's on all day and gives it a bit of a glow."

Retail businesses in busy shopping centres commonly use illuminated signage, too. A custom lightbox bearing the business name or logo or an illuminated fascia can help you stand out from your competitors, who are sometimes located right next door.

When wouldn't I use illuminated signs?

According to Erinn, the first question you need to ask is whether the sign will be seen at night.

"If not, you're not going to get much benefit from it," he says. "If your business sees little or no traffic outside business hours, an illuminated sign won't justify the investment."

Light up your business

Illuminating your business signs means they are working for you 24 hours a day. Ask a professional sign writer how illuminated signs can help you catch the eye of both new and existing customers.

Contact a sign writer in your area to find out how you can make your business stand out with illuminated signs: