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How to Get the Most Out of Your Outdoor Business Signs

Jan 11, 2021
While society has been moving steadily towards a digital marketplace, brick-and-mortar businesses are still relevant and necessary in their local communities. To attract their target audiences, brick-and-mortar businesses must market themselves both digitally and physically in order to attract their target audiences. This includes both an optimized website with a strong digital marketing strategy, as well as strategically placed outdoor business signs. As a digital signage supplier, we’d like to share some tips on how to get the best ROI from your outdoor business signs. 

Do Outdoor Business Signs Really Work?

To grab the attention of your target audience, you must find a way to stand out from your competition. People see hundreds of different advertisements a day while commuting, watching TV, and browsing their favorite playlists. It’s easy for your advertisement to get lost in the mix if not done effectively. When it comes to outdoor business signs, a recent study found that people really do notice signs while they’re driving. —especially signs with high contrast colors, bold text, and concise messaging. Even more notice comes when they’re manipulated and in motion, such as in the case with sign spinners. Digital signage has a similar effect because it can rotate images and play videos. Some have argued that outdoor business signage is as important as your website. It’s worth considering adding it to your marketing strategy if not already done. It can have a tremendous impact on increasing your business’ visibility, awareness, and foot traffic. 

How to Get the Most Out of Your Outdoor Business Signs

Now that you have or are considering outdoor business signs, here are a few tips on how to get the most out of it.

Choose Effective Location

1. Choose an Effective Location

Vicinity. When deciding where to place your outdoor business signs, think local. Keeping the signage near your business – such as on the outside wall or window of your brick-and-mortar shop – will help attract your closest audience. Another helpful location might be a billboard down the road. It’s been shown that most people live or work within 5 miles the businesses they patronize, so proximity is key. Just make sure that you pay attention to any local laws on sign placement, size, and content.


Sunlight. The next thing you’ll want to consider in regard to location is the orientation to the sun. Direct sunlight can severely limit your options for placement. While printed signs are perfectly visible in direct sunlight, many types of digital signage aren’t. They can also get too hot in direct sunlight, which can damage the display components and make them useless. If your prime advertising location is in direct sunlight for most of the day, Sun Vision Display outdoor business signs might be the best solution. Sun Vision Display signs are a unique digital signage that utilizes reflective LCD technology. They provide excellent sunlight readability while using very little power. Plus, with operating temperatures ranging from -20°C up to +70°C, Sun Vision Display signs aren’t restricted to seasonal use in most parts of the world.


Visibility. Another aspect of location involves visibility. Make sure that your signage is placed in a highly visible location to get the most out of your investment. It should be on the busiest streets and high enough to read above parked cars or other obstacles in high trafficked areas. 

Right Size

2. Choose the Right Size

Once you’ve chosen the perfect location for your outdoor business sings, you’ll want to determine the best size. Take the time to carefully measure and visualize your space so that you can find a size fits physically and visually within its surroundings. A proper fit will help your sign look most professional and have the biggest impact. 

Optimize Your Message and Image

3. Optimize Your Message and Image

Keep it Short. In addition to location and size, it’s critical to develop a strong message with the right aesthetics. Take some time to determine your call to action, but make sure that you keep it simple. Signs with too much text are often ignored or overlooked. Choose bold, simple messaging and graphics that can be read and understood in an instant. Remember, you only have one, maybe two, seconds to convey your message to passersby. If you use small, complicated lettering or busy graphics, your message will be lost.


Use Contrast and Color. To draw attention to your sign, make sure that you use high contrast for both the text and the colors. Black and white signs don’t get nearly as much attention as color. Also, contrast helps make your message easy to read. Keep in mind that size matters too, so use large enough text so that it can be read from a distance.


Make it Move. For the biggest impact and audience engagement, use movement in your signage. Signs in motion have one of the best engagement rates as they help capture your audiences’ attention even if they’re preoccupied. Some options to incorporate movement into your outdoor business signs include flashing lights, having someone hold your sign on a street corner, or digital signage that can be programmed to play moving and rotating graphics and video.


While paying a sign spinner can have a big impact on audience engagement, it’s not always the best option. Instead, consider going digital. Digital signage gives you the ability to play rich color content that can be easily updated from remote areas. Though the up-front costs are more than a static sign, you’ll save money in the long run. It costs a lot to pay someone to hold your sign on the street corner, and you only benefit from this exposure while they’re outside. It’s also expensive to keep printing and mounting new signs—especially when your messaging changes. Digital signs are easily manipulated without the requirement of a sign spinner. 

To learn more about how Sun Vision Display can help you take your outdoor business signs to the next level, contact us today at 224-268-3343.

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