Tag: commercial signage

Getting The Most Out Of Your Seasonal Signage

It’s the season to be jolly and really nail your seasonal signage displays. Christmas is a huge opportunity for your business to get creative with your promotions and to design signs that really provoke your customers interest. Whether you’re wrapping a vehicle with a seasonal scene or creating a POS display with digital wallpaper, here’s how to give your brand a holiday twist and get the best out of your seasonal marketing.

Why you need seasonal signage

When you need to create eye-catching festive displays fast, signs are an easy way to make things happen. Banners and posters can feature traffic-building text that drives footfall through the door. Add a festive note to wayfinding signs with vinyl decals or use them to add seasonal marketing messages to your company vehicles.

Seasonal themed signs will attract your customers attention, increasing your ROI. Don’t forget to add a QR code or unique URL, so you can measure your most successful marketing strategies and build on them for your next seasonal campaign.

Think outside the box

Seasonal signs benefit from being used as part of a narrative, so decide on your story. Instead of Valentine’s, think Cupid’s Arrow, and instead of Christmas, think Nutcracker or the Snow Queen. The more sophisticated your theme, the more sophisticated and engaging the display you can create.

Turn on the lights

If you haven’t previously used illuminated signs, now could be the time to start. With low cost LEDs, you can create astonishing lighting effects with exceptionally low running costs. It’s a quick and easy way to add some pizzazz to both interior and exterior signs and it will help you to stand out on the high street.

Lighting effects should be bold enough to grab the attention of passers-by and hold it, so be bold. A combination of shape and colour can be used to great effect, especially if you think beyond the usual seasonal cliches to create some dazzling effects – if the competition are using red, change your signs with a bold fuchsia.

The benefits of seasonal branding

It’s relatively simple to up your seasonal branding game – an update to your website colours, promotional materials with a seasonal theme and a seasonal twist on your logo. Replicating these changes across your seasonal signage reinforces your branding and creates a consistent and professional image.

Tapping into the seasonal appeal can make your brand look active and dynamic and encourages that personal connection that all brands thrive on – think Starbuck’s famous holiday cups for inspiration. Changing your brand with a few tweaks and a focus on upgrading your signage can reap big benefits by reinvigorating your customers’ interest in your brand, resulting in greater engagement and an uptick in sales.

Season’s greetings

If your West Sussex business wants to make an impact this Christmas – or Valentine’s Day, summer holidays or Halloween – try thinking outside the box and exploring the huge range of signs designed to support your seasonal marketing efforts. At The Sussex Sign Company, we specialise in maximising the ROI on your signs all year round, so why not call us today or email our team and see how we can help you get the most out of your next seasonal campaign?

5 Signs Your Van Needs New Vehicle Livery

A vinyl wrap is a durable, effective and high impact way of advertising your business across East Sussex. With proper maintenance, a premium cast vinyl wrap can last up to 8 years. But even the best thought out campaign can run its course and the most professionally installed wrap can start to show signs of wear and tear.

Knowing when to update your vehicle livery can be challenging. Here are the five surefire signs that your vehicle graphics need an update.

Has your wrap seen better days?

Even the best cared for vinyl wrap will eventually show signs of wear and tear. Sun and rain can cause fading and damage, making your car graphics look washed out and less impactful.

Look for signs of peeling and scratching, especially around the bottom of the vehicle. Even though your wrap may still look good from a distance, if it’s showing signs of wear close to the edges, that’s a sure sign you need to change it.

Are your contact details up to date?

If you’ve moved premises, updated your website or changed phone numbers, then you need to change your wrap. If the overall condition is still good, then vinyl decals can be the smart way to bring your details up to date.

Check your wrap for any outdated expressions. Tastes change with the times and what was once funny may now simply cause customers to cringe. It never hurts to rethink the impact of your slogans and the message you’re sending to your customers.

Is your vehicle livery design outdated?

There are fashions in design elements like fonts and images and these can change over time as surely as fashion in clothes. Take a look at what your competitors are doing – do their designs seemed tired and outdated or fresh and contemporary?

Working together with a designer will help you to refresh your design and create something that not only appeals to your target market in East Sussex, but grabs the attention wherever you go. In turn, that boosts brand recognition and maximises the return on your investment in vehicle livery.

Does your wrap fit your business?

As your business grows and expands, your branding needs to transform to keep in step with the direction of travel. The chances are that, unless you’re in the vintage and retro business, your outlook and business goals can have changed radically since you first invested in vehicle graphics.

Have you moved into a totally different market? Or have you radically broadened the range of services you offer? The chances are that if your wrap is approaching 8 years old, it doesn’t reflect your bold new business model. Now could be the time to upgrade and reflect those exciting changes.

Are you still maximising your ROI?

It can be difficult, though not impossible, to measure the ROI of your vehicle graphics. But to do that, you’ll need to rethink your design or add some new decals or a partial wrap.

QR codes, dedicated landing page URLs and short code SMS are all smart ways to evaluate how well your message is getting through to your target customers. At Sussex Signs, we’ll work with you to update your design and maximise your return on investment. Contact us for all the help and information you need.

Best Practices To Boost Your Signage ROI

Signage best practices can be used to enrich the customer experience and reinforce your brand. But how do you create well designed signs that enhance success for your West Sussex business, while delivering a quantifiable return on your investment? These are the three most effective strategies that can help you integrate signs as part of a successful business strategy.

Integrate signs into your design strategy

Well thought through and designed signs can make a contribution to the customer retail experience that can be directly evaluated in increased sales. The trick is to deliver clear and consistent branding and uniquely dynamic displays that attract consumers and become part of your brand equity. Following best practice for readability, informational clarity, uniqueness and viewing enjoyment can directly impact on the success of your signage and your bottom line.

Keeping you user at the heart of the design strategy can be a primary factor for success. Starting with defined user personas, your design should respond to the way your customers think and act. Iterative design processes deliver signs that enhance the user experience to retain existing customers and attract new ones.

Value propositions and signage

Make it part of your business strategy to award excellence in sign creation. Focus on engaging all stakeholders from the local community to develop unique design strategies that engage and drive both brand recognition and customer loyalty. Never look at sign development in isolation, but always as part of a deeper commitment to enhancing the customer experience and the local built environment.

Using experienced professional designers will allow you to embed great design at the heart of your brand signage strategy. Visualising and implementing design solutions that are closely mapped to the customer experience will build excellence into the design process and help to optimise your return on investment.

Increase collaboration

Signs don’t exist in a vacuum. In fact, they’re increasingly integrated into the architectural elements of the retail environment. Advances in the way that signs are fabricated and the materials used have raised the profile and value of signs, creating high quality landmark elements and unique environments for high concept stores.

High quality signs that are manufactured and installed effectively will reinforce the quality of your brand and should be central to your marketing strategy. Leading retailers who are design-centric and who focus on developing great signs can expect a three times higher return on investment per square foot of retail space than businesses that don’t pay attention to attributes like legibility, appropriate scale and viewing pleasure in their signs.

Using end to end services to boost your ROI

At The Sussex Sign Company, we offer a fully integrated signage service. This means that we can guide you through every part of your sign’s development, from design to installation. That leaves you free to develop user profiles and research the user experience to develop effective design strategies for our graphic artists to implement. We’ll collaborate with you at the manufacturing stage to ensure that your signs are created from the most appropriate materials to enhance the value of your premises and create a unique architectural feature that gives your business the edge. If you want to find out more about maximising your ROI with integrated sign services, contact us today.

5 Ways To Update Your Current Signage

Update your signage! Is your fascia looking a little tatty or does your signage no longer reflect where you are as a business? There can be several different reasons for needing to update your signage – so here are 5 ways to help you keep your signs looking fresh, to stay ahead of the competition.

Try rebranding

Even the biggest corporations undergo regular rebranding, no matter how subtle. How you handle a rebrand can turn it into a useful marketing opportunity and allow you to create a cohesive look for your commercial premises that might even extend to your vehicle fleet.

Whether you keep it as subtle as an overhaul of your colours and fonts or go for a full-scale change of logo, a well-executed rebranding exercise can generate sales, increasing revenue to pay for the change of look.

Update materials

The chances are that, since your signs were installed, the materials used have advanced significantly. Investing in premium quality signs is your ultimate marketing tool. If your signs can withstand extreme weather conditions and come up shining, then they’re worth the investment.

Coupled with a planned maintenance programme to keep your exterior signs in good condition, you’ll boost brand awareness and business reputation. When your signs look good, your premises are more attractive to your customers.

Expand your signage

Instead of replacing your existing signs, you can update your signage and rejuvenate the look and feel of your premises by adding extra signs that benefit your customer. Additional wayfinding signs can direct customers to promos and retail opportunities that enhance the customer experience while boosting your revenues.

You could also consider adding point of sale signs and displays that direct customers to a time limited promotion or a new product you’re keen to bring to their attention. The sales you generate with additional signs can offset the costs of your investment.

Add illumination

An illuminated sign means that you can truly maximise your marketing appeal, 24/7. Energy efficient LEDs have made sign illumination a feasible choice for any business and there’s no doubt that well-constructed halo letters with a strong illumination effect will set you apart from the competition and give your signs an instant update.

A cost-effective trough light is a quick and easy way to add a different dynamic to an existing sign. From halo lighting to the use of large scale monument signs packed with LEDs, ask your sign designer for their expert advice and add the power of illumination for a quick facelift.

Rethink design

If you want to create a whole new signage suite, then you’ll want to rethink everything from the ground up. Working with a professional designer is the savvy way to focus your ideas and maximise your return on investment. After all, a set of new signs may not come cheap, but as your biggest marketing asset, they offer surprisingly good value for money.

Whether your business needs an overhaul or your nearest competitor in West Sussex has signage that’s putting yours to shame, we can help. At The Sussex Sign Company, we make it our business to help you maximise your ROI with bespoke signs that help you utilise this piece of prime marketing real estate to its fullest potential, so contact us today.

What’s The Truth About Branding And Signage?

What is the truth about branding and signage and branding.

Want to stand out from the competition? Need greater brand recognition? Then you need exterior and interior signs that are clear, coherent and well-designed. Of course, you’ll have to do that yourself because no sign company is capable of creating the great design you need to differentiate yourself in a crowded market.

That’s a myth. In fact, a professional sign company can offer you the ultimate solution to your branding and design dilemmas. By having your sign company design, create and fabricate an entire custom sign package, you’ll maximise efficiency, streamline costs and minimise hassle.

Branding: art or science?

Branding is a unique blend of research and design that leads to the development of clear and imaginative marketing. Impactful signs are central to any coherent branding exercise and a strategic signage partner will guide you through the process, helping you explore the design options and make the right decisions on materials. Your partnership will lead to the fabrication of cost-effective signs that form a central part of your branding strategy.

Business led branding

Ever hear the expression ‘less is more’? Your business should dictate the marketing and design strategy for your brand. For some businesses, minimalism reflects their business values – think Apple design. But for your business, you may prefer to take a more playful, colourful and maximalist approach, because it chimes with your branding.

But you should also beware of keeping signage to a bare minimum. Again, let the customer experience dictate the number and type of signs that you need, from exterior illuminated signs to interior wayfinding services. Don’t compromise the customer experience because you feel you need to conform to a certain design stereotype. Let your sign company lend their expertise to your evaluations and needs analysis.

Beautiful branding vs the real world

There’s a common misconception that conforming to accessibility standards for signs is anathema to great design. In fact, so-called great design or branding is no such thing if it’s not flexible enough to be accessible to all.

Working with a sign company is the smart way to combine form and function in such a way that style doesn’t compromise readability and vice versa. Through consultation and thoughtful design, your branding can stay on point, whatever the style of signage, to deliver clear, consistent and clever branding.

In fact, paying attention to the use of pictograms and being sparing with text can help you to create signs that are inclusive, effective and visually appealing. When it comes to words, less is very definitely more and signs are no place for verbal overload. Use short headlines and keywords and be sparing with words – leverage the power of imagery to tell your brand story and focus on the quality of images to create an impression and sustain brand recognition.

Find your strategic signage partner

Rising above the visual noise can be particularly hard in a major city like London. But it’s not impossible if you partner with a sign company with the expertise to help you leverage your signs to create that all important brand recognition. At The Sussex Sign Company, we’ll help you maximise your return on investment and help you get the best out of your branding, so contact us today.

Commercial Wayfinding 5 tips to make your signage a success

Good commercial wayfinding signage is all about putting your customer at ease in an unfamiliar space. Wayfinding should be intuitive and consistent – there’s nothing worse than allowing your signs to develop into a mash-up of styles, fonts and colours. If you’re renovating or remodelling, then now is the ideal time to reconsider your wayfinding strategy using these 5 top tips to success.

Keep it simple

You don’t have to spend a fortune to create a suite of informative and user friendly wayfinding signs. In fact, this is one area where digital isn’t better. It’s virtually impossible to set digital signage to please all customers – some will be frustrated if information scrolls too quickly, others if it’s too slow.

Make it easy for your customers to process information and get to where they’re going. Put yourself in their shoes and walk the building – how many times would you have to ask for information because a sign is unclear? Are signs displayed at the right height? And are they accessible for all your customers? By keeping your signs as simple as possible, you’ll satisfy more of your customers.

Pictures not words

It’s still true that a picture get the message across much more quickly and easily than words, and we retain that information for far longer. Pictograms are also the smart choice if you have a multilingual customer base, which is why they’re in common use for toilets, waste bins, cafes and restricted behaviour – why bother writing ‘No Smoking’ when the pictogram does the job?

The customer experience

In commercial spaces, things are often in flux and that can negatively impact on the customer experience. Designing for interchangeability is a smart way to save time and money and ease customer frustrations. Creating clear and concise signs is an easy way to enhance the customer experience and drive repeat business, while giving your customers the information they need.

Tried and tested commercial wayfinding

It’s tempting when revising your wayfinding sign strategy to go digital or try and get overly creative. Don’t – save the creativity for shop floor displays and stick with tried and tested sign solutions like colour coding. However old school it might seem, it works in a way that digital can’t match – there is a pre-established visual vocabulary that lets the customer see at a glance what the sign is for.

Don’t forget branding

Although commercial wayfinding signs are always designed with a purpose, that doesn’t mean you have to neglect your branding. Keeping consistency throughout your entire suite of signs from shop front to toilets helps to establish a pleasing aesthetic based on your brand colours, fonts, logos and other key design elements.

Commercial premises often overlook it, but this is an opportunity for branding that you shouldn’t miss. Reinforcing your brand package looks smart and attractive and gives your long term customers added confidence.

Ask the experts

At The Sussex Sign Company, we have plenty of expertise is creating suites of signs that deliver the kind of customer experience that will keep them coming back for more.

We can advise your West Sussex business on every aspect of signage, helping you to create a memorable visual aesthetic and maximise the return on your investment. Contact us today to talk about your project.

Digital Wallpaper Signage and The Benefits For Your Business

Digital wallpaper is used when  you need to move beyond internal wall graphics to make a splash, you need digital wallpaper. This form of signage can bring texture and colour to a space, as well as cementing your brand personality. This type of large format printing is ideal when you want to create a showstopping display, perhaps by creating a fotowall of your brand achievements for a particularly eye-catching look.

1. More scope for creativity

Whether you want to cover your walls with product images or create a calming atmosphere to welcome your clients, digital wallpaper gets the job done with ease. Whatever style you choose, you can create a unique aesthetic for your premises, directing your clients’ attention towards your products and your brand in a creative way. That level of personalisation can help to differentiate your business from the competition by creating a unique identity.

2. Always look on-trend

Because digital wallpaper can be printed on-demand, you can always be at the bleeding edge of new marketing trends. That’s because digital wallpaper manufacturers don’t sit on their stock and they can be more responsive to changes in marketing. If you’re a business that relies on your visual branding being top notch and totally responsive to the latest marketing trends, your digital wallpaper can change with every marketing campaign. That way, your fashion or beauty business can always look on-trend.

3. Instantly memorable signage

Imagine walking into your hotel reception or a fashion boutique and discovering a stunning high definition fotowall that instantly sets the tone for the premises. By creating images unique to your business, you can set the tone as soon as your customers arrive. That kind of attention to detail can also be instantly memorable.

4. Boost your brand

Have you ever seen something so amazing that you had to photograph it and post an image on social media? If you want your premises to take advantage of the fastest growing social media platform and be Instagram worthy, then this kind of decoration creates that instant wow factor and boosts the profile of your brand. The interesting thing about your personalised digital wallpaper design is that it’s your brand that attracts the attention as much as your wallpaper.

5. It lasts longer

Digital wallpaper is the signage that lasts. You don’t get the chips, dirt and marks associated with traditional forms of decorating and you won’t need to redecorate in a couple of years because that expensive wallpaper or paint is looking a little dull. Instead of paying the hidden costs of constant redecorating, investing in digital wallpaper means you’re investing in durability and a long lifespan. Digital wallpapers are fully resistant to wear and tear and look fresher for longer – which saves you money in the long run. Digital wallpaper can get you inspired to take your business signs to the next level, with semi-permanent displays including high definition fotowalls. Want to know more about the ways that digital wallpaper can boost your London business? Get in touch with The Sussex Sign Company today for more details, and we’ll help you maximise your return on investment with internal signage. Call The Sussex Sign Company today on 01273 424900 or email us here

Internal Wall Signage Makes Good Business Sense

If you think that a coat of paint can equal a premium brand experience, then stop reading now. Internal wall signage are a savvy and cost-effective way to create a positive impact and they make excellent business sense when you’re creating a B2B or B2C purchasing experience.

Purchasing decisions are emotional

Imagine immersing your clients in an environment that’s creative and packed with brand-enhancing graphics. Immediately, you’ve put them in the right mood to consider your product and to associate it with the atmosphere you’ve created.

There’s no limit to where you can use internal wall signage either. Create a lobby area that engages your client from the outset with informative and stimulating graphics. Plaster the walls with images of your mouth-watering treats, your innovative graphic design ideas or your happy and productive staff and you’re already opening the conversation with your client in a way that delivers an experience they’ll enjoy and that will make them keep coming back for more.

Attract talent

If internal wall signage can engage and entertain your clients, imagine how they’ll impress potential employees? Creating a dynamic office or retail space is something that the likes of Google excel at, using digital wallpaper and internal graphics to showcase their creativity. It’s something that is filtering down, so that even young companies are harnessing the power of graphics to create the wow that their employees crave.

In a 2015 workplace review, 85% of respondents said that workplace design was important to their decision to stay with a company. Workplace design can be an influencer on job satisfaction, motivation and productivity, making it a must for talent retention.

A hassle free signage option

Yes, a coat of paint is relatively simple and straightforward. But even if you use a striking colour scheme and all the colour psychology theory you like, it still can’t match the power of the visual image. As humans, we retain information far more easily in graphic form, which makes internal graphics a smart way to transform your office or retail premises.

Vinyl wall graphics are a hassle-free option that transforms your space with the minimum of disruption. Painting leaves behind fumes and dust sheets can be a potential trip hazard, and a revamp of the physical workspace can be hugely disruptive and time consuming. However, adding beautifully-designed graphic signage can deliver stunning effects quickly and cost-effectively.

Achieve your objectives

If you want to build and enhance your brand, make employees happier and more productive, impact positively on the way that clients and customers approach your marketing and create the perfect decor for commercial or retail spaces, then wall graphics and signage can do it all.

At The Sussex Sign Company, we can wrap, print and otherwise transform your interiors with stunning wall graphics that make your shop or office a joy to visit and that create a user experience that positively motivates the purchasing decision. If you’re interested in enjoying the benefits of internal wall graphics and digital wallpaper for your business in West Sussex, contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.

 

Business signage and the benefits of LEDs

There are many benefits to changing to LED signage. Did you know that the per-lumen price of LED bulbs has fallen by a factor of fifty since they first came into use in the 1960s? In fact, LEDs are now so cheap that there’s really no excuse not to use them for your illuminated signs. Still need convincing? Here are the biggest benefits of LEDs for your business.

Exceptional Efficiency

A highly efficient technology, LED bulbs convert around 80% of the electricity they use into light. And because that light is generated in one specific direction, wastage is reduced, driving down your energy bills.

Extended Lifespan

LEDs don’t burn out – they simply fade away. And their lifespan is astonishing – an LED with a life expectation of 100,000 hours could stay continually lit for 11 years. Use that bulb for just eight hours a day and it could last as long as 20 years without replacement.

Eye-Catching Signage

LED light is instantly on at 100% and produces a clear, brilliant light in a huge range of colour options. Visible in sunlight, and pin-sharp at night, LED light creates the clearest illumination possible for your logo or outdoor signs.

There are none of the brightness issues associated with neon and far lower running costs. Thanks to their efficiency and durability, you can create beautiful effects that last far longer than other conventional lighting methods.

The Sustainable Choice

Whether your business has sustainability targets or not, lowering your environmental impact as a business is something your customers respond to. A typical 10W LED bulb uses around 80% less energy than a neon sign and can be fully recycled because there are no toxic materials involved in its design.

The benefits of LEDs include reducing the carbon footprint of your business by up to a third and support technology that preserves resources, one of the great benefits of LED illuminated signage is a savvy choice.

Easy to Maintain

Simple and durable, LEDs can be used just about anywhere. There are no glass tubes to break, and they’re simple to keep clean because they emit very little infrared or UV heat and therefore aren’t a burn hazard.

They’re a breeze to maintain, giving you long-lasting light with a fraction of the costs of other lighting systems.

Flexible Options

Smaller, thinner, brighter and completely controllable, LEDs are the ideal choice when you need to create signs that takes your marketing to another level. For example, LEDs will dim right down to 10% brightness smoothly and seamlessly.

The sheer range of options for colour and control make LEDs the obvious choice for professional-looking signage that effortlessly stands out from the crowd.

Ask the Professionals

If you want to harness the power, flexibility and benefits of LED lighting for your illuminated signs, then talk to us. At the Sussex Sign Company we offer end-to-end services to design, create, install and maintain your signage in London to the very highest standard, ensuring a maximum return on your investment. Call or email us for more info.

Five Best Practices When Creating Retail Signage

Your in-store signage is the first point of contact between your retail business and your customers, and critical to creating a valuable customer experience. In fact, 88% of independent store owners surveyed by A.R.E. | POPAI intend to increase their budget for signs and graphics over their previous year’s spend.

Retail signs are a highly effective way of converting customers and influencing and driving sales. However, it’s important that you fall in line with existing best practice for the best effect, because if you’re not displaying your message effectively or in the best possible way, then your investment will be wasted.

Invest in quality

Start by investing in the best quality materials you can afford. This projects a serious and professional image of your business and inspires confidence. When your wayfinding signs are high quality and your halo lit fascia sign is eye-catching and high impact, you’ll differentiate yourself from the competition in the most effective way possible.

Narrowcast your message

Visitors to your store may be time poor and not in the mindset to be receptive to a large message. By narrowcasting – literally narrowing your message down to the essentials – you’ll keep the content of your retail signs crisp and current. Keep your signage location-specific or product relevant for the best effect.

Be consistent in your signboard usage

If you only use your signs to showcase promotional offers or point the way to the toilets, then you’re guilty of not using your retail signs as effectively as you could. When creating wayfinding signs, walk the store to create the most consistent path through each zone and then think about the ways you can incorporate retail signboards to drive sales and engage with your customers by using signs to convert interest in a product to a sale.

Think about signage placement

Window signs will need to be anti-glare, exterior signs need to be legible from a distance and promotional offer signs need to be placed in your customers’ eyeline. The placement you use for your signs is critical to their effectiveness, so think carefully about positioning, lighting and colour schemes for your retail signs.

Keep it simple

Try writing your signs as headlines with a clear hierarchy – headline text, message body, call to action. The fewer words you can use to put across your message, the more effective it will be, so use the 5-second rule to refine your signs. If it takes longer than 5 seconds to convey your message, then you need to go back to the drawing board. An effective sign has one simple goal – to encourage the customer to act in a way that benefits your business.

Ask the experts

Looking for effective signage in London? At The Sussex Sign Company, we’re experts in getting the best possible return for your investment. We can create a suite of signs and signboards that will promote your business and convert passersby into customers, so contact us via phone or email today for more details.