Signage Your London Retail Premises Can’t Afford To Ignore

How long did it take you to get the design for your ecommerce site right? And the signage for your bricks and mortar premises in London? The fact is physical signs should never be an afterthought – they’re an important part of your sales team.

Signs can help your customers navigate your store, attract them to promotions and give valuable information. You pay close attention to the way your website looks. keeping it consistent with your branding. Paying the same attention to your signs will really pay off.

Getting your signage right first time

Before you start designing your signs, take a tip from the advertising business and narrowcast your message. By defining your ideal customer, you can target the right graphics and messages to make your signs effective and eye-catching.

– Keep it simple: the most effective signs have a clear and simple message. Too much information can be confusing and your signs will be ignored. If you can’t convey your essential message in 5 seconds, then shorten it or consider using more than one sign.

– Write a headline: use an effective message hierarchy of attention-grabbing headline, concise explanatory text, and a punchy call to action.

– Always add a call to action: every sign needs a simple, effective call to action that gets the customer to do something like call or visit your website.

The four signs you can’t ignore

Exterior signs

Whether you have a simple A frame outside your coffee shop or illuminated channel letters over the door, this is arguably your most important sign because it’s the one that captures your customers’ attention and gets them through the door.

These signs need to be branded effectively to convey an idea of the experience the customer can expect when they walk through the door. And they should make them want to cross the street to experience it.

Information signs

Wayfinding signs help your customers navigate easily around your premises and find what they’re looking for. Never underestimate convenience when it comes to attracting and retaining customers.

Once you start positioning your signs, you’ll become aware of any organisational snags that your customers will find frustrating, and can put them right. Keep these signs bold and colourful, but consistent with your branding.

Communicative signs

These will let your customer know about sales and promotions or they can showcase a new product. Done well, they can increase brand awareness, drive sales and even add a higher perceived value to a product.

Inclusive signs

When you’re appealing to customers, you need to be inclusive. That means complying with accessibility legislation not just in car parks and toilets but in the way you use your signs.

Signs should be both legible and readable and use pictograms and/or Braille where appropriate. Use san serif fonts and high contrast colours for the most effective signs and make sure they’re mounted at the correct height.

Effective signs for your store

If your retail premises need a new suite of exterior and interior signs, we can help. At The Sussex Sign Company, we have the experience and expertise to design, create and install signs that raise brand awareness and attract attention. Contact us today for signs that maximise your return on investment.

Signage made easy with Snap and Fix

A new product launched by Eurobond Adhesives has been designed to make attaching signage to surfaces, either on a temporary or permanent basis, much easier.

Snap and Fix can be used with a range of different materials to attach two items together. The product uses a system of mushroom heads that interlock with one another. This creates a secure connection when the two sides are pushed together. One of the main benefits of the Snap and Fix system is that it can be used again and again without impacting on the strength of the connection. The heads can be unfastened and then reattached as and when required, both crossways and lengthways.

The product has an acrylic self-adhesive back that is pressure sensitive, making it quick and easy to attach or remove. It can be used to mount signage to walls and other hard surfaces. It works with a number of different types of signage, without having an impact on the quality of the design.

Here at The Sussex Sign Company we are constantly looking at new products on the market. This enables us to come up with the most appropriate signage solutions for our customers.

SignClip sees increase in sales

SignClip, the fixing solution for temporary signage, has seen a significant increase in sales since it was first launched almost two years ago. The company behind the innovative product will now have the ability to increase production speeds, which will reduce the overall cost to their customers.

SignClip was manufactured specifically for use with temporary signs, which had previously been difficult to attach to poles and railings. The only other viable alternative was the use of cable-ties, which were not ideal. The clip is used to attach signs produced from corrugated plastic, making them much easier to put up and take down.

The product was first shown to the market at the Sign and Digital UK event in 2012 and, since then, it has gone from strength to strength. The company is looking to increase its reach further, showcasing it as the perfect choice for customers and sign-makers involved in the temporary or disposable signage market. As sales continue to increase, the company aims to keep unit prices as low as they can.

Here at Sussex SignsThe Sussex Sign Company, we can produce a wide range of different signage options for our customers. We can work around your individual requirements, to create a style and design that?s just right.

New concept in LED Lighting

Wandlite have launched a new LED light model, which has the ability to offer 360 degree tube lighting. The product is waterproof, durable and long lasting.

In the past, there has been a tendency for LED manufacturers to focus on the capabilities of the light, rather than the design elements. However, with the new Wandlite, it remains visually attractive as well as practical. The LED tape has been spiral wound along the tube to better direct the light.

This new LED light is extremely energy efficient. It uses 12v or power, but only takes up 1.2 amps of energy per metre. It can be used where there is no direct electrical supply, including outdoor and temporary settings. In these cases, the light can be used with a rechargeable battery, solar panel, car battery or cigarette lighter.

The Wandlite is available in a range of lengths, from 800mm to 2000mm. They can be used to independently or a number of tubes can be connected together to create a longer length. It can also be produced in a range of colours to meet customer needs.

Here at The Sussex Sign Company we can offer a range of illuminated signs to suit the requirements of our customers.

Advertising Signage: Less Pro, More Professional

A councillor in East Devon has challenged the local business community in Honiton to alter the character and appearance of advertising signs in the area. Councillor John O’Leary drew attention to a number of signs that greet shoppers entering Lace Walk Shopping Centre.

The councillor said: “We need to work more closely with businesses on what is acceptable and not acceptable. Some of the signs are terrible. Lace Walk looks like a brothel entrance.”

Councillor O’Leary suggested that the unsightly signage may be a consequence of the type of buildings in the area.

He added: “Because it [Lace Walk Shopping Centre] is not a listed building, they [the owners] can do what they like. We have got to do something to help businesses in Honiton. Businesses are closing and what we are going to be left with is charity shops, coffee shops and betting shops.”

The district councillor for East Devon did not clarify why he expected betting, coffee and charity shops to survive the crisis.

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we agree that inappropriate signage is a problem in many parts of the UK. Whether businesses close as a result of unsuitable signage is questionable, however. We always make an effort to create signs that are both tasteful and eye-catching”.

Fewer Road Signs – Tavistock Says Yes!

Following a public consultation, Devon County Council has agreed to reduce the number of road signs in Tavistock. The county council is expected to remove more than 50 road signs in the area.

The decision was made after a proposal to remove ‘repetitive’ road signs was endorsed by members of the public in Tavistock.

Councillor Debo Sellis, said: “We want to make the most of the town’s World Heritage Site status and this will start with the removal of signs to de-clutter the town centre.”

Ms Sellis noted that many signs in Tavistock were redundant. Citing one example, the councillor described how five signs spaced 180 metres apart indicated the presence of a roundabout.

According to Devon County Council, the response from the public consultation was definitive: 94 per cent of respondents were in favour of plans to remove unnecessary road signs from the streets of Tavistock.

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we believe that less can be more. Excessive use of signage can be counter-productive, as motorists, pedestrians and shoppers tend to ignore repetitive signs. We make signs that stand out. Signs that convey a clear, concise message in a way that is easy to understand and notice at the first attempt”.