How Strategic Signage In London Can Boost Your Sales

Every sign you create is an opportunity for you to communicate with your customers. Strategic signs and consistent messaging will help communicate your brand’s story, boost recognition, trust and ultimately, sales.

Signs no retailer can ignore

Your signs should direct, inform and be located to give maximum impact. Outdoor signage should not only create interest but drive customers towards your store, while wayfinding signs make the customer experience a smooth and pleasant one. Seamless journeys around your store can include maps and decals that drive customer traffic to specific areas. Signing for social distancing and a set direction makes it easier for customers to navigate your store and feel safe.

Persuasive signage should be located at the point of sale and should feature a very specific call to action that drives your customers’ purchasing decisions. Finally, inclusive signs extend a great customer experience to everyone who comes through the door.

The benefits of effective signage

From getting your customer through the door to guiding them smoothly around your layout, good signs are appealing and well located, with a clear message. A sign that is designed clearly can take the pressure off your retail team by answering customer queries at a glance.

Signs can be used to create a clear directional path through your store and can even point customers towards displays of items your keen to promote. This leaves your staff free to create a superb customer care experience that helps to differentiate your brand from the competition.

Optimise size for success

The size of your signage in London is critical to attracting customers. Differently sized signs achieve different purposes and need to adapt to different viewing angles. Try the 10 to 100 rule – 10 inches of letter height for every 100 feet of visibility.

Be careful, however, not to compromise readability. Scale graphics and frames to maintain balance and legibility and give your customers a call to action.

Signs that are designed to drive sales for a specific product have a tough job. Unlike signs that alert customers to discounts and clearances, you’ll need to create a very clear idea of the product’s benefits.

Don’t confuse benefits with features, however. Your soft drinks may be low in calories, but thirsty customers would rather know that they’re refreshing and thirst-quenching. Let customers know that your product solves their problem or makes life easier in some way. Show them how and why they need to purchase your product right now to enjoy its many benefits.

The 15-word rule

Want to create maximum impact? Then keep your message simple and observe the 15-word rule. Even with a more complicated promotion, a 15-word teaser will create a call to action that drives your customers towards the product you’re selling.

Match messaging with graphics for a sign that is simple yet unique and eye-catching. Humour and colour are two effective ways to make your signs stand out from the visual noise that bombards your customers every day.

Ask the experts

At The Sussex Sign Company, we can help you create eye-catching signage for your London store that will drive customers into your shop and boost your sales. Well-crafted signage is your secret weapon when it comes to succeeding in retail, so contact us today for more details.

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 Trends For 2020

If you thought signage was outdated, think again. The printed sign market is predicted to be worth over $47 billion by 2024, thanks to new print technologies and materials. So what are the trends that will be driving the way your London signs look through 2020 and beyond?

Bridging the technology gap

Marketers are reassessing print signs as a way to cut through and bridge the gap between digital and analogue technologies. Signs are recognised for their ability to promote brand recognition and attract customers.

The integration of technologies like Near Field Communication will bring print and digital closer together. Imagine a point of sale sign that your customer could tap with their mobile to receive a discount voucher. These multichannel experiences will be one of the key trends of 2020.

Increasing personalisation

Personalisation will impact on signs in several distinct ways. Customised and personalised print signage that delights and surprises your customers will add a sense of uniqueness to your premises through the use of digital wallpapers that are fully customised for your brand.

But personalisation extends beyond the finished product into every part of the sign making process. Customers are realising the value of working with one company who can walk them through the entire process from design to installation, ensuring the personalised results they require with an improved customer relationship that is responsive to their needs.

Creativity is king

Personalisation, creativity and quality will combine to create concept signs that deliver a complete brand experience.

There’s also a perceptible shift towards the return of minimalism in design, with less being used to do and say more for your brand. Consider Apple, the king of the minimalist brand experience. If your logo, signs and branding elements are due for an overhaul, consider letting less be more.

Continuing cost-effectiveness

A key driver of the market, printed signs will continue to provide a value added, cost-effective solution a range of businesses. The long lifespan of traditional signs, their effectiveness and lower investment make them an attractive alternative to digital signs. Properly installed and maintained, they’ll keep putting your message in the public eye with negligible ongoing costs.

Timely displays

Focused campaigns will move beyond Christmas and summer holidays to embrace a huge range of marketing opportunities. Vinyl window graphics are durable yet lightweight and can be installed in just a few minutes.

Your business will be on trend and responsive to customers’ needs and the graphics can be removed and reused for the next campaign.

Sell with the senses

2020 will see retail develop the customer experience through all five senses, allowing customers to smell, taste and touch products, as well as just see them.

Point of sale displays are the ideal way to encourage customers to interact with a new product and get excited by it. Creative signs are all part of the holistic experience directing customers to the products you want them to experience.

Signage for 2020

At The Sussex Sign Company, we can help your London based business create signs fit for the 2020s, with high quality materials and outstanding design. If you’re ready to harness the power of printed signs for your business, get in touch and our team will be happy to help.

Signage Fails And How To Avoid Them

Creating signage for your London business can seem like a nightmare and it’s easy to get it wrong. Nailing the design and readability, choosing the right materials and displaying your logo correctly are all time-consuming. It can seem easier to spend time and money on your website and forget your sign altogether, and that’s the biggest signage fail of them all – a stellar sign can do wonders for your brand appeal and integrity.

These hints and tips should help you avoid the most common fails and help you create killer signs that tie all your marketing channels together in your bricks and mortar premises.

Common design fails

There are three obvious design faults that can spoil the impact of your design: lack of contrast, the wrong choice of font and poor character spacing.

Your signage should incorporate your brand colours, but don’t be afraid to use a high contrast background, against which your logo and lettering can really pop.

When it comes to choosing fonts, classic san serif styles are always easier to read than gothic or handwriting style fonts and legibility is the name of the game. While your font can reflect the personality of your business, when it comes to Comic Sans, just don’t!

Spacing is all about creating an aesthetically pleasing look that is easy on the eye. A couple of useful tips are to measure and measure again, to make sure your letters don’t end up climbing up the side of your sign. And always use a template to ensure proper spacing for letters that can butt up to each other and those that can’t.

Size matters

It’s not just about readability, but do you know what your logo looks like when inflated to the right size for your new sign? You only have to Google ‘sign fails’ to identify seemingly innocent logos and images that went horribly wrong.

But size is a serious issue when it comes to creating signs that have maximum impact while retaining readability and legibility. From a viewing distance of 30 metres/100 feet, each letter needs to be 10cm/4 inches tall with a balanced negative space all around – you’ll need to factor this in when creating fascias and it may impact the installation location.

Material world

Do you really need premium materials for the sign you have in mind? Or will a minor upgrade ensure that your signs has a longer lifespan? Always choose the right quality of materials bearing in mind installation and location – what works for one business may not work for yours, and materials that perform well in one location might let you down if your installation is particularly exposed.

Avoiding signage fails with The Sussex Sign Company

If you’re fully invested in the success of your business, you won’t want to forget about your offline branding. Getting it right can have a huge impact on the way your business is perceived, and a well designed and executed sign can speak volumes about your brand.

At The Sussex Sign Company, we’ll help you avoid the obvious signage fails to create signs that promote brand recognition and maximise your return on investment. Contact us today to start maximising your offline business assets.

Signage: 3 Trends Your Food Business Needs To Know About

If you own a food business in London, you’ll constantly be on the lookout for savvy marketing to give you the edge. Sometimes it pays to go back to basics and take a look at the way your signage is performing when it comes to advertising your cafe, pop up or food truck.

Your signs are still the best way to differentiate your business. But to make you stand out from the crowd, you need to make some intelligent decisions about the signs you use to get customers to queue around the block for your food. These are just some of the biggest food sign trends that you’ll want to make the most of.

Branding your signage

It’s time to toss out any generic signs and get branding savvy. The creation of a suite of signs that reflects your brand colours, logo and messaging communicates to internal and external customers and delivers a professional edge for your business.

Work with a professional designer to incorporate your existing branding or to work on a new personality for your signs. Customers want to connect with you as part of their experience and well-designed signs have a part to play in that personalisation.

Connecting online and offline signs

The chances are your business has a high level of social engagement. You probably use Instagram to post images of delicious plates and Twitter and Facebook to keep customers up to speed with specials and discounts.

You need to connect the dots between online and offline and make sure your social contacts are included in your signs, so your customers know where to find you online. Street signage is ideal for the task – include a witty or motivational phrase on your A-frame board and encourage your customers to share on your social networks to reinforce the message.

Explore vinyl wraps

If your business is based out of a food truck, then a vinyl wrap is a marketing opportunity you can’t afford to miss. Wrap your truck with images of tasty food or even your menu and you’ll stand out from the crowd.

But vinyl isn’t just for vehicles. This type of non-disruptive advertising is also perfectly at home in your bricks and mortar cafe. Add mouthwatering images, a thought-provoking message or some well thought out branding and your digital wallpaper will become an instant Insta trend.

Vinyl wraps or digital wallpaper are also ideal for time-limited campaigns or to make the most of your interior space. Eye-catching and engaging, this type of marketing is the smart way to make the most of every inch of your real estate, static or mobile.

Help your London food business stand out Now more than ever, it pays to have a serious sign strategy. Rather than sticking up a generic sign and forgetting about it, taking the time to understand how your business comes across to your customers and creating flexible signs that attract across a range of marketing channels will mark you out from the competition.

At The Sussex Sign Company, we specialise in maximising your return on investment, so contact us today to find out about flexible signs for your business.

Interior Signage Is Something No Retailer Can Ignore

Want to attract customers and drive sales to your London retail premises? High quality interior signage can do that and so much more. Think of it as an extension of your website, with clear navigation and eye-catching design that help your customers to navigate your bricks and mortar premises and make the most of any offers and promotions.

Narrowcast to target your audience

Narrowcasting is all about putting the right sign in the right place. That means being specific about location or a product, and keeping the message itself simple. With interior signage you can aim to convey the main themes of your sign in 5 seconds or less. If you miss the mark, narrow the focus down to just one key message or use a series of signs to get the full message across.

Hit the headlines

When you’re pinpointing the messages you want to narrowcast, try writing in headlines. In other words, be as punchy and concise as possible and then see whether you can take out any unnecessary language.

Observe the strict hierarchy of interior signs by following the following structure: headline, explanatory text, call to action. An effective sign will have the goal of getting the customer to do something, so make sure you create a killer call to action.

Finding your way

Also known as directional or informational signs, wayfinding signage is designed to help your customer navigate your premises. Make it is easy for them to find what they’re looking for and they’ll appreciate the convenience and return another time.

These types of signs need to be bold, concise and eye-catching, so think about the fonts and colours you need to use for customers to understand the message of the sign at a glance.

Using directional signs has another benefit when you’re laying out your store. You’ll quickly establish what signs need to go where and whether your layout is easy to navigate. It all helps to create a satisfying customer experience.

Persuade with signage

Do you want to draw your customers’ attention to a particular product or promotion? Do you want to influence consumer behaviour or highlight an unloved product?

Effective persuasive signs can create a hidden gem or raise the perceived value of an item. They can increase the awareness of certain brands and drive retail sales, so make them eye-catching and witty.

Be inclusive

Creating a customer experience applies to all customers equally, which means paying attention to the inclusivity of your signs. For example, you may need to use certain high contrast colours or legible fonts and provide Braille or tactile alternatives to certain signs.

Ensure that signs are installed at the correct height for your disabled customers – if you have accessible facilities and you’re not promoting them, then you’re marginalising your customers.

Optimise interior signage

At The Sussex Sign Company, we can help you create a suite of interior retail signs, including decals and digital wallpaper, that can boost brand awareness, give your premises pizazz and delight all your customers, while maximising your return on investment. Contact us via phone or email to get the ball rolling.

Contact The Sussex Sign Company today to see how we can help you.

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

Why Outdoor Signage Is As Important As Facebook

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You know you need to have a social media presence, but for a high street business, high-quality signage is still a savvy marketing strategy. Nothing builds brand awareness like outdoor signs that are well-designed, well-executed and displayed correctly.

Visual communication

While your Facebook page can build your digital profile, nothing brands you in your community like a sign above your premises. That’s what your potential customers walk or drive past on a daily basis, and it creates brand awareness and provides vital visual communication. It’s that communication that can be critical for the success of your business.

Signs let potential customers know where you are and that you exist – 76% of respondents to a recent FedEx study said they visited a store they never knew existed because of its sign, and 75% were happy to recommend a business based on its sign. Those numbers are too persuasive to ignore.

Your sign is not dependent on SEO to make an impact, and it can stand out in all weathers, creating thousands of impressions that Facebook just can’t match.

Is bigger signage better?

Size matters when you’re designing a sign – the sign itself, the objects that contextualise it and the size of the font. An oversized sign can detract from the message, whereas a small, well-placed sign can create a bigger and better impact than a larger one.

Some types of sign are already restricted in our cityscapes, including estate agents signboards. In fact, the overall size of the sign is not as important as the message that your sign conveys, thanks to the complicated and complex way we sequence and process a sign when driving or walking past.

What makes offline branding the right fit for your business is the unique value proposition that this kind of differentiation delivers for your business. Be bold but restrained and you’ll make maximum impact.

First impressions count

Your signage delivers the fundamentals of your branding in the blink of an eye. Therefore, creating that killer first impression through your signs means approaching them in the manner of an elevator pitch. If your pitch works, your customer will step inside, but that can only happen if your signs are consistent, clear and concise, with enough interest to draw your customers in.

Be seen

With Google rumoured to be building an ad-blocker directly into the next version of Chrome, the chances of getting your online ads seen are diminishing. With 26% of your audience already using ad-blockers, is your message getting through?

Using signs, you can communicate directly with your potential customers, thanks to their visibility and clear call to action. If static signs don’t work with your business, consider using vinyl car wraps to create thousands of impressions for just a few pence.

Ask the experts

When you’re looking to create high impact signage in West Sussex, it can be tough to get the messaging and design right. But when great signs can have as big an impact as your Facebook presence, why not ask the experts? At The Sussex Sign Company, we can help you maximise your ROI for signs with a greater reach than online marketing alone. Contact us today via phone or email and we’ll be happy to help.

Get The Most Out Of Directional Signage For Your East Sussex Event

Whether you’re organising a charity fun run or a festival, directional signs are a critical part of the audience experience. Here’s how to get the best out of directional signage.

Keep it simple

They say that less is more, and it’s the smart approach when creating wayfinding signs for your event. Keep the design clean and simple for the biggest impact.

Use colour for visible signage

If the message needs to be simple, you can add interest with colour and fonts. Black text on yellow is highly legible, but you can experiment with your corporate colours. Stick to san serif fonts to create modern and readable signs.

Put signs where your audience see them

Don’t restrict signs to certain places. Scatter them visibly throughout the event, so that people always know where the closest toilet or refreshments tent can be found. Make sure you walk the course or the event space before the event to ensure that signs are exactly where they’re needed.

Point the way

Finally, make sure that your signs are unambiguous – arrows shouldn’t be confusing and may need to be supported with other explanatory signs. If you need help to get the most out of your event signage, contact The Sussex Sign Company via phone or email today.

Choosing The Best Sign Material For The Job

If you need new signs, then the chances are you’re looking for a high quality sign making company to deliver on your concept. You’ll need to think about design, manufacture, installation and the type of material to be used.

Whatever the kind of signage you have in mind – whether that’s a shop window sign, wayfinding signage or signs for schools – it’s critical that you choose the right material for the job. Will you be wall mounting your sign, creating a car wrap design or covering up an existing signboard? Or will you be creating a new freestanding rigid sign or display? Is this an interior or an exterior sign, and for permanent or temporary display? When you have the answers to those questions, you can start making choices about available materials.

As with any aspect of the sign making process, a good sign company in Arundel or elsewhere will be able to guide you through the process, offering the right material for the signage you have in mind.

I want to cover an existing rigid sign

If you have an existing sign that you simply want to cover with a new image, then printed self adhesive vinyl is the savvy choice. This has a white surface and can be overprinted with your branding, slogans, or even a high resolution image. It’s a clever way to recycle existing signage without breaking the bank.

I want to put a sign in a window

Printed clear self adhesive vinyl can be printed on in reverse, stuck to your window, and then backed with white vinyl. The effect is crisp and smart and the vinyl is lightweight and can be easily removed when you want to update your signage.

I want something flexible

If you want to create a stunning wall display, or a car wrap design with plenty of impact, you need cut self-adhesive vinyl. This comes in a wide range of colours and is most often used to produce single colour text or silhouette shapes. Unlike using a wall stencil, it’s easy to unpeel cut vinyl, making it ideal for temporary displays or to add design accents for summer or Christmas promotions.

These types of cut stickers are often seen as single panels on a car, when a fully vinyl wrap is not required. They can even be used on display stands to spice up your exhibit, but remember to remove them if your stands are hired.

I need a rigid sign, after all

There are three main types of material that are used for rigid signage. These are usually known by their brand names: Correx, Foamex and Dibond. These are also sometimes known by other names and come in various thicknesses. Each has its particular strengths and weaknesses as a material, which your sign company will explain.

I want an estate agent’s sign board

The cheapest form of sign board is Correx and it’s ideal for estate agent signage. This is a type of corrugated plastic sheet that’s super lightweight, and it should be printed with weatherproof inks, then laminated, for superior weather resistance. Correx signs are often used when low cost temporary signage is required – on a building site or for a short term exhibition, for example.

For outside use, a Correx sign should be mounted to an additional wooden board for strength, as the material is prone to bending along the flutes when caught in a strong wind. Washers should always be used to stop the screwheads ripping through the board.

I want an outdoor wayfinding sign for a visitor attraction

PVC foam sheet is an excellent material for use indoors and out, and comes in 3mm, 5mm and 10mm thicknesses. Foamex offers good durability while also being cost effective and it behaves like a solid plastic sheet.

Foamex has an excellent strength to weight ratio, although the 10mm sheets can be quite heavy for larger signs, making Dibond a better option. Because this material is so easy to cut, it can be used to create really exceptional signage for indoor and outdoor use. It’s waterproof too, so it can withstand the worst that the British weather can throw at it!

Opt for lightweight 3mm for indoor boards that can be wall mounted with velcro, and use the thicker boards for outdoor signage that has great strength, resistant and durability – ideal for wayfinding signage. These outdoor signs are simple to drill and attach with screws.

I need a permanent display sign for a coastal café

You need Dibond, the longest lasting of the rigid materials. Consisting of a solid sheet of polyethylene at its core, sandwiched between two thin aluminium panels, Dibond is just 3mm thick, but can stand up to heavy wind and rain.

There’s no limit to the signage shapes you can create with Dibond, as it can be drilled, screwed and shaped with ease. It has a huge range of uses, from shop signage to exhibition and event signage and so much more. Dibond can also be clamped to metal poles for even greater stability.

Dibond is fantastically light and terrifically strong, making it the premium choice for rigid signage, especially where it needs to stand up to all weather conditions and stay looking good for years.

I need to find a good sign company in Arundel

At the Sussex Sign Company, we can help you create permanent or temporary signs for interior or exterior use that will make the best possible first impression. When your visual assets are so important, let us help you maximise your return on investment by creating signs that use the right materials for the perfect installation. Contact our friendly and knowledgeable team by phone or email for more details.