Characteristics of a Killer Logo
Is Your Office Environment Welcoming Clients or Chasing Them Away?
Characteristics of a Killer Logo
Is Your Office Environment Welcoming Clients or Chasing Them Away?
If your business had a face, it would be your sign. Customers judge your whole company based on your sign alone. Consequently, your sign is an invaluable part of your marketing.
To make sure you have an effective display that will work for your business, avoid these 10 common sign mistakes.
Giving Too Much Information
When making your sign, you don’t have to announce all your services, your hours, your experience, your name, and your promotions all in one small space. This makes it difficult to scan and read quickly, which can deter some customers. Instead, you should have one main sign, and then other smaller signs if necessary.
You should also make sure your main, permanent sign is simple, clean, and effective. The design should reflect your company’s culture and what you do without flooding the customer with unnecessary information.
Having Incorrect Information
The information on your sign should be accurate and up-to-date. If you’ve stopped offering a particular service, make sure you take it off your sign. Customers will be angry if they come in for a service that you clearly advertise but don’t actually offer.
If you list services on your sign, make sure they are the ones you have always offered and always will. Specific services that are subject to change should have separate advertising whenever possible.
Using Amateur Designs
Good designs are expensive. However, it’s worth it to pay for professional work. Your sign represents your business to your customers. As a vital part of your livelihood, it’s not worth it to skimp on quality.
You’ve probably seen logos and signs for other businesses that do not come across the way they were intended. This includes images that accidentally look like something they shouldn’t as well as signs that are boring or unattractive. These mistakes can destroy your legitimacy with one glance.
For your sign design, invest in a professional who has experience and a proven record. Work closely with the professional to make sure the sign portrays the right ideas about your company.
Choosing Bad Colors
Colors can say a lot about your company without ever saying a word. Colors should be reflective of you and your audience.
Make sure your colors communicate the proper tone. Don’t choose bright, fun colors for a serious business. For example, lots of primary colors would probably be inappropriate for a funeral home.
Choosing Bad Fonts
Similar to bad colors, your sign’s font can have a remarkable impact on your customers’ perception of your brand. A bad font choice can have a negative effect and give a wrong impression about your company.
Think of a popular company and their chosen fonts. Now consider how your perception of them would change if they switched to a radically different font style. For example, if Apple started using elaborate cursive, it might give the impression that their products are complicated and extravagant rather than simple and easy to use.
Your goal should be to communicate the proper tone, and the right font can reflect your ideals.
Having Careless Maintenance
Your sign should be well-lit, clean, and kept up. If your sign is a simple banner, make sure you consistently tighten it so it doesn’t sag. If your sign becomes faded or damaged, take the time to repair or replace it. If you have a neon or lit sign, make sure all of its letters are working.
Being Inconsistent
All your signage should be consistent with one another and with your brand. Your customers expect a consistent aesthetic, and they can be irritated by jarring changes.
Consequently, your signs should encourage your services and commerce, not distract from them. Don’t switch between fonts, colors, or styles unless you’re trying to create an eclectic feel.
Being Hard to Read
Customers are not going to spend time trying to interpret a difficult message. Your impact needs to be immediate and effective, or you won’t be able to hold their attention.
The words on your sign should be easily visible against the background. Your words should also be clear and easy to see and understand.
Buying Into Trends
If your business is trendy, your signage can be trendy. However, if you’re planning on staying in the same office for an extended time, make sure your design won’t look outdated in 10 years.
Also reassess your designs over time to make sure they’re still relevant.
Overcrowding the Space
Don’t be afraid of white space. It’s not a waste; it helps people differentiate information and it holds their attention.
Customers will not react well to blocks of text or a crowded interface because it means they have to search for information. Most clients won’t take the time to do that, and you will lose business.
Your sign can be your best salesperson. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can have an effective sign that brings customers right to your door.
