Choosing the right shops signs

Industry Insights: Choosing the right shop signage

As part of our Retail signage blog series we spoke to Sophy Louth, Marketing & Operations Executive at Signs Express (Portsmouth) about choosing the right shop signs for your business.

Sophy revealed that it’s important to start by asking yourself some questions…

Are you planning on opening a new business, or rebranding the one you already have? Did you know that 8 in 10 customers will enter a store based on its signage? In fact, in a survey conducted by The Signage Foundation, 60% of businesses saw a 10% increase in sales when updating their signage.

Whilst it might seem that the inside of your store is the most important aspect, poor or badly designed signage can deter people from entering and can almost leave your business invisible.

So, what is the best way to approach new signs, and choose the best options for you? What are the questions that our customers typically ask us when looking for the best solutions?

I am opening a new store, what do I need to do to get started?

When looking for signage, it is best to consider your brand as a whole and how your signage can match your aesthetic. Once you have contacted us, we can arrange a site survey to discuss how you want the signs to look, and then we can use our expertise to advise on what we think would work well for you.

If you have design ideas or brand guidelines and colour palettes, you can also bring these along to the meeting for us to discuss.

Emma Jean Shop Signs & Window Graphics Portsmouth

I’m not sure what type of signage I would like, how do I choose?

Budget is always a deciding factor on what type of signage you choose, but that shouldn’t stop you from exploring all the options and potentially changing your mind about what it is you are looking for. When we attend the site survey, we can talk you through all the options available to you, this could be everything from Dibond panels with print, stand-off lettering, all the way through to illuminated signage.

The area you are in will also have an impact on what you choose. Some areas may have restrictions on the type of signage you are allowed, so when you are moving into your new premises or rebranding it would be advisable to check with the local council/landlord on what is and isn’t allowed.

Your location can also help you determine the look. Are you by the coast? Are you in a busy city centre? Keep your signage simple and use colours that suit your environment to make it more appealing to the customer.

By The Beach Social

I’ve decided on the signage type, what’s next?

Next comes the fun part, the design of your signage. We discuss any ideas or logos you may have and then pass these over to our artwork team.

We can then have a look at environmental factors when putting this together to make sure that your signage will complement your surroundings, but also make sure that it showcases your brand. We will ask you to pick colours and have a look at how best to make these work. Typically you should have two strong brand colours with one other colour to use as an accent.

With a rebrand it might be about changing your brand, without losing the identity you have worked so hard to build, so we can work with you on ways to keep your image without losing your customer base.

National Plastics Fascia Signs Portsmouth

My main signage is complete, what else can I do to show off my brand?

Lots, the sky’s the limit! Window graphics are another way in which you can utilise signage, and these can be easily changed to promote special offers or deals you have available in the store. It is an easy way to catch the eye of passing trade and draw them into store.

You can also use internal signage such as wayfinding or graphics to help customers to find specific items, or show off specific items that you have in your shop.

Wall graphics are also another way to brighten up your space and create an eye-catching feature. Anything you can think of, we can create.

 

Cornerstone Wall Graphics by Signs Express Portsmouth

Final Top Tips

  • Keep it simple – You might want to choose the fanciest designs, but this can cause confusion. The best signage has a simple message, with a select amount of colours.

 

  • Avoid fancy fonts – Whilst these might seem appealing, they make it difficult for a customer to read. Make sure you can be easily seen at a glance.

 

  • Utilise space – If you have a large fascia area, you don’t always have to fill it. Make sure that your signage is visible to all passing trade but doesn’t overcomplicate.

 

  • Be creative – showcase your creativity and stand out from your competitors, this gives you the edge in a crowded market.

 

  • Make sure it works – Utilise our experience, if you want specific types of graphics speak to our team who can advise on the best solution for you.

 

For further advice, contact your local centre to find out more.

 

Quob Shop Window Graphics Portsmouth

More like this

What our customers say

Rated 5 stars out of 5
Very professional and understanding and fast 
Mrs Lebatteux - Shillingford St George Village Hall
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
I had an excellent experience with Signs Express Exeter, particularly thanks to Joe, who was incredibly helpful throughout the process. The...
Andrew Horide - Heavitree Osteopaths
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Signs were all installed today – great bloke you have working for you, nice chap and very accommodating. All the Graphics look great – Th...
Brendon Giles - WHP Telecoms LTD
Signs Express
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Quick, professional, and quality products. Great communication. Great price! Can't go wrong. 
Jonny Rae - Fibre News
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Superb service, very fair price, very straightforward and easy to work with, will definitely use them again! Thank you 
Matthew Cauchois - Pressure Washing Exeter
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Contacted Signs express for some new signage and they were amazing. We had a very tight time frame and they were able to supply and fit in...
First Steps Community Playgroup - First Steps Community Playgroup
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Thank you so much for all your help re the sign writing for the van, it is really lovely and I am super pleased with it. The whole process...
Nicola - Petals & Posies
Signs Express
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Started using Signs Express Harlow last year, have always worked with Tom. Communication and updates from the company are always brilliant...
Emily Bannister - Victorian Sliders
Google
Hi Mike, Couldn’t be more pleased with the sign, it’s perfect!! Please could you do the other one exactly the same 👍 Best regards Bern...
Bernadette O’Sullivan - Woodcroft Stud
Signs Express
Rated 5 stars out of 5
What can I say,professional from start to finish? Excellent job would highly recommend. Very fair price and update me all the way through t...
Julian Marks - Roofcare South West
Google
Hi Michael, I’m delighted with the window sign and your service.  
MICHAEL STOPFORD (1) - Cumulus Bookkeeping Services
Signs Express
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Signs Express were incredibly helpful and our banners were available to collect within days. Excellent quality, reasonably priced and grea...
Becky Hulse
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Great company to deal with and very patient with the many amendments to the design we went with. Van looks stunning - a real eye-catcher an...
Kulvinder Singh
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Fantastic service from the start designing the logo and graphic for my van to the final installation on the van. Kept up to date with vario...
Richard Croston
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
A very professional fast efficient service. The work was completed on time and to a very high standard. I would highly recommend them if yo...
Ian Mounter - IDM Airless
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
They went over and above to not only include all the edits I wanted, but they also moved their schedule around to fit me in. The service is...
Sophie Chappell
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Big thank you to everyone at Signs Express Bristol. We provided the photos and let your team do the magic. Great communications with your t...
Rupert Gladstone - Spitfire Avian Pest Control Ltd
Facebook
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Great service from Ben, Chris and the team. They took the time to understand our requirements and weren't phased with multiple change reque...
Construction Testing-Solutions-Ltd
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
We've recently worked with Signs Express helping a lot of our customers with their printing at an event we organise called The Business Sho...
Ricky Cobbledick
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
We used Signs Express to sign write 2 of our vans. Chelsea did a fantastic job in helping us design the vans and was very quick to respond...
Oliver Koeller
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Gavin was great! Amazing service and friendly staff. Really sustainable product, would highly recommend! 
Grace Mead
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Signs Express are great to work with - highly recommended. They helped me design and apply a wrap for my car. Looks great, everyone was su...
Paul Grosvenor
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Great service and friendly people. Huge thanks to the team who managed to fit in a last minute request and deliver a quality product. Defin...
Rebecca Simpson
Google
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Totally brilliant service. Excellent price. Well recommended. 
Mike Davies - Mike Davies Associates Ltd
Google