Which Sign is More Effective?

For many small businesses, signage is one of the most important marketing channels. Yet too many businesses miss the mark with their signs.

A poor sign is overcrowded, lacks visibility or otherwise fails to move the reader to the next level of the sales funnel.

So what makes a good sign?

A good sign is both simple and memorable. To achieve this, start with the objective of the sign. What do you want the reader to understand? What action do you want them to take?

Now focus on that specific objective and make a simple yet memorable sign. Good signage communicates one simple message that can clearly be remembered.

Take these two signs for example. Located on a busy street less than one block from each other, both these signs offer the same deal.

So which is more effective?

Well, the only way to really know is to document traffic counts. You should track traffic with your own signs particularly if you have a storefront. Put up a sign one day and count the number of people that enter based on that sign. Put up a different message the next day and count again. Repeat this and optimize your messages over time. You may find that "2 for 1" draws more business than "Clearance" or something along those lines.

Without the ability to track these signs, I would argue that the second sign is better. Yes, it is crude, unprofessional and incorrectly written. Hardly what many brands want to communicate. But the message is loud and clear.

Simple and memorable.

Move your business to the next level with simple and memorable signage. Proffesionalism is nice as you want your signs aligned with your brand, but if your message is not simple and memorable your sign will miss the mark.