Last year I enjoyed a boat ride on the Pearl of the Lake around Lake Pepin. As we were heading toward the Wisconsin side of the lake, I spotted a beautiful building on the bluff. “What is that building?” I asked several people.
No one knew.
The building was difficult to ignore, and I continued to glance at it as long as I could. I even took a couple of pictures of it. I wonder if that’s someone’s home? I thought.
Last week my question was answered. The building is a beautiful bed and breakfast, meticulously designed both inside and outside. I assume that the owner has not taken the boat ride. If that had happened, the owner would have noticed the lack of a sign announcing that the beautiful building was a bed and breakfast with a spectacular view.
With this incident on my mind, I began noticing other situations where signage was either missing or not done well. I picked up a friend who was having her car fixed at an automotive place. The place had a sign by the road, but the automotive business was in a building which was set back behind another building. The business shared its building with several other businesses. There were four doors into the building, and none of them had a sign indicating which door lead to which business.
Then I drove by a strawberry stand with the sign “Fresh Strawberries.” Isn’t the word “fresh” a waste? Who would be selling stale strawberries? Wouldn’t the space be better used stating the name of the business? I noticed that Govins’ sign says “Govins’ Strawberries.” That is good marketing. Govins are promoting their business and their brand on the sign along with telling that strawberries are available at the stand.
Signs are an often overlooked but very important marketing tool. They give information on site and from a distance. They highlight a feature. They spotlight an item. They announce what business resides in a building. They explain how and where to access a building. They are an opportunity to reinforce your business and your brand.
How are you using signage for your business? Do you tell customers that your business is in your building? Do you use signs to explain to customers how to access your business? Do you use every opportunity with signs to give your customer information? Do your signs help customers do business with you quickly and easily? Do your signs promote your business and your brand?
Step back from your business and look at it through your customers’ eyes. How can you improve your signage?
No one knew.
The building was difficult to ignore, and I continued to glance at it as long as I could. I even took a couple of pictures of it. I wonder if that’s someone’s home? I thought.
Last week my question was answered. The building is a beautiful bed and breakfast, meticulously designed both inside and outside. I assume that the owner has not taken the boat ride. If that had happened, the owner would have noticed the lack of a sign announcing that the beautiful building was a bed and breakfast with a spectacular view.
With this incident on my mind, I began noticing other situations where signage was either missing or not done well. I picked up a friend who was having her car fixed at an automotive place. The place had a sign by the road, but the automotive business was in a building which was set back behind another building. The business shared its building with several other businesses. There were four doors into the building, and none of them had a sign indicating which door lead to which business.
Then I drove by a strawberry stand with the sign “Fresh Strawberries.” Isn’t the word “fresh” a waste? Who would be selling stale strawberries? Wouldn’t the space be better used stating the name of the business? I noticed that Govins’ sign says “Govins’ Strawberries.” That is good marketing. Govins are promoting their business and their brand on the sign along with telling that strawberries are available at the stand.
Signs are an often overlooked but very important marketing tool. They give information on site and from a distance. They highlight a feature. They spotlight an item. They announce what business resides in a building. They explain how and where to access a building. They are an opportunity to reinforce your business and your brand.
How are you using signage for your business? Do you tell customers that your business is in your building? Do you use signs to explain to customers how to access your business? Do you use every opportunity with signs to give your customer information? Do your signs help customers do business with you quickly and easily? Do your signs promote your business and your brand?
Step back from your business and look at it through your customers’ eyes. How can you improve your signage?
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