What Your Sign Should Say: Creating Your Message

By Kara Klein
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5738849

One of the most obviously important parts of your custom outdoor sign is what is says. But the  message you choose to put on your sign is vital for more reasons than you think. The words you  put on your signage are more than just words; they're an important design element. The curvy  shapes and lines of each letter create word forms which utilize valuable space within the design.  You don't want your sign to be ignored by passing cars or left unread by those who wander by.  One of the biggest design mistakes we see is bad wording, and an ineffective sign could very  well lose you business. Once you choose the right message to put on your new outdoor sign,  you'll be on the right track!

Be obvious
Sure, it seems obvious. Your store is called Tina's, so that's what you're putting on your business  sign. But wait. Anyone who has never been to Tina's before won't feel a spark of interest when  they read your sign because they don't know what Tina's is. Is it a bakery? A jewelry store? A  carpentry shop specializing in wooden gnomes? There's no way of knowing. Your sign needs to  convey exactly what type of business you run because it may not be as obvious as you think.  Tina's Fine Clothing is a more appropriate message for the sign. Perhaps Tina's will be in big  block letters on top and Fine Clothing will be in smaller letters underneath. This way, your  marketing is effective and the name of your shop has not been changed.

Be clear
Being too joke-y or subtle with the message on your outdoor business sign can make it  confusing. Remember that wooden gnome carpentry shop? What if the sign read "Tina's Gnomes  - You Gnow It!" Believe it or not, some people might find that funny and clever! But if your  passing driver is not one of those people - or can't decipher the joke, you've probably just lost a  customer. Clear and simple is the best way to go

3 ½ Seconds
No, this isn't the title of a new action movie. 3 ½ seconds is about how long a passing motorist  looks at your outdoor sign. That doesn't give you much time. They key is to make your sign  easily readable in that small window of time. Overcrowding your sign with too many lines of  text will make it difficult to read. Using colors that blend together will make for a frustrated  reader so make sure your text is in a color that contrasts with the background so reading your  message is easy on the eyes.


Less is More
You now know that your custom outdoor signage shouldn't have too much text burying your  message. But how much is too much? Try to use as few words as possible. The magic number is  seven; so don't use more words than that. Remember, outdoor signs are meant to attract  customers and spark an interest in them. You don't need to explain everything about your  business up front - there's plenty of room for more signs once your target audience is interested  enough to pull in and walk inside. Because of this, you want your message to be as pithy as  possible. Don't say anything that isn't absolutely necessary. Tina's Bakery: Pastries and Baked  Goods is not an efficient message. The name of the shop, Tina's Bakery, tells us that there will be  pastries and baked goods inside, so the second line is unnecessary. For that matter, pastries are baked goods so the second line itself is redundant. A message such as Tina's Bakery: Always  Organic is much more effective. Nothing is repeated and the most important feature of the  business is stated.

You know the message on your outdoor business sign is important, and now you know just how  much. Keep it simple, clear and obvious and your sign will bring in the target audience you're  after.


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What Your Sign Should Say: Creating Your Message