Many small business owners use signs solely to announce their location to the public. While that is a great use for signs, the reality is that they can be used for radically more than just that. More often than not, correctly utilizing signs for multiple functions can make the difference between a highly successful business and a less successful one.

People read dozens of signs a day. Whether it’s a wet floor sign in the aisle of a grocery store, a traffic sign on the road, or a business sign on a building, people interact with signs constantly, most without even realizing it. Signs are often the first way a business communicates with a customer. Before a prospective customer enters a business, look at a product or service, or talk to the employees, a sign has already delivered a message to them. Making sure that a business’ signage delivers a positive message about their business is absolutely critical.

Using a sign to convey a business’ location is a critical function of a sign, and is the function that most small businesses use their signs for. Using a sign to point out a business’ location is a great way to reach out to people that are unfamiliar with the area and are traveling through blindly, and it’s also a great way to tap into impulse buyers. More importantly, though, signs can also be used to overcome a bad physical location. In crowded cities, new businesses will often end up being stuffed down alleyways and side streets, completely unfindable to the unknowing public. By correctly implementing sidewalk signs in the surrounding environment, business owners can direct customers to their stores in a cost-efficient and direct manner.

Signs should also be used to convey a message about a business. This includes not only the actual words printed on the sign, but also the image it sends to potential customers. The typeface, colors, size, graphics and materials all contribute to this. A black and white sign using a sans serif font might be good for a legal practice, while a party supply shop might want to use colorful letters and a more flashy font. Keep the actual message brief and legible, and also include keywords used in that field. While puns and clever wording may be more attractive to a small audience, a sign should also be understandable to the general public as well.

Finally, a business should also be using signage to actually sell its product. Sidewalk signs can be used to advertise new products, as well as any on going promotions and special offers. Signs are always on duty, always advertising your product, and always sending a message, so they can be just as valuable to a business as their salespeople are. For small businesses, signs are cost-efficient ways of advertising. While radio and television advertisements end after the payments end, signs require only a one-time investment and will continue to provide leads long after that.

A sign can do a lot, so it’s important to plan a sign out carefully, and not cut corners to reduce costs. By using signs in a more active way, small businesses can drive more people to their location, there by selling more product, which is the ultimate goal of any commercial venture.