What’s the number one mistake most businesses make with their signage right off the bat? Simple: they buy the wrong one.

You wouldn’t buy a sandblasted sign for a point of sale issue. And you wouldn’t buy a vehicle decal if you don’t have a phone number or a website. Instead, you have to match your services to the sign you’re choosing. And you also have to ensure that your sign satisfies these two principles:

Consider Your Customer

Have you walked a mile in your customer’s shoes? Chances are the last time you purchased a sign, you just wanted something that “looked good” on your property. You didn’t take the time to consider what your customers needed. This time you’re not going to make that mistake. This time you’re going to start the process off by asking yourself a few questions:

• Who is your ideal customer?
• What kinds of signs do they pay attention to? What kinds of signs do they pass by?
• What kind of advertisements to they tend to listen to?
• Where do they get their entertainment? Which books, magazines, movies, TV shows?
• What information from you would they need to take action? A phone number? A menu? An address?

This might seem like an almost obsessive amount of detail. But it’s important to see things from your customer’s perspective before you even choose how you’re going to proceed. If you don’t put your sign—and any of your advertisements—in front of where your customers are looking, then you’re never going to have the results you could have. And if you don’t give your customers a clear “next step” to seek out your business, you’ll never hear from them in the first place.

Make Message Clear For Everyone

You might think your message is clear. “Great burgers.” “Realty services.” But what is so compelling about your service that it would make someone want to stop what they’re doing and call you up right now? That’s a different question entirely.

That’s why it’s so integral to make sure that your message is clear. You might think it’s clear, but consider your customer. They’re busy. They have lots on their plate. They have a job, a family to raise, and they’re deluged with a host of new advertisements on a daily basis. Just because you advertise “great services” doesn’t mean you’re going to pick up their attention—even if they’re in the market for your specific offerings.

Browse through the services available here at Sign It Quick and check out the kind of sign that you believe that your customer would appreciate—not your own personal favorite sign. Where do you encounter the most potential customers? If it’s on the road, then get a vehicle decal. If it’s with a point of sale system, then that’s where you should go. Don’t purchase a sign just because you want it. Make sure your message is clear, your customer can see it, and that your choice of sign accomplishes both feats—then you’ll know which sign to pick.