You’ve taken the effort to print off a beautiful sign. You’re sure it will get results. You struggle to decide where it will serve you best, and end up placing it … and, crickets. No one notices it! If this sounds familiar, there’s a good chance that it’s not the sign that’s the problem. Proper signage strategy may simply be a matter of that old real estate adage: location, location, location. Here are three signage mistakes not to make.

Mistake #1: Failing To Diagnose High-Traffic Areas

When a gas station puts out their prices, they know exactly where their bread is buttered. They make money from the traffic on the road, so they put up a big expensive sign along the road, elevate it for visibility, and the result is that customers know where to buy gas. It’s a system that works over and over again. At this point, you wouldn’t trust a gas station that didn’t do this.

That’s why it’s so important for you to diagnose the high-traffic areas of your business. Will digital signage make sense for your waiting room? It will if your waiting room is where most of your foot traffic comes through. If not, think about alternatives.

Mistake #2: Forgetting About Elevation

Let’s say that you have a business with prime access to the road. There’s plenty of traffic driving through day and night, which means that your sign is bound to be spotted by many pedestrians and drivers alike. Sounds good so far, right?

But you shouldn’t forget about eye level. If a person driving by in a truck won’t be able to see a business yard sign from the road, then you’re not taking full advantage of that prime real estate. That’s why restaurants and gas stations are so careful to purchase signs that meet the eye level of drivers.

To make sure that your signage is working, try driving past your business. Really gauge just how your sign looks from the road. If your primary target is pedestrians, then walk by your business as if you’ve never seen it before. Give it a good look. It may seem silly to you, but it’s possible a simple boost in elevation can immediately increase the impact and visibility of your sign.

Mistake #3: Failure To Contrast

Even if you avoid mistakes 1 and 2, this mistake will render your sign practically invisible: the failure to contrast your sign with the surrounding environment.

A beautiful pine-green sign, for example, might be at eye level, near foot traffic. But if it blends into the backdrop of green landscaping… well, it’s not going to have the impact you’d hoped it would. For your signage strategy, it’s better to contrast your sign with surrounding elements. This doesn’t mean it should clash. But keep the colors and location in mind as you design your sign or consult with a signage company.

Developing Your Signage Strategy

Speaking of consulting with a signage company, let us help you avoid these mistakes. At Sign It Quick, we are experts at effective signage strategy. Request a quote to make sure your perfect sign matches the perfect location.