The Importance of Adequate Shop Signage

The Importance of Adequate Shop Signage

In the modern-day business world, shop signage plays a crucial role. An instantly recognisable shop sign is a crucial element of strong brand identity and can spell the difference between customers patronising a certain business or ignoring it.

This element of appeal and recognition is even more important in the case of a small and medium business, which does not have the benefit of word-of-mouth or global brand awareness on its side. Because of their positioning and presence in public consciousness, larger corporations can change their shop signage without losing too much impact in the process; the same, however, is not true of small businesses. A budding company or shop can live or die from being distinctive and memorable, and suitable shop signage goes a long way towards ensuring that goal is met.

The importance of adequate shop signage goes far beyond mere visual recognition, as well; choosing the correct type of signage can be beneficial to a business in a number of other ways, some of which business owners may not be aware of. As specialist sign makers, we here at Elite Sign Solutions feel it is our duty to make business owners aware of these additional advantages of suitable business signs, and it was in that spirit that we have attempted to explain, in detail, the importance of adequate shop signage. That attempt can be read in the lines below.

Brand Identity

When seeking to explain the importance of adequate shop signage to the success of a business, it is impossible to ignore the concept of brand identity. Shop signage is a key element of this particular aspect of business marketing, and as such, it is important that consumers and shop owners alike know what it refers to and why it is important to the success of a business.

According to Investopedia, the term ‘brand identity’ refers to the way a business wants to be perceived by its consumers, as well as to the values they want to embody and put across to their customer base. The same website mentions name, logo, typeface, tone and tagline as the main components of brand identity, which work together to create the overall perception of a brand.

One common misconception, particularly among laymen, has to do with the concepts of brand identity and brand image. Many people believe these two terms to denote the same thing, when in fact, they refer to significantly different concepts; brand image refers to the way the brand is actually perceived, rather than to how it wants to be perceived. As an example, a brand may want to come across as eco-friendly and ‘green’, but be perceived by consumers to be wasteful and environmentally harmful; the former concept is the brand’s intended identity, while the latter constitutes its image among the general public. It is important that shopkeepers and business owners, particularly those less versed in the field of marketing, be aware of this distinction, so as not to accidentally work towards the wrong concept.

The Role of Shop Signage

With this in mind, it is not hard to see how to shop signage plays a part in helping enforce brand identity. The visual representation of a brand, either through a simple logo or a full sign, tends to be the first cue customers pick up on with regards to that brand, as noted above, and it is therefore important that its physical manifestation – that is to say, shop signage – be as visible and instantly identifiable as possible.

Examples of companies where shop signage plays a key role in brand recognition are plentiful across the western world. McDonald’s golden arches, KFC’s Colonel Sanders, Sainsbury’s bright orange banner and font or Sports Direct’s red and blue lettering, to quote but a few, are all examples of instantly recognisable shop signs, which help add to brand identity and enable customers to identify, at a glance, what shop they refer to. It is no coincidence that, with the odd exception, these companies’ signs tend to be large and placed directly above the shop entrance, commanding the customer’s field of vision as they approach; this is done to attract the consumer’s attention and draw them into the shop, whilst simultaneously reinforcing brand identity.

For small and medium businesses, this element can be so important as to be crucial. Gone are the days where all shop headers looked the same, and each individual establishment was identified by the products in its window; in today’s business world, distinctive, attractive and adequately placed shop signage is an essential element to help a business stand out from its competitors in a busy high street or shopping arcade. This factor takes on particular importance should the independent business be attempting to compete with larger, franchised companies, which do place significant emphasis on the size, visual appeal, and striking nature of their shop signs.

This is why large, clearly visible and visually distinctive shop signage is essential for independent small or medium businesses. By making their physical location or locations stand out visually, these businesses will be able to not only attract customers, but also ingrain their logo into consumer consciousness. This, in turn, is useful towards not only brand identity, but brand awareness, as consumers are more likely to remember, and return to, a business which boasts striking and memorable shop signage.

Conclusion

The lines above listed a number of ways in which a striking, memorable and suitably placed sign can help a business. The importance of adequate shop signage for a small and medium business cannot be stressed enough; this element not only offers visual impact, potentially drawing customers in, but also helps with a business’s brand identity and awareness, helping it establish itself in public consciousness and, in that way, potentially increase its customer base.

To be sure, shop signage is not the only element contributing to this, but it can definitely be considered one of the most important – which is why Elite Sign Solutions have taken the time to write this article, and make our customers aware of how this element can help their business thrive!