Signs serve as valuable way-finding and marketing devices. They guide customers safely through traffic to their intended destinations.
Signage is the primary way that consumers learn that a business exists at a given location. A sign that is of adequate size, height and illumination, and that is properly placed, will give drivers sufficient time to see the sign, determine whether they wish to respond to it, and maneuver through traffic to the business. Both parking lot entrance and exit signs (also known as directional signs) are also an important part of this process.
One sign company compiled and published the results of several surveys performed in 1997 in an effort to determine where small businesses get their customers. The survey was conducted by a cross section of 165 independent merchants throughout the United States, and involved 2,475 customers who made purchases for the first time at those businesses. The surveys were conducted 30 to 45 days after installation of a new sign. Customers were asked, “How did you learn about us?”
The study clearly demonstrated two things:
- The subject signs indeed were effectively “speaking” to (being read by) potential customers.
- For small, independent merchants, signs are the most effective marketing and communication device.
The percentage of those who stopped at these stores due to the sign may actually be greater than the number reflected in the survey results. Only those who actually made a purchase were surveyed. Further, the surveys did not calculate the number of customers who came in due to word of mouth referrals by other customers who had initially located the business because of its sign.
The surveys were conducted soon after the stores opened, and clearly demonstrate that signage is critical for a new business. Over time, the percentage of the customers attributable to the sign will tend to decline, as a regular customer base is developed. However, because more than 16% of the people living in the local trade area will typically relocate each year, and because people need to be continually reminded of a business' existence, the sign will continue to be a vital marketing tool for the business.
High visibility is essential in communicating that the store exists at a given location, and the hours during which it is open for business. For that reason, the identification function of on-premise signage is fundamental to the success of most retailers.
In conclusion, no business should take its street presence for granted. A business that relies on impulse sales has an especially acute need for a prominent street presence in order to attract the attention of the passing motorist and motivate a stop.
Charles R. Taylor, Claus & Claus. On-Premise Signs as Storefront Marketing Devices and Systems. U.S. Small Business Administration. Washington, DC. 2005.
