When you should update your signage

APRIL 15, 2020| SpeedPro Shawnee

Keeping your signage updated is important to maintaining a relevant message that looks polished to potential clients and customers. Knowing when to update corporate signage properly is a skill that some companies have difficulty mastering.

To lay the groundwork for your company to know when they should update their signage, you’ll need to be aware of factors like the general longevity of particular types of signs, the common reasons to update them, and how various updates will affect your bottom line.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I UPDATE SIGNAGE?

Determining how often you need to update your signage depends on a variety of elements, such as the type of material used, where the signage has been placed and the type of sign. For starters, outdoor signage can last several years, especially when they come with finishing options like laminates and UV-resistant ink. When it comes to replacing signs due to durability, large outdoor signs are going to be the main type of signage that requires this kind of update.

Unlike outdoor signs that can last several years, indoor signs can last indefinitely, as they aren’t affected by exterior forces like wind, snow, rain and UV rays, among other factors. Typically, office signs indoors will need to be updated when a company wants to switch out the look of their signage or when new information needs to be featured.

Of all the types of signage, digital signs for businesses are the easiest and most affordable to update. Since digital signage can be adjusted from a computer, people tend to update their content more regularly with new information or designs to keep the messaging fresh for viewers. These updates cost nothing, as they require no new materials or experts. As long as the hardware of the digital sign is well cared for, you won’t need to switch the sign out for quite some time.

REASONS TO UPDATE SIGNAGE

To decide when you should upgrade your signage, you should be aware of the main reasons why savvy businesses decide to update theirs. Consider the following reasons why companies choose to update their signage:

1. TO FIX A DAMAGED SIGN

Even with strong laminates and durable material, signs are bound to get damaged at some point. A damaged sign will distract from your message. Wear and tear on a sign can cause the text to become unreadable. Plus, a damaged sign reflects poorly on the quality standards of your business.

Damage to a sign can occur in the form of peeling, fading, rusting, chipping or vandalism. Whatever harms your signs, you’ll need to take steps to fix them and ensure they are restored to their previous quality.

To properly fix the sign, you’ll likely need to replace all of the damaged portions, which may require you to replace it all. Replacing the whole sign is often a good idea, especially if your previous signage wasn’t outfitted with laminates, finishes and long-lasting material. The design can stay the same, but you can use higher quality material that will help to protect against damage happening again soon.

2. TO KEEP THE SIGN FRESH

Sometimes, companies simply want to update their look or brand. Part of accomplishing this goal is updating the look of your indoor and outdoor signage. Even if a sign hasn’t been damaged, change can be a good thing. A sign that’s been up for a while will not be as noticeable to consumers, as they’ll have gotten used to seeing your sign. The familiarity of your signage will subconsciously cause them to ignore it eventually.

To recapture people’s attention, you can redesign a sign with vibrant colors, eye-catching graphics and a fresh message. Replacing the old with a new one will break up people’s routines, causing them to notice your signage once more. This fresh set of attention will put your company at the forefront of consumers’ minds. To freshen up the signs without fully replacing them, you can also invest in lighting, so the sign is brightened up throughout the day and night, pulling attention to it.

3. TO CORRECT INACCURATE INFORMATION

A primary reason why companies update their signs is due to information going out of date or being incorrect. As your business grows by expanding its reach and the products it offers, your signage will need to reflect those changes as well.

An outdated sign can misrepresent your company and displease customers. For example, customers might come to a store or restaurant because of a sign advertising an item for a certain price. If the price for that item has gone up, the customer will feel mislead.

Additionally, information like a company’s website, social media account or phone number can sometimes change, making it hard for clients or customers to reach a company they’re interested in. To help potential clients or customers reach you, your company will need to update the old info appropriately.

Correcting information ensures customers are satisfied with your company and won’t be disappointed based on false information. Ensuring contact info is correct will also ensure people can reach your company quickly. In addition to improving satisfaction and making it easy for people to reach you, correct information on signs improves your credibility among your target audience.

4. TO ATTRACT MORE ATTENTION

Sometimes, you might find your outdoor building signage isn’t pulling in enough new business or representing your company in a way that makes people want to find out more about your company.

There are a variety of reasons your sign isn’t attracting attention. An unappealing sign can be affected by its design, size of text or obscured imagery, among other issues. Whatever the reason, an ineffective sign won’t be driving business to you or piquing the curiosity of viewers about your products or services. If you suspect your sign is underperforming, it might be time for a total replacement.

To draw more people to your business, you’ll want to update your outdoor signage, so it’s more eye-catching. To begin, you can make the sign larger and expand the size of the text to make it more noticeable. If you already have a large enough sign, you can try to choose more vibrant colors, engaging graphics and appealing images. Another strategy might be to research your audience and craft a targeted message to appeal to consumers’ pain points.

5. TO DECLUTTER THE SIGN

When companies are new to advertising and design, they often make the mistake of trying to fit as much information as possible onto their signs. While it’s a good idea to give potential customers or clients information about what you do, too much text or competing images on a sign can make viewing it an overwhelming process.

If you determine a sign is cluttered, it’s best to go back to the drawing board and redesign the sign, with simplicity and readability in mind. If you’re not sure what to get rid of and what to still include, you can begin by researching your industry to see what’s standard. Regardless of what information your industry tends to include, the same principle will apply — less is more.

6. TO IMPROVE VISIBILITY

Another main reason companies decide to update their signage is when they realize their signs don’t have enough visibility. Some visibility issues come down to placing the sign in an area where a tree, building or another object obscures vision to it. If this is the case, you’ll likely have to move your sign or get whatever is blocking the sign moved.

Most of the time, however, companies don’t mount their signs in areas where people are going to have difficulty seeing them. The more common issue that harms a sign’s visibility comes down to a lack of proper lighting.

When evening arrives, and the sky begins to dim, an unlit sign can be difficult to read, with nightfall often making it impossible. Obviously, people don’t just drive around during the day, meaning an unlit sign will lose out on a significant portion of its advertising potential when it’s dark out.

One of the primary ways that visibility can be fixed without having to replace your sign totally is to place spotlights below it, so the sign remains visible through the night. These lights can also help make it easier to see the signage in inclement weather. If you have outdoor directional signs that show people how to get to your office or store, these lights will be crucial for customer or client satisfaction.

For a more extensive upgrade process, you can design a new sign to replace the old one that incorporates backlighting or channel letters. For example, you can utilize backlit graphics that look even more attractive than signage lit by the front. These backlit graphics feature LED lights inside the sign’s frame, so the sign glows from within.

7. TO UPDATE THE AESTHETIC

Your signs are a reflection of your company. As such, an antiquated, out-of-date sign can make your company look like it’s stuck in the past and not keeping up with the latest trends. People will be less likely to work with a company they perceive to be stuck in the past when the competition offers a more contemporary image.

In a case where your design and graphics look old, it’s best to completely replace the sign, so you can completely refresh the design. Your updated sign should attempt to modernize its look and make your company appear as a leader in its industry. Whether you completely rebrand or simply update the design, you may want to look into what the current styles are in your industry, finding out what kinds of colors, letter fonts and graphics are popular today.

As you’ll want your signs to represent a consistent aesthetic, it’s a good idea to update your signs in a batch. For example, you should update the aesthetics of your signs, from indoor directional signs and office reception signs to corporate signage and outdoor signage. By updating all your signs, you’ll improve brand recall from customers and clients by providing easy to recognize imagery, colors and messaging. Most importantly, the signs will uniformly tell viewers your company is on the cutting-edge.

8. TO INCREASE THE SIZE

One of the primary reasons why companies choose to update their signage is a result of them originally choosing a smaller size of sign than they should have.

When companies first install their outdoor office signage or venue signage, they often don’t realize how large the sign needs to be for viewers to properly read it. Other times, new companies simply can’t afford a larger sign. After a company has the financial resources available, they will commonly update the size of their signs to make them more easy for viewers to read.

Increasing the size of a sign is usually a straightforward process, as you will likely not need to redesign it unless your company information has changed or it’s undergoing a rebrand. With the design stage already completed, you can simply let a printing studio take care of properly scaling your new sign and printing it out for you. This easy fix can do wonders for your sign’s ability to get the attention of potential clients or customers.

WHAT KIND OF UPDATES CAN YOU GET BASED ON RELATIVE BUDGET?

If you need to make a small change on a sign, such as updating your company’s phone number, you can most likely get it done for a small price. With a small enough change, you can sometimes place a new layer over the part of the sign that needs updating. This new piece of signage should blend in with the old one seamlessly. As you won’t need to redesign anything or print out a whole sign’s worth of material, your costs should be relatively low.

For companies who have signs that need to be swapped out entirely, they’ll likely need to pay the full cost of a new sign. However, if the company originally hired a designer for the sign and don’t need the design changed in the replacement, they will save money on the design stage of creating signage. Costs will also vary based on the different features you choose to include, such as lighting.

The prices for signs are going to change based on the material you use, the frame it’s placed on, its size and a variety of other factors. To get a free estimate of the type of signage you’re looking at installing inside or outside your buildings, you can consult with a SpeedPro Shawnee representative about pricing.

CHOOSE SPEEDPRO FOR YOUR UPDATED SIGNAGE NEEDS

No matter what your budget is, SpeedPro Shawnee can help you find the signage that will make your message pop. As the only nationwide network of studios that specializes in large format graphics, we have a team ready to help you update your signage. If you find you’ve identified with the variety of reasons listed above, you’ll want to get in touch with a studio that can help you make your signage more visually appealing and effective.

Contact SpeedPro Shawnee to speak to a friendly representative who will walk you through all of the options available.