Neon Sign Sales, Calgary

About Us

Most businesses today regardless of size depend heavily on their signs. Signs are one of the most efficient and effective communication media available to small business persons. Signs help people find you; they reach people who are passing by your establishment; they present an image of your business. In summary, signs advertise to the public who you are and what service or product you provide.

Signs are such a powerful communication medium that it is difficult to estimate the extent of their influence. Other media require the directed attention of the person receiving the message. Signs however, can convey a message while creating a mood or feeling of atmosphere. It is not necessary for people to give full attentions to your sign in order to derive meaning from its presence.

WHAT IS A SIGN?

A sign is the most direct form of visual communication available. In fact, so many people use signs without a second thought that it is easy to overlook their importance. When we cannot talk to other people directly in a given location, we tack up signs; “Wet paint, Beware of dog, Enter here, Garage Sale” etc. Signs are the only form of mass communication directly available to everyone – they are the people’s street communication system.

WHAT SIGNS CAN DO FOR YOUR BUSINESS:

Signs perform three (3) major communication functions for your business:

• Gives information and direction
• Provide a format for street advertising
• Build your image

Information and Direction

Signs index the environment so people can find you. This is especially true for travelers, new members of your community and impulse shoppers who may be on a journey to purchase a particular goods or service which you provide. Canadians are mobile. Each year millions of us travel many miles by automobile and approximately 20% of us change our place of residence. A primary source of customers for your business is the large number of people who are new to your community or who may be just “passing through”. Your sign is the most effective way of reaching this mobile or transient group of potential customers.

CHECKLIST FOR ORDERING A BUSINESS SIGN

Before you select signage for your business, there are several things you need to consider. A competent sign company in your area can help you with the answers to some of your questions or concerns you may have regarding a sign to meet your needs.

Who are your customers?

Potential customers are people who reside in your trade area. Most of your clientele comes from the immediate area within a half mile to mile of your business location. Trade areas come in assorted shapes and sizes depending on the business. Trade areas may also vary through the season.

How do you get information on potential customers?

Plot a dot map of your customers as soon as you begin business. This is easily done by plotting the addresses of people who stop at your premises (particularly those who purchase) as a dot on a street map of your City. Within a short time you will have a fairly clear idea of the trade area from which you are drawing your customers. You will then be able to decide what type of sign would best meet the needs of that trade area.

Since your sign communicates to people who pass your business establishment, you can direct your message to potential customers if you know what type of traffic passes your door. Your city traffic engineer can provide information which will tell you:

Where people begin and end their trips, how people travel, when people travel by time of day, why people travel and where they park when they reach a destination.

It is important that you know how many new people move into the area each year. This type of information can be obtained from any board of realtors, chamber of commerce or police department.

How are you going to communicate with the customers?

In order to communicate effectively, a sign must be noticeable and readable. After awhile a sign becomes part of the landscape.

By periodically changing some small design element or by using changeable copy, a sign can continue to attract interest. A sign needs to be large enough to read. You need to know how far a person is from your premises when he/she first sees your sign in the real speed of traffic on your street. With this information a competent sign company can use a formula to calculate the necessary size for your design.

What are you trying to say?

Decide on a message that is clear and simple. Choose one or two words which describe your business. Clever or strange names may only attract certain customers. The cleaner and clearer the message, the more impact it has.

What image are you trying to portray?

Design of your sign is very important. Your sign tells people a lot about your business. Stark simple design and materials may suggest discount prices and no frills. Elegant and expensive sign materials may suggest luxury goods and services. Two basic design considerations are important when ordering a sign:

Graphic elements of sign design and legibility as a test of good design.

Street Advertising:

Your sign provides an easily recognizable display format for the goods and/or services you are providing. For most businesses, the street is where potential customers are. The message conveyed on the street reaches people who are close enough to make a purchase. Street advertising also helps people develop a memory of your business name and the product and/or business you provide. People tend to buy from businesses they know.

Image Awareness

Signs can build an image for your business and help you identify with the market segment you are trying to reach. Through materials and design a sign can appeal to a given group of potential customers. For example, some firms attempt to capture the youth market, other senior citizens, others unmarried single people and so forth. If you have a particular market segment you wish to attract to your business, your sign can be an important means of bringing these people in.

THE ADVANTAGES OF SIGNS:

On premises signs are your most effective and efficient means of commercial communication. They are inexpensive, available, practical, easy to use, always on the job, and directly oriented to the trade area of your business.

Signs do not waste your resources by requiring you to pay for wasted advertising coverage. The people who see your sign are the ones who live in your trade area.

Signs are always repeating your message to potential customers. Your on premise sign communicates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, week after week, month after month, and year after year. Every time people pass your business establishment they see your sign. The mere repetition of the message will help them remember your business.

Signs are practical to use. The general public young or old are accustomed to looking at signs on a daily basis. Studies reveal that people do read and remember what is on signs. When special items are displayed, sales increase for these particular items within the store.

When compared to the cost of advertising in some other media, the on-premise sign is very inexpensive. Unless your trade are encompasses an entire city or region, where you must rely upon broad based media coverage, there is no better advertising dollar value than your on-premise sign.

There is no need to schedule the use of your sign. Your sign is available to you whenever you need it and to be used however you please.

No special skills or resources are needed to operate a sign once it has been installed. If it an illuminated sign, all you need to do is flip the switches and that may not be necessary with timing equipment.