The Top 10 Outdoor Signage To Advertise Your Business

You can advertise your business through the phone book, you can put out an ad in the paper, and you can even launch a website, but the majority of advertising mediums aren’t as efficient and effective as outdoor advertising with signs.

Sign advertising hails potential customers to look at your business, read about your services, and prompts them to remember to give you a call when they need you.

Conventional forms of advertising do work, but nothing gets in front of the eyes of your customers quite like advertising signs do; and no other forms of advertising give you the luxury of being able to pay once-play forever, but instead usually have ongoing and recurring monthly costs to deal with.

With that said, below you’ll find a list of the top 10 outdoor advertising signs you can use to promote your business or market services, and why, out of all the advertising options available to business owners, they are indeed the best and totally worth investing in.

#1 Backlit or Illuminated Signage

Backlit or illuminated signs pretty much take the cake when it comes to an eye-catching advertising medium. They glow, they blink, they’re colourful, and they stand out at night.

Illuminated signage is sometimes considered a style of sign that only benefits businesses that are open late or 24 hours, but if your property manager permits it and if you can afford it, it’s advised to invest in illuminated signs even if you’re only open during the day.

After a period of time constantly seeing a sign with backlighting or a lit up sign, an unforgettable impression is made in the mind of the observer.

After seeing the same logo, business name, product or service – day and night – for months, years or even decades on end, there’s no doubt your business is going to be the first they think of at the time they need your services most.

Light and bright colours are the first thing that catches the eye, so on a dark, rainy or foggy night, an illuminated sign will still catch your potential customers’ attention while the regular non-lit signs have to wait to make their impressions in the morning.

Location location location! If your business is located near a major intersection and you’re utilizing an illuminated sign, your sign will become a landmark for people looking for or giving directions; “drive straight for 2kms and turn right at the Walmart sign”. This is the epitome of free brand advertising.

#2 Advertising Banners

Banners are quite possibly the top searched terms in the sign advertising industry, and they quite rightfully hold that position.

Banner advertising is by far one of the most popular ways to advertise a business because there’s no borders to the implementation of innovative and creative techniques that will attract the human eye.

Once banners are printed, they can be used thousands of times, in thousands of situations and if your design is well thought out, it can evoke and stir emotions within your potential customers which has always been considered the the key to effective advertising.

Banners can be installed virtually anywhere people’s eyes are known to wander

Using a bright and vibrant banner is an inexpensive way to advertise your business or services. The material used to create banners are strong and durable (vinyl or PVC/Polyvinylchloride); they last decades, and there’s a more than enough sizes and styles to choose from: the following link lists various examples of banners you can choose from, and which styles you can have them designed in.

One of the main reasons banners are so popular is because they last as long as their message does – almost forever. After about 10 to fifteen years you may see some minor fading depending on how much it was exposed to the elements and how you stored it when it wasn’t in use. By that time you’ve gotten more than your money’s worth in advertising.

Sign companies usually have a standard set of banners sizes they sell but most of them will accommodate the custom shapes and sizes you’re looking for. You can get one designed as small as a 1 foot square or have one created that is as big as the side of a bus.

Advertising banner signs can be attached to walls, strung across trees, attached to fences, used as a store-front sign, or fixed to poles or other apparatuses depending on your need at that time. They’re a great choice for advertising because their movable, and can be used in an array of situations, stored and used again later.

#3 Billboard Signs

If you really want to make your business stand out, and if you can afford it, a billboard sign is a great investment.

Billboard signs can’t be reused like an array of other sign options but they don’t disappoint when it comes to their sheer effectiveness.

When they’re erected at a busy location, hundreds and even thousands of eyes will see them daily. If they’re bright, lit up, humorous, colourful, or even send a serious message that invokes emotion, people will always distract themselves when driving by it, just to see what’s going on today.

If your billboard is positioned near a road or highway where traffic tends to be regularly congested, you’re bound to get a regular influx of new business for as long as your billboard is up.

Billboard signs are installed with extreme weather resistant materials and made to withstand months or years of abuse.

The best part about investing in a billboard is that if they generate enough business within the first few months, you can continue to lease the advertising space for as long as it’s affordable and, as long as you’re seeing returns, you’re increasing your chance of getting new business.

#4 Storefront Signs

If you have a physical store-front, you’ve got a sign but because store-front signs are so predominant, you’re going to want to make sure the design of your sign is tip-top! 

There are no particular styles of storefront signs because every single one of them has to be custom made, but you can choose between the following options:

• 3D
• flat letter
• illuminated
• wood carved
• metal, aluminum
• a banner sign

It’s important to ensure the sign installer is experienced enough to understand local laws, and the effects of the weather on your sign structure because you’ll most likely never need to replace it, unless it becomes damaged. Storefront signs don’t really “fade” like printed signs do so you should expect it to last for as long as you’re at that location.

Regular maintenance is always suggested because wildlife like to nest in them, and garbage and other debris can sometimes get lodged and stuck in them, making them look cranky and unattractive.

When installing a storefront sign it’s important to research prices, materials needed, and local bylaws so you stay within budget, and don’t find yourself in a position where you’ll have to take your sign down. The following link is a list of what you should take care of when choosing the right sign for your store.

#5 Lawn signs

Unlike newspaper advertising or leaving flyers at businesses’ doors, lawn sign advertising is a marketing solution that actually does what it’s supposed to do – get in front of people’s eyes.

For one, lawn signs do not fail the test of standing out. Just think about it. When you’re driving down the street and you see a sign on someone’s front lawn, you always look at it because it’s something odd sitting right in the middle of someone’s grass. It’s odd but it can’t be denied that it catches people’s eyes, and it works.

Word of mouth advertising has always been the call for successful business owners and lawn signs convey the same message. A lawn sign is a direct endorsement of your company – the neighbours see it, visitors notice it and passers-by gaze it’s way. Everyone that sees it will know that you give the company in question a big thumbs up for their services, for as long as their sign is displayed on your lawn.

Depending on where you place them, lawn signs can be reusable too, and occasionally customers call the company back asking them if they’d like to pick up their signage once they’ve had their use out of it or they simply don’t want it on their lawn anymore.

Why throw away a sign when you can reuse it again?

#6 Business Awnings

Like storefront signs, business awnings are the perfect way to show off your company’s elegance and professionalism. They’re manufactured and installed using endurable materials and come in a wide range of styles that suit virtually every business’s needs.

The common types of awnings a business can choose from are the following:

• Quarter-ball
• Waterfall
• Slant-face
• Entrance canopies
• Basket
• Slant-face with Valance
• Roll-up
• Traditional

Awnings stand out, they’re memorable and give a sense of trust and warmth, or comfort to passersby, and cover from the sun.

An interesting side effect of business awnings is the free advertising that comes with it. Ask any business owner with a canopy style awning how much business they inadvertently get from having crowds huddle or people talking under their awning on rainy days or days with extreme heat.

As long as you keep up the maintenance of your awning and don’t let any wildlife destroy it, it should still look new after 20 years of use after which time you may start to see some fading, and wear and tear.

#7 Digital TV Screen Signage

Digital screen signs are one of the best electronic signage options available, and they’re just as great at catching the human eye as lit-up and illuminated signs, but they go once step further.

They actually stop the customer in their tracks and compel them to watch what’s going on on the screen. The screen of which you can have an array of marketing messages loop indefinitely, all the while entertaining your visitors along with informing them of your sales and specials.

If you’re a popular and well established shop, a digitally animated sign can always be used as the go point for current customers if you’re constantly updating the content. This will place customers directly in front of your store where people walking by will see the groups of people and subconsciously take note of your business.

That type of attraction gets your shop noticed and projects the idea that you’re a popular business.

The various types of digital screen signage are as follows:

• touch screen kiosks
• floor stands
• transparent LCD displays
• wall displays
• countertop displays
• advertising monitors
• digital photo frames

This section is also added to this article because digital screen signage can be used indoors as well as outdoors depending on the location on your business or shop.

#8 Business Monument Signs

Business monument signs are considered property signage and they’re usually placed on your commercial property. They’re usually used by larger corporations that have property where installing a sign would make the most sense, but they can also be installed on smaller businesses properties that have front lawns or walkways.

Monument signs enhance the appearance of your business and give a sense that its established and trustworthy. They also stand out to passersby, strengthen your brand, and most importantly they help your current customers find or recognize your location.

They’re primarily used to establish your brand and not generally used to advertise a message. They usually contain your business name, logo, slogan, phone number and other contact information.

Monument signs last forever too so if your office changes locations, you can uninstall it and reinstall it elsewhere.

#9 Window Display Decals

Window displays are great for temporary and/or permanent advertising and marketing purposes. They’re attractive, long-lasting (unless a customer picks at them), and they are great at catching your customer’s attention.

There are two types of window displays you can choose from, namely:

• poster advertising displays
• sales/specials/message displays

For poster advertising, window displays come in the form of a poster where you can show off your products or services, your prices, policies, and so forth. They’re usually displayed permanently and are rarely changed or replaced.

Window decals can be used to reflect the seasons (i.e. snowflakes on windows), promote sales and specials, or even to promote events.

Window displays and decals are applied on the interior of the store or shop. They’re manufactured with special materials that ensures their longevity and that they remain attractive over time. They’re always custom crafted and they’re fantastic at letting your customers know what’s up in your shop at any given time.

The reason window signage and decals are included in this article about outdoor signs, is because they’re primarily used to attract the attention of customers that are outside your store or shop and may be coming into it.

#10 A-Frame Signage

Sidewalk A-frames finish off our list of the top ten outdoor signage for advertising a business. Although they’re not the most effective advertising medium, they do play a decent role in the advertising game.

A-frame message boards are primarily used by storefront businesses to advertise specials, sales, and events, but they’re more effective as an advertising medium when they’re placed away from your store, and used to send a message to people passing by, i.e. on the corner down the street from your shop.

Freestanding A-frame signage are great for the following industries:

• restaurants
• bars
• cafes
• coffee shops
• bakeries
• dentists
• lawyers
• real estate agencies
• storefront retailers
• rental offices
• event planners
• insurance agencies

A-frame signs come in virtually any size and style you can think of and do a great job at catching the eye of people walking by.

The Take Home

Remember that life and events change day after day. On a Monday your potential customers may not need a plumber, but come Wednesday night they may.

That same customer may or may not remember your sign and your services, but if they drive by it the next day, their quite likely to take down your business number and give you a call.

Signs are semi-permanent to fully permanent, and that’s why investing in sign advertising is probably one of the first goals business owners should aspire for if their planning on getting big and taking on more customers.

As mentioned at the outset of this article, one of the top reasons advertising signs are the cream of the crop of the advertising world is because once you buy them, they can be reused again and again. If you pay $700.00 for your sign package, that’s the first and last payment you’ll make but you’ll be able to use them for many years to come.

And remember! “The chance to make a memory is the essence of brand marketing” – Steve Jobs