Types of Signage: A Complete Guide

Signage plays a vital role in business branding and marketing. Well-designed, strategically positioned signs can attract customers, boost visibility, increase brand awareness and advertise your products or services.

As you incorporate signage into your operation, it’s essential to understand the wide variety of available options. The right signs for your company depend on your goals, budget and location. In this guide, we’ll explore the most popular types of signage and dive into their relative strengths and applications to help you make an informed decision.

Outdoor Signs: Increasing Visibility and Foot Traffic

Outdoor signs are often a customer’s first impression of your brand. They’re designed to attract attention, communicate key information and build visibility. Signs also provide useful information for customers, helping them find your company’s physical location.

Each type of outdoor sign serves a different purpose:

• Storefront signs: These signs draw attention to your storefront, showing customers where to enter. You can use them to increase brand awareness and drive foot traffic.
• Pylon signs: Tall and freestanding, these signs are visible from a distance. They can communicate your location to drivers on a nearby highway or across a shopping center parking lot.
• Monument signs: These freestanding signs are positioned low to the ground, so they’re visible to pedestrians and drivers in close proximity. They reinforce your brand identity and guide customers to your building or parking lot.

High-quality outdoor signs reflect positively on your business, conveying a sense of professionalism, credibility and attention to detail. Look for durable, weather-resistant materials that stand up to the elements. It’s also crucial to consider the local climate — in a hot, sunny area, UV-resistant signs can prevent fading.

Indoor Signs: Enhancing the Customer Experience

Once a customer is inside your business, indoor signs help shape their experience. Options to consider include:

• Wall graphics: Made from vinyl, wall graphics turn a wall into a work of art that enhances your brand identity. You can use them to add color to a space, showcase products and services, advertise promotions or engage customers.
• Point-of-sale displays: POS signs are located near the checkout counters. Depending on your business model, they can upsell products, build awareness for current and upcoming sales or promote new products and services.
• Entry signs: Signage in your lobby or reception area reinforces your branding and reassures customers that they’re in the right place.

Indoor signs should be strategically positioned in high-traffic areas. High-contrast colors and legible text can increase visibility, particularly in busy environments, such as grocery stores. Select materials that are appropriate for each location, such as anti-glare signs for a brightly lit showroom.

Digital and LED Signs: Dynamic and High-Impact Messaging

Digital and LED signs are a popular choice for businesses that want to maximize visibility. The bright, colorful displays help your company stand out from the competition, especially at night or in low-light conditions.

Types of digital and LED signs include:

• Video walls: These large signs cover a large space, allowing plenty of room to showcase your brand in crowded areas, such as airports, shopping malls and streets.
• Scrolling message boards: These boards display moving text and are often used in the transportation industry to communicate important information.
• Interactive touch screens: Using touch-sensitive technology, these signs allow customers to interact with the screen to find the information they need in large retail, healthcare or hospitality businesses.

Digital and LED signs have an important advantage over traditional signage. You can update the content quickly to promote new sales, provide current information and engage customers. LED models can display custom images and animations, giving you full control over branding and aesthetics. From a practical perspective, LED signs also offer high energy efficiency and a long lifetime.

Wayfinding and Informational Signs: Navigating With Ease

Wayfinding and informational signs build a positive customer experience in a large space, such as a shopping mall or hospital. They help customers find their way, reducing frustration and saving time.

Common wayfinding signs include:

• Directional signs
• Directories
• Floor maps
• Floor graphics

Visibility is essential for wayfinding signs. Simple fonts and bold, high-contrast colors can help customers find and read the signs. Consider reinforcing your visual brand identity by using its fonts and colors.

Banners and Temporary Signs: Flexible and Cost-Effective

Many businesses need temporary signs to increase foot traffic and promote sales, promotions and special events. For example, a retail store might use signs to build a buzz around an annual sale.

Types of temporary signs include:

• Banners
• Pop-up displays
• Feather flags

Temporary signs are affordable and easy to customize for limited-time events. They’re typically made from lightweight, durable materials, such as vinyl or polyester, for easy installation and high weather resistance. For signs that are used once, businesses often opt for eco-friendly materials to reduce their carbon footprint.

Vehicle Wraps and Mobile Signage: Advertising on the Move

Business signage doesn’t have to be limited to your physical location — vehicle wraps and mobile signage enable you to take your brand messages on the go. It’s a great way to increase exposure in various locations, reach new customer groups and build a stronger local presence.

Vehicle wraps are made from thin vinyl printed with your company’s branding, applied to the outside of the car and adhered with heat. Tough and durable, the material withstands everyday use and a wide range of weather conditions. Since it’s custom-made, the wrap can be customized with eye-catching colors and easy-to-read fonts to maximize visibility.

Choosing the Right Signage for Your Business

Done well, signage can enhance your company’s branding, marketing and advertising strategies. By choosing the best types of signage for different purposes and locations, you can boost visibility, drive foot traffic and facilitate a positive customer experience. As you explore the options, focus on signs that align with your business goals, location, customer base and budget.

Need help selecting signage? The team at Numeritex is here to help. Give us a call at 800-675-0123, or request a quote for a custom sign.