NorthStar Flags

I dreamed to start my own business one time and I wanted to start small. I have thought of selling lemonades one morning. The night before, I’ve envisioned of my lemonade booth with cups arranged perfectly in rows and plenty of customers in line to pay. So early in the morning the next day, I jumped off my bed and went ahead to do what I envisioned. I started setting my booth using our old card table topped with our red checkered tablecloth. I arranged my cups in rows just the way I envisioned it and placed a bowl with bright lemons to make my booth appealing. And of course, I placed a huge outdoor sign saying “Lemonade 25 cents only” for people to clearly see what I am selling.  When everything else was set, I waited for customers.

There were some cars that passed by. Some neighbors saw me and my booth and gave me a wave and a smile. Out of the passers-by there were a few who bought my refreshing ice-cold lemonade. It was not the scene imagined because the cash flow was so slow. I needed more people to see my both. I needed more people to come to my booth and buy plenty of lemonade cups. I needed more income within a targeted time-frame because I still need to pay my dad back for the capital I borrowed. I did not lose hope but became more determined to succeed and so

I researched about business and checked my competitors.

I have a business competitor, Lucy. I realized she had a good custom banner and it was a lot better than mine. Her signage has interchangeable parts, particularly on the price area. She can easily adjust her price basing on her supply and demand balance. She can add and remove a part that announces “open” or “close”, similar to a doctor’s door sign “the doctor is in/out”.

After that moment of realization, I instantly did something about changing my current signage. I did some re-measuring and snipping of my boring old table cloth using my mother’s best sewing materials. I transformed my old table cloth into something sassy and stunning. I recreated my table too. I installed two metal rods to become table legs to function as the stakes of my outdoor signage at the same time. It still announces “lemonade 25 cents” but bigger, bolder and clearer. I used my plastic cups by cutting a small slit per cut so it can be attached on top of the custom signage to make it more inviting and clearer that I’m selling lemonade drinks per cup. My signage became 3-dimensional and so I added a new feature which is a big arrow at directly points to my fresh lemonade booth.

The change I made created a big difference. I got what I envisioned. I was able to pay my dad and bought my mom new sewing materials to replace what I used. I realized that a good outdoor signage can lead to a successful business.

There are moments when you needed to purchase something that you are not used of buying. Or somewhat like a first time to buy something and there are too many brands to choose from and you don’t know which to pick. But then you remember an ad you just passed by outside the store, an ad that promotes the item you need. And this influenced you to buy that certain brand of the item. And this is exactly is the power of an outdoor signage, the ability to influence a buying decision.

The good thing about outdoor signage is that it is visible to potential customers. With just enough kind of image, colors and designs and a simple yet catchy texts that are just right to give information to viewers on what you are offering,  there is a big chance that potential customers will remember the ad.

But even if you have the right kind of ad the key here is location or where the ad must be placed. Aside from the size or the type of outdoor ad, whether it is poster size or as huge as billboards, the location plays a big role to make the outdoor signage effective. Effectiveness is identified basing on how many people can actually see the ad and recall it. When identifying a location, you must know your target market and identify where your target market is.

Outdoor signage location choices are wide. Advertising locations can be on public utilities and structures. With a good campaign and location, you can encourage potential customers to buy your product.

Marketers find it very challenging to make people walk into stores today, especially when there are so many options and advertising methods available. You have to consider your budget, the trends in the market as well as the needs of customers to come up with the right plan and outdoor signage that will increase sales.

Learn how to classify between outdoor and indoor signage. There are some differences between the two. Indoor versions are ideal if you are holding activities in enclosed areas.

First, outdoor signage is used to grab attention from people and vehicles outside. You can use posters and billboards with attractive colors and big letters that indicate your message and showcase available products. Banners are often used by marketers for outdoor environments. These are useful in keeping people aware about prices and new products. You can also use these when preparing for outdoor events and trade shows.

Next, outdoor signage can also be comprised of vinyl banners. These last long against any type of weather and will be useful for different activities and events. The banners should also be portable so you can easily move from one event to another. Many marketers use these when joining trade shows and fairs. You can present your products anywhere and do not have to worry about moving and packing. There are other types of materials available depending on your budget and particular needs. Try working with an expert signage maker and allow him to give you tips on the right items and designs to use for more customers.

When you take time to observe the digital advertising market, you will find that outdoor signage is quickly growing a niche. It is preferred by many companies because of the way it attracts people from different areas without hurting your budget.

Regardless of the number of people that you are targeting, you will find these very useful in a way that they continue to spread the good reputation of your business as well as keep target clients abreast with the latest developments in the business.

Digital outdoor signage has also increased in terms of purpose as more marketers explore the possibilities and options available. You have to prepare initial capital to put up a digital outdoor sign. Later on, you will experience the big benefits that come with such an investment.

There are certain institutions and places that get advantages from outdoor signage. Some of these can be seen ordinarily in cities and towns.

Outdoor signage is frequently used by educational systems, colleges, high schools and universities. These are used to show students their schedules as well as make announcement for special holidays and school activities. Among religious sectors, there are also digital signage found in churches and temples. These effectively pass on information to people and leaders of the group.

In healthcare systems and medical institutes, digital systems are also used more and more in providing quick info to patients and healthcare providers. Finally, the retail industry benefits much from outdoor signage. There are a lot of people that rely on the information given to know about current sales and discounts.

Advertising has evolved to become a big business; in fact, it is an industry of its own. In United Kingdom it is a promising industry reaching almost 1.4 billion pounds and even growing around 10% per year. The outdoor signage market, particularly digital ones, makes up as much as 14% share out of those sales.

Marketing scheme thru ads is becoming more and more appealing for businessmen and advertisers are looking more into digital outdoor signage for many reasons. Comparing digital ads from other medium, it is more eye-catching because there are many visual things can be done such as moving images. The contents can be customized as often as possible too. Ads content can change every 30 seconds or less. There can even be several ads to be viewed in a single ad space. The contents can easily be uploaded. It doesn’t require a technician to do manual pasting or changing of designs.  It saves more physical effort and time.

Outdoor signage is becoming a preferred commodity for many businesses more than the usage of indoor digital ads. Another good aspect of outdoor digital signage is that it is more visible thru its big size and bigger designs and texts. It has the ability to reach out to more people by attracting the public and provide information about products or services that a business offers.   Digital outdoor signage is effective even at night because it is well-lit.  To sum up all the benefits, an ad like this initiates interaction to people because it can communicate to viewers better.

It is a constant challenge for every business on how to increase sales. It must not always resort to cutting down expenses in order to get a considerable profit. At times all it need is to put up a good outdoor signage to encourage potential customers to buy from your business. It doesn’t require someone to actually buy or look for something they need in order to get inside a store. Sometimes you don’t even need to have a bizarre product to bring in people to come in. A good outdoor signage can do the trick.

An outdoor signage is considered a point of sale signage. Meaning, by just looking at the signage it has the ability to influence customers or potential customers on their purchasing decision. This marketing scheme is like a silent salesman who does the talking and convincing for you.

An example of how effective an outdoor signage is the sign “Happy Hours from 12PM to 6PM” that some bars usually place near their entrance. Bars are usually dead during the times mentioned in the signage but thru the simple ad it can definitely bring in customers within non-peak hours.

Influencing a society can also be one of the capabilities of an outdoor signage. What are written or what images the ads suggests are something that people can recall easily even without intentionally thinking about it.

So in order to boost sales of the business, think of an outdoor signage. It is not a complicating scheme and it’s affordable too.