Sign Out From the Crowd: 9 Ways to Make Your Signs Stand Out from the Competition

In industries where business owners depend on signage to drive traffic, such as real estate and food and beverage, differentiation is a must! Your signs can’t blend in or it will directly affect your bottom line. So, if you find yourself in a position where you’re constantly having to compete for your ideal customers’ attention, sign out from the crowd! Customize your signs to make them bigger, bolder and better than your competitions.

Here are 9 ways to make your signs stand out from the competition:

1. Add edge treatments – Instead of just squared corners, add a radius and make them rounded. Or, custom cut the edges – scalloped edges add a classy, stylish finish to signs. You can even cap the edges in black, white or even a metallic finish, like silver or gold. Edge treatments are the perfect little touches that make all the difference.
2. Try custom shapes – If your competition’s signs are all square (no pun intended), then custom cut yours! Certain materials lend themselves to custom shapes – aluminum, Dibond, PVC plastic, acrylic, they all can be custom cut. Circles, ovals, you can even have your signs cut into the shape of your logo. The competition can’t duplicate that!
3. Give it some dimension – Your signs do not have to be flat! Layering always makes things more interesting. Raise the letters of the company name, or keep the text flat and raise the logo. Adding dimension to a sign draws attention to it. And, “oohs” and “ahhs” usually convert to dollars and cents.
4. Use more color – Ok, most signs are in color, but sometimes they are only one or two colors. Opt for full-color signage instead. Full-color signs don’t usually cost more if you’re having them digitally printed. So, go all out with your design – use rich, vibrant colors that command the attention of prospects near and far!
5. Add bold graphics – It’s proven that using graphics increases visual appeal. So put your best foot forward. Use the most attractive photographs, the most eye-catching graphics, or best logo design you have in your arsenal. This is a turf war – well, not really, but your bottom line is on the line.
6. Experiment with finishes – Want to make your sign really stand out? How about adding a finish to it? If your sign is aluminum then a brushed, polished or mirrored finish would surely differentiate it. If your sign is acrylic, how about adding colored or metallic vinyl to it? You could even add interesting vinyl touches to wooden signs. Mix it up and make it interesting!
7. Make them reflective – Most business owners either aren’t given the option of making their signs reflective, or they opt not to because of the increase in cost. But trust us, it’s worth it! While their signs can hardly be seen, yours will be beacons in the night. What a great opportunity to outshine the competition.
8. Light it up – Adding LED lights to signage will always garner increased attention! Most people expect roadside lighted signs to be illuminated, but you can also put lights around the perimeter of a contour cut smaller sign for some extra visual appeal. These days you can get LED lights from your local furniture or hardware store at really affordable prices. Spring for it.
9. Mount them differently – If the competition uses stakes and frames, why not do a hanging mount with ornate scroll brackets for your signage? Or, if they use hanging banners, why not use banner stands for stand-alone signs? Pick your mounting game up. Differentiate with your display!

Do what you can to take your signs from ordinary to extraordinary. Get out of the box! You can’t beat the competition doing exactly what they do. So much is possible with signage. Explore the possibilities, and sign out from the crowd!

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