Enhance Results With Outdoor Sign Lighting

Any business owner knows that they cannot be successful if no one knows that they exist. Outdoor sign lighting can be a great marketing tool for you to advertise even when your doors are closed.

A well lit sign can help you generate interest in the product or service you're offering even while your not there.

Retail establishments know very well that a properly lit sign is an important way to get recognized because it draws attention to your store or shopping center.

Types of Outdoor Signs

Luminous Letter Signs

Luminous letter signs are internally lit from inside a housing that hides the bulb(s) used to light the sign. Spectators only see an illuminated array of letters.

You will see many different types of illuminated letter signs ranging from awnings that have a custom logo imprinted on them, plastic back lit signs, and outdoor LED signs.

Luminous Background Signs

A luminous background sign is similar to the luminous letter sign except that the background is illuminated. Typically, these signs have darker lettering contrasted on a lighter background.

These signs usually have a hidden fluorescent lamp inside the signs housing that illuminates the lightly colored background making the dark lettering stand out.

Externally Lit Signs

Externally lit signs come in many different shapes and sizes but are lit from outside the sign.

They require that outdoor lighting fixtures are installed independently from the actual sign thereby illuminating the sign from the spectator's viewing angle.

These outdoor lamps must be properly installed with commercial outdoor lighting fixtures made to withstand water and any other elements it may be exposed to on a regular basis.

For a clean finished look, try hiding these fixtures from plain view so that they will not be easily visible during the day.

Outdoor Sign Lighting Pitfalls To Avoid

The type of sign lighting you choose will usually be determined by your municipality's zoning laws and the type of outdoor sign lighting they allow in your area.

Zoning Restrictions

Some municipalities will restrict your choice of outdoor sign lighting for commercial use. This is often because municipalities want to preserve an area's look and ambiance.

Often the municipality wants to retain its beauty and charm by restricting certain types of signage, lighting, and other features they feel will help maintain that area's beauty.

If your thinking about purchasing a new store front or want to update a tired old sign for your existing business, make sure to check with your local municipality to see if there are any restrictions in doing so.

Proper Sign Selection

One thing is for sure, the type of sign you choose will give people insight as to the quality of the merchandise or services you provide.

People naturally gravitate towards nice things and the feelings that they get when they look at or come into commercial space weighs heavily on their decision to make a purchase.

The same holds true for outdoor sign lighting. A cheap homemade sign will likely cause people to think that they're shopping at a cheap store or one that sells shoddy products.

Many people may not even bother coming into your store because of the impression that your sign gives them before they even consider walking in.

A nice new professionally designed sign illuminated for night time viewability will give you more foot traffic and give people a welcome feeling; making them want to purchase your products or services.

Spectator's Viewing Behaviors And Sign Lighting Tips

One thing you must think about is how your sign will be viewed by the public. Will it be seen by motorists cruising along a residential road or motorists speeding down a highway? Maybe it'll be seen mostly by pedestrians walking through town.

Thinking about how people view your sign will determine not just the type of sign you'll choose but also how you will need to light it in order to grab people's attention.

Local Viewing

Lighting a sign being viewed in town will require less light than one viewed by motorists driving down a fast moving freeway. Local traffic typically views signs at a relatively close distance, requiring less light to draw attention to your sign.

If your store front is located in the center of town with lots of competition to draw people's attention away from your sign, you'll definitely want to focus more attention to your sign.

Decide to make your sign a little brighter than the rest of your competition. This small change can generate massive results when you consider how much potential it has to generate more business.

Distant Viewing

Promoting your product or service down a busy freeway is one of the best ways to attract the attention of thousands of motorists and passangers each day. That is if they see your sign of course.

A sign viewed along a highway or far off in the distance must be well illuminated. It also may need to be quite large in size to be easily viewed by onlookers far off in the distance. The sign must stand out against the headlights of on-coming traffic, commercial outdoor lamps, and competitors' signs.

Your sign must stand out against the backdrop of the surrounding lights. If there is too much ambient light coming from the surrounding environment your sign may start to get phased out a bit.

Remeber that you only have a split second to attract the attention of motorists speeding down the freeway. Proper outdoor sign lighting is vital to be effectively visible by motorists.

Avoiding Light Pollution

Always check your local municipality to confirm that you are complying with local laws. This will determine the types of lamps you can use and if any outdoor lamps are prohibited from use.

Without a doubt, outdoor sign lighting is a great way to welcome your guests to your store, market your business, and generate more sales. All without the added expense of pricey publications.