Most consumers don’t have the time, expertise, or knowledge to determine what is effective signage and what isn’t, especially when it comes to custom hanging aisle signs. In fact, a lot of customers don’t even pay much if any attention to the custom printed items strategically placed all over the interiors of their favorite stores and businesses.
That’s not to say that all the hard work and money business owners put into commercial printing goes unnoticed, it’s just noticed in far more subtle and subconscious way by the consumers who look at them. Business owners don’t have the same luxury in terms of not paying attention to signage that their customers have, and creating impactful, high quality signage should be a top priority for any business owner, especially those in the retail industry.
Running a business can be extremely expensive, so it’s easy to see why a business owner, especially one that’s brand new the business world and has a limited budget, would be reluctant to invest in the commercial printing services offered by commercial printing companies. However, investing in these kinds of services can have a significant and long term return on the initial investment. This is especially true when it comes to information design signage such as custom hanging aisle signs, which customers use as a means of wayfinding. These kinds of signage are just as important as signage that’s used to gain attention or advertise, however they often get placed on the bottom of the totem pole in terms of importance.
It’s always best to hire a profession designer or advertising agency when it comes to creating effect designs for custom hanging aisle signs and other forms of signage, however, it doesn’t hurt to have a basic understanding of the principles that make a interior wayfinding signage effective.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to effective custom hanging aisle signs.
Keep it short and sweet
It’s no secret that attention spans have decreased over time, and this is perhaps most easily seen on popular social media platforms that limit the amount of characters you can use or the length of streaming video. Taking this into consideration, it’s important to keep the information on wayfinding signage short, sweet, and impactful. Think of the how quickly you have to process road signs. No one has time to stop in the middle of traffic to read a long winded road sign! Likewise, it’s rare for a customer to pause in the middle of an aisle to read through an entire sign. They’re in a hurry and only want to spend time reading the information that they need to!
Keep the typeface simple and easy to read
Handwritten chalkboard signs can add a cool aesthetic, however, they may not be right for your brand. It’s a safer bet to stick with simple, clean, and easy to read fonts that customers don’t have to spend time deciphering like ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. If customers can’t read it and process the information quickly, they’ll become frustrated and move on to another business. Keep in mind that elderly customers may also have a more difficult time reading certain styles and sizes of print, so it’s important to keep lettering legible and easy to read.
Less is definitely more
Keeping it simple is the best way to get the point across in a direct way that grabs the customers attention. Custom hanging aisle signs should deliver short, sweet, and simple messages that speak directly to the customer without feeling like homework on the customers’ part. It’s important to edit your copy down until it’s completely clean and free of fluff.
Use the words you and yours
When a customer can easily visualize themselves using your particular product or service, they’re that much more likely to but it. Using the words you and yours takes the guesswork out of visualizing, allowing the customer to easily see themselves engaging with your brand. Using this kind of strong language adds to strength of your message while making it that much easier for customers to imagine themselves using your product.