One of the most important decisions to make when you are designing your business’ outdoor sign is whether you should illuminate it or not. There are various ways to create an illuminated sign. Choosing the right one for you depends on what you want to achieve by illumination. Signs can be whole-lit, front-lit, back-lit, or side-lit. Nowadays, LED (Light Emitting Diodes) is the most common kind of light used to illuminate signs.
Some signs, such as lightboxes, are specifically designed around the concept of light. Others can greatly benefit by being lit with the help of LED or other mounted lighting fixtures that increase readability.
There are several advantages in illuminating your outdoor sign, and a couple of disadvantages that are important in order to make a sound decision for your business. Below, we present 5 advantages and 2 disadvantages worth considering when you need to decide if your signs should be lighted or not.
Advantages of an Illuminated Outdoor Business Sign
1. Improving Visibility All-Day Round
If your business operates in the evening, illuminating your sign makes your business visible after sunset. This is particularly important for businesses that operate at night, such as restaurants, bars, hotels, theaters, malls, convenience stores, gas stations, emergency medical centers, etc. It is easier to spot a business in the dark when its signs are well-lit. An illuminated sign pops out and gives increased visibility to your brand and products.
In some cases, illumination is also needed to attract attention during the day. It also makes it easier to read the sign. In the winter, for example, with cloudy, dark days, a restaurant that operates with all doors closed may need illuminated signs even during the day, to communicate the fact that it is indeed open to passersby from a distance.
2. Improving Visibility from a Distance
In general, if your storefront is not close to the traffic (vehicles or pedestrians), it is worth considering using a lighted sign to attract attention from a distance. Our eyes are naturally drawn to light, so an illuminated sign can be an important investment if your signs are not up front and right where your potential customers are.
Especially in the case of first-time clients, a visible, lighted sign can help them locate your business immediately instead of having a hard time looking for your store just because you do not have clearly visible signage.
3. Enhancing the Aesthetics of Your Brand
Using lights in your signs is an easy way to improve the aesthetics of your brand, not only during the night, but also during daylight. Your logo and other brand elements may look more attractive when illuminated with a calming halo, a lively vintage neon, or a light shining through channel letters.
In some signs, light can even be one of the main components of the brand. It can make your sign look more spectacular and professional and make your brand stand out in all its glory. Customers may also consider that your business does better if you use what is perceived as an “expensive” sign.
4. Building Brand Awareness at All Hours
Even if your business closes in the evening or the weekend, a sign lit 24/7 helps build brand awareness with drivers and pedestrians, as traffic never stops. It is important to remind passersby of your business’ existence even outside of opening hours. By seeing your sign constantly, people will remember your business when they need it, no matter what your opening hours are. A lighted sign is a huge help in making you stand out, whether your competition also has illuminated signage or not.
If you have a monument or pole sign positioned next to traffic, it is particularly important that you illuminate it to make it visible to car drivers at all hours of the day.
5. LED Lights Are Cost-Effective and Durable
With LED lights, technology has made it easier to install and maintain lighted signs. Illuminating your sign has become easier, with fewer maintenance needs and less downtime. LED lights are cost-effective, as they don’t use as much electricity as other lighting alternatives, and have a much longer lifespan than traditional bulbs.
Disadvantages of an Illuminated Outdoor Business Sign
Most of the disadvantages of illuminating your signs are linked to budgetary concerns.
Costs More than Non-Illuminated Signs
Illuminating your outdoor signs comes at a financial cost, mainly because of the technology involved. LED lights have a significant initial price tag. You must add to this the cost of installing the lighted signs and the cost of electricity bills, especially if your sign is lit 24/7.
Maintenance Cost
All outdoor signs need regular maintenance. However, illuminated signs require a bit more care, as a sign that partially loses light can be detrimental to your brand image. Changing bulbs, cleaning LED lights, and servicing fuses and other electrical or electronic components that may make your sign or parts of it fail, are costs you might need to take into consideration when deciding if you should illuminate your outdoor signs.
Besides these two disadvantages, there is really no reason why you shouldn’t invest in a lighted sign. If your budget can afford illuminating your outdoor signs, then it is well worth investing in illuminated signs, as there are clear benefits for your branding and for attracting more customers to your business.
For your next outdoor sign, whether lighted or not, let us help! Call now 303-647-9005 or contact Magnify Signs online for your free quote.
