If you’re looking for a sign – this is it! Whether your current business sign is outdated and needs a refresh or if you’re just looking to add a sign in general, it’s crucial to find the right sign shop to get the job done.
How people perceive a sign is extremely important to your business and/or community. It can be the first time someone notices your business or it could be a deciding factor between someone choosing you or a competitor. It’s important to ensure you go to the right sign shop for quality service and excellent results. Here are a few things to look for when searching for the right sign shop:
Customer Service
Customer service is one of the top things to look for when searching for the right sign shop. You want a company that will meet your needs and ensure you are satisfied from the moment you ask for a quote all the way to installation.
For a business, it’s important to choose vendors to partner with and to become a loyal customer. Building this relationship with your vendor will come with many perks throughout your time working with them. For example, your company was nominated for an award and you need a banner made as soon as possible. If you have developed a loyal relationship with a sign shop, they will make sure you receive this banner on time and to your specifications.
Reputation
When searching for the right sign shop to make your signs, you want to look at their past work and testimonies. This will show you real-life stories and help prove if they can produce your vision. It’s also nice to gain inspiration from projects they’ve already completed for other customers. This is also an excellent time to look at social media again and see how many followers they have and how many people utilize their services.
It’s equally important to see what kind of customers they cater to. Some vendors have a minimum order amount and different areas of specialization., so you want to make sure you are going somewhere that will cater to your needs.
Make note of who other business owners, friends, and family recommend. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful forms of advertising with 92 percent of people trusting their friends and family over social and traditional media! Keep these recommendations written down somewhere that you could easily look back at in case you wanted to try a different shop.
Services
Working with several contractors can get stressful and confusing. The ultimate goal is to find a one-stop shop. In this case, finding a sign company with all of the services and capabilities you’re looking for eliminates the need to work with other vendors for similar tasks. For example, say you want a banner made along with a few matching decals. Finding a shop that offers several services saves time, money, and the hassle of managing multiple vendors for a single project. This will also help you keep up with marketing and advertising trends.
The more variety you can choose from, the better! Not only will this help keep your banners and signs fresh and trendy, but also give you more options that will help with your marketing and advertising.
Maintenance and Installation Services
Depending on the kind of sign you decide on, you may need maintenance down the road. This is important to consider when choosing a sign shop. Do their services stop immediately after you pick up the sign and swipe your card? Or will they nurture you as a client throughout the customer journey, including future needs? It’s good to prepare for the future when your signs may need to be repaired, updated or replaced.
A good sign company will keep accurate records and files of all past work. This is another reason why it’s important to form a long-lasting relationship with your sign shop. That way, when you need repairs or when it’s time to replace the sign completely, you have a great company that can produce, install, and maintain your sign accurately with minimal effort from you, the customer.
Another critical detail to consider is installation. You want to be sure to ask about this service before purchasing. Keep in mind that if you’re choosing a reputable sign shop, the installation will most likely be offered as the shop wants to ensure that the sign is installed correctly.
Permitting
The permitting process is something to research and discuss when getting a new exterior sign. Believe it or not, there can be many rules and regulations with signs, so you want to ensure you take all the necessary steps in this process. A lot of sign shops won’t begin creating your sign until your city has approved it. With that being said, you should ask the sign shop if they handle the permitting process. Since they are experts in this industry, they can easily communicate and make necessary modifications based on your town’s requirements. There will most likely be a small fee for this added service, but many business owners find it worth the investment!
There are many things to consider when selecting the right sign shop. Branding truly is so essential when it comes to marketing your business and building a reputation. You want to have full trust that you are paying for quality work. Using these five methods will make sure you find a shop that you can establish a loyal relationship with. That way, the process becomes faster, easier, and less stressful for future projects.