We’ve all had that experience. You’re driving home from a long day at work. At a red light, you glance to the side, and- woah, that logo looks cool. What a creative business name. Maybe I’ll stop by tomorrow. Or maybe you’re on an errand and spot the glowing letters of your favorite fast food chain. Looks like a new location has popped up, positioned conveniently between your house and the grocery store. Score.
On the other hand, we’ve all experienced this, too: you’re trying to find a specific location, maybe to drop off a package or pick up that niche supply you’ve been needing. “Your destination is on the left,” intones Google Maps, but when you crane your neck, you don’t see it. It takes three loops around the block and a lot of cursing before you find an unmarked entrance in the back of the building. You grumble as you get out of the car. How does anyone find this place?
According to the Sign Research Foundation, 36% of American consumers have gone out of their way to visit a new store because of the sign, and 61% of American consumers have failed to find a business because their sign was too small or unclear.
Making an excellent first impression–or an impression at all–is a crucial part of drawing customers into your business. Signage is your opportunity to introduce yourself and your brand, increase brand awareness, direct customers to the right location, and even advertise deals or specials all in one place and for a much lower price than a long ad campaign or TV spot.
But creating signage, like any other business venture, can be complex. Here at MRC Signs, our goal is to help you create signage that wows and to make that process as easy and transparent as possible.
How Signs Are Made
“Signs are easy, right? You just design it, manufacture it, and put it up.”
If only! The behind-the-scenes of sign creation is complex. Many hands must touch a sign to make it successful. At MRC Signs, we drive this process from start to finish:
Sales: Signs start as an idea. Our sales staff work with you to decide on your budget, needs, goals, and aspirations, then put it all together to send to our designers.
Design: Our designers work with you to create the perfect sign that incorporates your branding, logo, color, and business name with any technical limitations you may have.
Quote: Once you know what you want–or if you already know what you want–our sales team sends you a quote.
Permitting: After you approve the quote, our team has to do some heavy lifting: paperwork. Our permitting team works with local officials to make sure your signage complies with local laws and regulations.
Manufacturing: Also called fabrication, our team uses the best materials to manufacture your sign.
Installation: The big reveal: your sign goes up! Our fully equipped vehicles install your signs with the highest quality workmanship.
Maintenance: To keep your sign as enticing as the day it was installed, schedule regular, preventative maintenance.
MRC Signs has committed our expert team to making this complex process as easy, transparent, and professional as possible. Give us your dream sign idea and we’ll make it work.
Essential Characteristics of a Good Sign
Signs can be as creative as you and your business are, and come in many shapes and sizes. Four main characteristics describe every sign: its type, its lighting, and its design and placement.
Each of these features impacts how your brand is viewed by potential customers, so nailing them is crucial to making a good first impression. Join us next week for an in-depth discussion of types of signs and what will make you stand out above the rest. Still have questions? No worries, we’ve got you. Get our next installment directly in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter, or if you’re ready for the next step, reach out to our team to get a quote.
It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone. If you look at the front of your business, how is your sign holding up? Does it looks faded? Is it worn out or damaged? And what about your business’s logo? When was the last time it had a facelift? At MRC Signs, we can help you kick off the new year with a new look for your business. We even create LED signs for Bucks County, PA, businesses. Not sure if you need a new sign? Here are some things you might want to consider.
How old is your logo? If your logo was designed over 15 years ago, it might be time to give it a makeover. Design elements that were popular back then, like gradients and shading, might look dated now. You don’t want to send the message to consumers that you’re stuck in the past. A new logo can do wonders to update your company’s image.
Is your logo or sign too cluttered? Think about the most recognizable brands – Apple, Nike, Starbucks – what do they have in common? All of these companies have very basic logos that are easy to identify. Simple and clean is the way to go when it comes to recognizable signage. Choose a smooth design or uncomplicated image and don’t add too much text.
Does your sign accurately represent your business? Let’s say you own a restaurant with a tropical beach theme. It’s a fun, casual place to eat. So if your sign made use of dull colors, images of mountains and an elaborate script font, people walking in the door are going to be very confused. While this might be an extreme example, it is true that your sign helps people form an expectation of what your business has to offer.
Greet the new year and your new potential customers with an updated sign from MRC Signs. To make sure everyone sees your sign, and other outdoor areas of your business, we also offer commercial lighting in the Philadelphia area. Even if you’re not quite sure what you want, just come to us with a few ideas. We’ll be able to help you design and create an attractive new sign that will stand the test of time.
You’ve spent plenty of time planning how you want the interior of your business to look, but have you considered how it will be lit? The type of lighting you choose can dramatically alter the appearance of any room. There are four common types of lights that you might use in different situations.
Incandescent: This traditional variety of light bulbs was first invented in the 1800s, and is still common in many homes today. They are relatively inexpensive and usually give off a warmer color. However, they are not very energy efficient when compared with other light sources, and they typically have a short lifespan.
Applications: This type of light bulb is best used in smaller lamps, or where you desire to create a warmer atmosphere, such as in a restaurant dining room.
Fluorescent: These bulbs come in various shapes and sizes, and typically use about 30% less energy than incandescent lamps and last several times longer, making them a more cost-effective choice in many settings. They give off a cooler color than incandescent lamps.
Applications: These bulbs are often the go-to choice for illuminating large spaces like offices and warehouses.
Neon: Neon light is created when an electric current is passed through an evacuated tube filled with a small amount of inert gas. Neon gives off a soft, colorful glow that varies depending on the type of glass used. The disadvantage is that the lights are very fragile and they cannot be repaired once broken.
Applications: Neon lighting is primarily used to create signs.
LED: Light Emitting Diode (commonly referred to as LED) lighting is an increasingly popular choice that has a wide variety of uses. LEDs last longer than both incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, and they also use far less energy. Another benefit is that they remain relatively cool to the touch.
Applications: LED is an excellent choice for accent lighting, and is available in a full spectrum of colors. It can also be used to create dynamic signage.
Whatever your lighting needs are, MRC Signs, your preferred sign company in Philadelphia, PA, can assist you. We install both indoor and outdoor lighting, and can even retrofit lights to work with the current interior of your business. For business signs in Philly, as well as all your lighting and electrical needs, give us a call today!
We at MRC Signs are experts in the commercial lighting market. We work with small business all the way up to large ones. We will provide your business with the creativity and excellence of a global market key player, but with the dedication and concentration to detail of a small business. We want to provide our clients with brand presence and keep our clients’ customers constantly coming back for more.
MRC Signs completely create and customize your lighting from scratch, so that it fits perfectly with your brand’s image. We specialize in parking lot lights, exterior building lights, decorative lights, street lights, security lights, interior installs and retrofits and of course light emitting diode (LED) conversions and installs. If you are interested in a exceptional sign company in Philly, look no further than us at MRC Signs.
Many Uses of LEDs
Incandescent light sources are being replaced by light emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs are considered to be a semiconductor light source. They have a longer life than incandescents, require less power, and are smaller in size. What they lack in size, they make up for in performance. LEDs have a high reliability and high brightness levels as well.
LEDs are being used in many applications including: Camera flashes, traffic signals, headlights and even aviation lighting. For example, the global commercial airport lighting market is expected to grow up to eight percent or more between 2016 and 2021. This growth is due to an increase in air passenger traffic, investments in modernizing and upgrading airports, and a demand to increase aircraft and passenger safety. Airports will use the LED lights to provide illumination for the runways, taxiways and terminal lights. Aviation is just one of the many industries that are transitioning to widespread use of LED lighting.
Some of the key players in the global LED lighting market are Digital Lumens, Inc., Cree Inc., Philips Electronics, GE Lightings, and Toshiba Corp. If you are looking for the same experience and quality as one of the key players on a more local scale, look no further than MRC Signs.
Providing Excellent Customer Service
We at MRC Signs use LED lighting in our outdoor signs and banners as well as indoor lighting. When creating and installing our LED lighting, we strive to provide our clients with quality, dependability, and affordability by providing excellent customer service to everyone that we serve in Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks County, PA. We make sure that all projects are completed on schedule and efficiently. If you are looking for an extraordinary lighting company in Bucks County, PA, check out our website. At MRC Signs, we are dedicated to helping you understand every inch of your customized project.
You can contact us on our website or call 888-387-3969. While on our homepage, be sure to check out our many client reviews. Also, friend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to find out more about some of our other specializations.
It’s no secret that in order to produce an effective, head-turning business sign, it’s going to take a bit more thought than merely slapping your company’s name onto a board and calling it a day.
First and foremost, there’s design. Then, you have to consider placement. What kind of sign makes sense for you? Something traditional? Or, maybe an LED will work best. The list of criteria goes on…
But there’s no need to feel overwhelmed! If you only have a vague idea of what you want your sign to look like, or even if you don’t know where to start, we’ll work with you to conjure up something that will effectively and sleekly portray your company to passersby and potential customers. That’s what makes us the best sign company in Greater Philadelphia!
Without further ado, we’ll let you in a few of secrets for obtaining sign success:
Make it Big
Sure, there’s something to be said about humility and modesty, but not when it comes to your business’s sign. If you want your sign to capture customers, you’ll need to make sure they can actually see it. Going large ensures that your brand won’t be missed by anyone who happens to pass by your place of business.
Message Matters
Who’s your intended clientele? Chances are, if you’re a successful business owner, you already know everything there is to know about your main demo. Use that knowledge to your advantage, then deliver them a message that speaks to them. Drive it home by presenting it in an aesthetic way that speaks to them. In other words, you wouldn’t make the same sign for a skateboarding shop as you would for quilter’s supply. Know your audience, then capitalize on their tastes.
Location, Location Location
We’ve already covered the importance of location in detail before, but it can’t be stressed enough. There’s nothing more senseless than putting effort into making a perfect standout sign, if it’s not going to be placed where people can see it! Where’s the ideal location that can be spotted easily from all surrounding points? That’s where the sign should go. As a reminder, make sure to contact your local zoning board before you make any permanent moves, though.
Finally, the last point isn’t much of a secret: We produce the best business signs in Philly, so get in touch with us if you want to knock em out of the park with effective sign marketing. Call us today!
