If you’re in the hospitality trade, you likely know how crucial signage is to your business’s success. Restaurants and cafés are a dime a dozen in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, so you need to prove that your establishment stands out from the pack. While good food and customer service may be your selling point, it’s often signage that will bring people through the door. Here are six signage tips designed to attract and delight diners.
Be visible
There’s little point investing in an excellent building sign if nobody can see it, which is why rule number one is finding the perfect spot for your sign. Go outside and assess your environment from multiple perspectives, asking yourself questions like, where is the traffic coming from? Where do pedestrian’s eyes naturally fall? Who am I competing with? Will planting creepers dwarf the sign?
Power in numbers
You may discover that there isn’t always one single ideal place for a sign. For instance, the cars driving past may notice your beautifully illuminated building signage but it’s above the eye line of pedestrians on foot. If this is true, that is okay: choose the best spot for the building sign, then double (or triple) your odds by including other types of signage as well. Sandwich boards, window decals and footpath signs are all effective hospitality signs.
Lighten up
A lot of hospitality businesses accrue much of their business in the evenings, which makes lighting an important element for your signage. Help patrons find you at night by using well-designed illuminated or neon signs. And even if you are shut after dark, illuminated signs that get noticed can pique people’s interest to come back during the day.
Be memorable
You want your sign to stick in people’s minds and convince them that your restaurant or café is the one to patronise. There are a million ways to be memorable, from minimalist signage to quirky window graphics. The key is to work with a talented signwriter who will find a way to show the world what distinguishes your hospitality shop from those all around you.
Show people what to expect
Signs need to be informative as well as intriguing. If you offer a fine dining experience, your exterior sign should demonstrate this. Alternatively, you don’t want people assuming your casual diner is a classy high-brow establishment because of misleading signage. It’s important that hospitality industry signs give people an idea of what to expect once they walk through your doors.
Don’t forget interior signs
A lot of attention is on the building and exterior signs of your hospitality business, and with good reason. But once diners have walked through your doors, don’t let them down. Make sure your interior signs enrich their experience, create a strong atmosphere and help people find their way around for a memorable outing that they will surely want to recreate.
Looking for stand out signage for your hospitality business? Speak to the award-winning signwriters at Signwise.