But if you choose the wrong elements, you could be left with a sign that doesn’t last. You may end up with a poorly-maintained sign that creates a bad first impression. Your customers don’t want to drive up to a building with broken lights and faded colors on the sign.

To make sure you get signage that lasts, start thinking about exterior sign maintenance from day one of your planning. Consider the five factors that will impact your sign’s ability to last for years to come.

1. Balance Form and Function

The key to installing signage that requires minimal maintenance but still looks good throughout the years is to work with a partner that can balance form and function – also known as durability and design.

You don’t want to fully focus on durability, because your design might not be as eye-catching as you think. However, if you focus solely on design, then your exterior signage will look dirty and dated within a few years.

At Creative Sign Designs, we take a variety of design and fabrication principles into consideration along with our client’s needs. A few of these are:

• Types of lighting needed
• Texture goals
• Location of the signage (environmental, the distance from the road, other signs nearby)
• Message length
• Visibility needs (whether or not a sign needs to be seen at night)

All of these elements (and many more) help us understand the durability challenges of our clients. For example, signage within a shopping center for daytime shoppers requires less maintenance than LED-lit signage that customers need to be able to read at night on the highway.

Related: Commercial Exterior Audit: What Do Customers Think Before They Enter? 

2. Plan for Wear and Tear

In order to understand the importance of quality exterior signage, it helps to know what can affect your sign over time. You have likely seen several exterior signs that looked worse for wear as you drive down the road. These are signs that have faded colors or lights that have gone out.

While you may not notice small changes, your brand can start to look worn and dated from the elements without proper exterior sign maintenance. A few threats to your signage include:

• The Sun: Your rich colors can start to look faded or get bleached away.
• Dirt and Animal Impacts: Grime can grow over your signage, while bugs live in the lights and birds build nests in the letting.
• Damage: Hail and other debris can cause dents in your signage.
• Lighting: Lights can burn out, making your sign look poorly maintained and unprofessional.

By choosing durable, reliable design elements, you can limit the effects of nature and time.

3. Choose Sustainable Materials

Along with creating a creative and engaging design, your signage also needs to be made of both sustainable and durable materials. Fortunately, many of these materials can also benefit your brand and require minimal exterior sign maintenance.

For example, LED bulbs are considered environmentally friendly. The energy-efficient exterior lights use 75% less energy than incandescent lighting, reducing your brand’s carbon footprint. Plus, this drop in energy use also lowers your energy bills.

Furthermore, LED bulbs last longer than other bulb options, which decreases the chances that your signage will go out and make your brand look unprofessional.

The use of LED bulbs is just one way to make your exterior signage more sustainable and durable. Additionally, we recommend energy-efficient flatbed printing which uses fewer waste cartridges and creates less indoor air pollution. This method of digital printing is also of higher quality, benefiting our customers as well as our employees. We also look for ways to use reclaimed signage materials, preventing the buildup of signage in landfills.

The materials you choose can be a point of pride for your business and proof of your commitment to protecting the environment.

4. Consider Compliance

There is one more thing that stands in the way of your ideal design and its execution: compliance.

As a business owner, you have to follow the rules of your community. In order to avoid fines and stay in operation, your exterior signage likely needs to meet certain size guidelines and expectations. These are issues that range from sizing to protecting children from adult brands.

At Creative Sign Designs, we have worked with dozens of communities to understand their permitting and variances. We are very experienced and can provide client representation before government agencies to get signage approval. We understand the legal framework around city and county codes, which is why we can analyze what you can and cannot do.

Before we sign off on any designs for production, we make sure that their development is completely approved by all required parties.

5. Install Properly and Safely

Even the best signs can break or fall down if they aren’t installed correctly, which is why you should work with a partner who set up your signage in a way that protects your workers and your customers.

At Creative Sign Designs, we follow all OSHA guidelines to protect our workers. We have a first-aid certified team and take time to make sure signs are installed correctly and safely. This allows you to maintain your branding without risking your health or the safety of your employees.

We also use multiple bucket trucks, forklifts, cranes, and other installation equipment with certified drivers. You can feel confident that your investment will be protected and installed to last, reducing your exterior sign maintenance needs.

Related: Project Management for Exterior Signage Design: How to Bring Your Sign to Life 

Plan for Exterior Sign Maintenance From the Start

Your signage is the first impression that customers have of your brand. Don’t show them something faded, broken, or knocked over. Choosing the right materials and design company allows you to create something you are proud of, while limiting how much exterior sign maintenance you need to perform.

Work with a partner who you can trust. Call Creative Sign Designs today. We are here to listen to your needs and offer a consultation for the materials and timeframe needed to get your commercial signage installed for years to come.

However, marketing in the early stages of building a business isn’t always easy.

There is no real product for your customers to buy. Before you open, you are just trying to get people excited about what is going up while making it easy for them to remember your name.

This is where crane letters come in.

With a little creativity, you can use your crane to draw attention to what you are doing and establish a brand even before you finish with the foundation. You can do that through crane letters.

What Are Crane Letters?

Crane letters are brightly-lit, typically LED lettering that adorns cranes on construction sites. Crane letters typically showcase and announce the upcoming project, helping residents learn about what is being built. They can also identify and brand the construction company or developer that is working on the project for many months or years while the crane is on site and in use.

Crane letters require specific design elements to help them get noticed.

• They need to be large enough that most people can read them. However, they still need to be able to fit on the crane.
• They need to be brightly lit so the lettering is visible at night but also have the right colors and outline so they can be seen during the day.
• The lettering needs to contrast with the crane itself so nothing gets lost visually because of the machinery.
• The signage needs to reflect the brand of the business that is being built.

More and more brands are using crane letters to create buzz and interest in their new project while it is being built.

What Are the Benefits of Crane Letters?

There are several reasons to consider crane letters and install them on your construction site. These letters can be used for all kinds of brands in almost every stage of the development process.

1. People are naturally curious about new construction. As soon as a construction site breaks ground, residents start to ask what is going in and when it will be ready. You can answer these questions by sharing the brand name on your crane. Crane letters can act as a piece of statement signage that showcases what is coming to the location

2. Crane letters reach a large audience. Consider the popularity of billboards along the interstate. Thousands of people drive past billboards each day, making them an effective form of marketing for brands. Your crane has the same effect. The large structure draws the attention of drivers and pedestrians who can’t miss the crane lettering.

3. Crane lettering is affordable. While you will likely have to pay a monthly fee for other marketing services (like a TV advertisement or billboard), you only have to pay a one-time cost for your crane signage. The only other accrued cost is the monthly charge for electricity. However, by strategically choosing energy-efficient LED lights, you can save on power costs while still getting the bright look you need.

If you already have a crane on your construction site, why not use it to start promoting your business while it’s being built?

Crane Letters Outshine Outdated Flags or Tarps

There are certainly alternative options for using crane letters to promote your development.

Some businesses order tarps to hang on the fencing or buy flags to hang on the new buildings. However, these options have their limits. It is hard to see tarps that are placed at ground level, especially if you want to appeal to interstate drivers. Developers are also limited as to when they can hang flags on buildings – as you have to build structures before you can hang anything on them.

The crane is high up and available at the start of the project. It is also the most durable option.

LED lights won’t fad because of weather or get ripped off the side of a building like a tarp would. There is less maintenance involved and you don’t have to worry about damaging your brand because your sign broke within a few days of ordering it.

Related:Using Signage to Reintroduce Your Brand to Customers

Crane Lettering Stands Out From Other Construction Sites

If you look around the city skyline, you will likely see your competitors who are building alongside you. Other cranes dot the horizon with new projects, business centers, and housing building up each day. If this is a common sight in your city, then people may not be as interested in a new building development as they used to be.

Crane letters give you a chance to stand out.

If three other companies are all developing similar projects, customers will point to your name and logo first because they can see it on the crane. When you start advertising against your competitors, your brand will stand out against the others.

Crane letters are perfect for promoting new projects or additions in a variety of industries. They can attract attention to constructions sites for:

• Multifamily residential buildings 
• Education institutes
• Hotels
• Corporate office buildings
• Theme parks
• And more…

Remember, you need to take any advantage you can get for your project. The steps you take today to market your business will make it easier to sell your brand tomorrow.

Work with What You Already Have

If you need one more reason to invest in crane letters, consider the fact that you already have the equipment on-hand.

When you are done working for the day, you lock up the crane and close the site for the night. During this time, the construction materials are doing nothing for you. However, with crane letters, the worksite continues to market your brand and connect with potential customers throughout the night.

Using crane letters is a matter of getting the most out of every tool you have on-hand to help promote your brand.

Bring Crane Letters to Life With Creative Sign Designs

If you’re excited about a project you recently broke ground on, isn’t it time for neighborhood residents to get excited as well?

Invest in crane letters, and draw attention to your business even before it’s built.

Contact our team at Creative Sign Designs today to discuss options for your crane letters. We are happy to design something that meets your brand needs and effectively promotes your business from the ground up.

There are many factors that contribute to how your commercial exterior looks. To make sure that yours gives off the right impression, regularly evaluate your current outdoor experience and consider what it says about your business.

Use this guide to address six commercial exterior elements that customers notice and use to judge your brand.

1. Exterior Signage

One of the first things customers notice about a brand is its exterior signage. This includes signage attached to your physical building as well as statement signage placed on poles near your parking lot. A few considerations to keep in mind include:

• Size. Can customers easily see your signage and read it clearly?
• Lighting. Is your exterior signage lighting bright enough? Is it just as visible at night as it is during the day?
• Brand and color scheme. Does your signage reflect your brand? Are the colors aligned with your most recent logo and design choices?
• Visibility. Does your sign compete with other signs in the area or does it get drowned out by your bigger and brighter competitors?
• Usefulness. Does your signage guide customers directly to your business? Does it provide any wayfinding usage? Make sure customers move their eyes directly from your sign to your storefront.

2. Outdoor Lighting

Once customers notice your signage, the next thing they will see is your outdoor lighting. The sign introduces customers to your brand, then the lighting highlights your business. There are multiple elements to consider as you audit your outdoor lighting.

• The building outline. Does the lighting showcase the size and location of your business? Can customers see your building structure clearly?
• Wayfinding. Does your lighting guide customers to your front door? Do people know where to enter and exit?
• Standing out. Does your business stand out compared to others in the area? If you operate in a strip mall, does your brand compete successfully with the stores next to you?
• Branding. Does your exterior lighting match your brand? Does it convey the same message as your interior design?

3. State of the Building

Good lighting can cover blemishes on your building and present your brand in a flattering way. However, if your building looks run down, then your lighting could actually highlight these problems and drive away customers. Here are a few elements to keep an eye on.

• Dirt, mold, and algae. Does the outside of your business need to be pressure washed and cleaned?
• Rust and general wear. Have the elements worn down your exterior so it looks older than you would like?
• Building safety. Does the building or surrounding area seem safe for people to visit or walk up to?
• Modern design. How does your building compare to other competitors in construction and exterior design?
• Clear windows. Are your windows clean? Do they protect the privacy of customers or use light to welcome people inside?

4. Parking Lot

While you might focus initially on your storefront, your parking lot says more about your brand than you realize. At the very least, it conveys information about how easy and safe it is to access your business. A few factors to consider are:

• The number of spaces. Will customers be able to easily find a spot? How close is the parking to your business?
• The lighting of your parking lot. Do customers feel safe walking through it at night? Will their cars be safe parked there?
• The state of your pavement. Is your parking lot riddled with potholes with worn-down paint?
• Parking restrictions. Do customers have to pay to park? Do nearby businesses limit parking options?
• Ease of getting around. Can customers enter and exit your parking lot with relative ease, or is the lot cramped and difficult to navigate?

5. Plants and Landscaping

Even the plants that you choose can invite customers to visit your business or warn people that something is wrong. Consider the landscaping around your commercial exterior. Make sure that your landscaping doesn’t compete with your signage or branding, otherwise customers could get distracted or your exterior could get easily hidden.

• Plant maintenance. Is your landscaping trimmed and well-maintained or is everything overgrown?
• Removal of dead plants. How long are dead plants left hanging or sitting in the dirt? This can make your business look closed or poorly-maintained.
• Lawn maintenance. Is the grass around your business cut and properly cared for?
• Tree care and safety. Are the trees in your parking lot overgrown or regularly pruned? Will customers feel safe parking underneath them? Are the trees blocking your storefront?
• Relevance to branding. Do the plants you choose reflect your brand? What do you plant choices convey to customers?

6. Customer & Employee Activity

While you can’t always control how many customers are at your business, people are attracted to brands that already have the approval of others. If you can make your brand seem appealing with several cares in your parking lot or bright interior lights showing off how busy your business is, then you can increase foot traffic and bring in curious customers. Look for ways to make your business seem popular through your lighting choices and commercial business layout.

Upgrade the Look of Your Commercial Exteriors

As you can see, the exterior of your business is so much more than your front door and building colors. The signage, parking lot lighting, landscaping, and windows all play a major role in piquing the curiosity of new customers and driving them inside. When you pay attention to these details, you can win people over.

At Creative Sign Designs, we specialize in helping business owners with their commercial exteriors. Learn more about our work and request a free consultation to learn how you can improve your outdoor experience to create a good first impression.

Parking lot lighting matters, and there is a strategy to lighting a parking lot in a way that attracts customers but doesn’t drive up your energy bills.

If you are looking for lighting solutions that improve your lot (and decrease your energy bills), here are some tips for creating welcoming, effective, and energy-efficient parking lot lighting.

1. Choose the Right Bulbs

The lightbulbs you choose will have a significant impact on your bottom line. For the majority of our customers, we recommend energy-efficient exterior LED lights. They last longer and are more efficient.

For context, the average LED light can last up to 50,000 hours. The average incandescent bulb only lasts about 1,500 hours. This means if you keep your parking lot lights on for eight hours a day, your LED lights will last 17 years compared to less than a year with incandescent bulbs.

Not only will you save on bulb cost, but you will also save on energy usage. Check out this LED savings calculator which compares the energy usage of two bulbs over time. While one bulb might only save you $100 over its life, your business can save thousands when you combine all of the bulbs in your parking lot.

At Creative Sign Designs, we have seen this savings in action. We redesigned the parking lot lighting for Gator Ford along the I-4 corridor in Seffner, Florida. The company saved 10% each month on energy costs by switching to LED lighting and noticed a return on investment from the project within two years. That’s the power of choosing the right bulb.

2. Focus on Light Quality, Not Quantity

One of the biggest challenges with parking lot lighting is spacing. If you set up too many lights, you will have to pay to install the fixtures, replace the bulbs, and cover the electricity. However, if your lighting is too sparse then your business won’t be noticed or it will be actively avoided.

Once again, this is where LED lighting is useful. LED bulbs are significantly brighter than others on the market. Your company can save money by buying fewer bulbs while still creating a bright, safe environment.

Using the Gator Ford example again, we were able to eliminate half of their pole-mounted light fixtures, dropping them from 214 to 107. With LED lights, the space didn’t need the extra bulbs. Not only did the company save on bulbs and fixtures, but it also dropped its electricity costs.

3. Use Lighting to Improve Customer Wayfinding

If your customers are confused about how to get to your business and find parking, then you are creating a bad experience for them. Furthermore, confused or distracted drivers are more likely to get into accidents because they miss signage or are trying to navigate an unknown area.

You can use parking lot lighting to brighten up your business, but also as a form of wayfinding.

Consider the lighting we installed at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida. The theatre is located in a busy downtown area and attracts thousands of guests (oftentimes tourists and first-time visitors) each year. Without the right lighting, attendees could create a traffic jam right in that area.

We create rows of lit-up pylons to guide visitors down the road and find the parking they need. The pylons used uplighting with an LED placed on the ground pointing upward, illuminating each pylon. This was an affordable way to guide visitors to the theatre so they could find the parking they needed.

4. Use Lighting For Employee & Customer Safety

Bright parking lot lights and wayfinding uplighting help your business stand out and guide visitors to the right location — and they come with the added benefit of increasing safety.

A brightly lit parking lot and walkway make it safer for customers and guests walking to and from your business. They can clearly see walkways, and lighting can also accent stairs and ramps, making guests less likely to trip and fall.

The right lighting can also keep your staff safe. While they might not need lighting to help them navigate your property, employees do need bright lights to make them feel secure coming and going from work. Bright parking lot lighting helps protect your employees as they park and enter or leave your building.

5. Consider Other Lighting Elements on Your Building

Most customers won’t consciously pay attention to your parking lot lighting. Instead, they will focus on the overall exterior lighting and signage of your building. Consider your entire exterior lighting choices when adjusting your parking lot lighting.

Consider the Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa, Florida. At night, the museum’s logo is lit up bright, attracting the eyes of both children and parents behind the wheel. However, along with the logo, there is uplighting along the line of palm trees and other bright lights illuminating the walls of the building. These lights make the pedestrian areas and parking garages around the museum seem brighter as well, attracting more visitors to this interesting place.

Even the brightest parking lot in the world won’t attract customers if the building is poorly lit and dingy.

Related: 4 Ways to Use Lighting To Complement Your Exterior Signage

6. Keep Your Lighting Clean

Some business owners install beautiful LED fixtures and impressive exterior signage but never maintain them. As long as the lights turn on, they don’t think there is anything that needs to be done. Your signage, your lighting, and your building all need to be clean if you expect your customers to patronize your business.

Consider scheduling bi-annual appointments to pressure wash your building. This will keep it looking clean and new. You should also find ways to keep your lighting and signage clear. Some lights won’t be able to withstand a pressure washer, but they still need to be cleaned or hosed down on a regular basis. You will also want to make sure bugs and other creatures don’t take over your lights and signs, creating a sense of abandonment.

You take pride in how your business is run. This pride should extend to your parking lot lighting, business signage, wayfinding, and any other exterior elements that you have control over.

Let Us Improve Your Parking Lot Lighting

If you want to make your parking lot lighting more energy-efficient without losing the brightness that helps you send the right messages to customers, contact Creative Sign Designs. We’re happy to answer any questions and provide a consultation on how we can help you improve your parking lot lighting without expanding your electric bills.