Mark Woolmer
Outdoor signage can fulfil many objectives. It can also be installed in prime spots that are highly visible to all site users and visitors to complete a number of tasks.
Some clients opt for outdoor signage specifically to meet health and safety requirements or assist with site navigation. Others use professional outdoor signs to enhance visitor experiences, attract attention to key spots such as cafes and gift shops, or ensure guests understand the routes and pathways most suitable for their needs.
The diverse applications of outdoor signage make it a staple in countless environments for wayfinding, advertising, and safety. We often produce signage for events, retail centres, business compounds, lakes and countryside reserves, parklands and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty as some of the many examples.
Is Outdoor Signage Relevant to Advertising?
With modern businesses and attractions reliant on digital marketing and promotions to reach new visitors, some may assume that outdoor signage has become less important or has been superseded by online ads and social media marketing.
In fact, in an era where customers and visitors expect more from their experiences, the relevance of high-quality, professionally produced outdoor signage has only increased.
The first point to consider is the impression and aesthetic your business or organisation portrays when a visitor arrives for the first time, whether driving into a commercial complex, walking into an outdoor nature reserve, or visiting a retail compound.
Adding outdoor signage can make a tremendous difference to how welcome they feel, with a huge number of options such as:
- High-visibility entrance signs.
- Mounted signage displaying the attraction or business name.
- Directional signage for visitors and pedestrians.
- Wayfinding signage pointing to important areas or facilities.
- Safety signage, such as one-way systems for traffic.
Importantly, outdoor signage draws attention to the information you’d most like to share with your visitors and can be adapted to your branding image, the type of site you manage, and the requirements of each guest or colleague.
What Is the Benefit of Outdoor Signage?
Professional signage is created against your specifications and branding. While it is there to draw the eye and convey important information, you can also use outdoor signs to engage, share some insight into your brand, and encourage interest in the business or site.
Classic signage can provide a seamless entry experience, where there is no doubt that each arrival is in the right place and knows where to park or register their attendance with reception.
It also ensures your company name is memorable and portrayed in a consistent style, potentially attracting visitors who happen to pass by and wish to learn more about who you are and what you are doing.
First-time visitors have the confidence that they are in the correct place and are encouraged to explore the site, read the instructions or directions provided, and discover the location of your business.
Commercial Applications of Outdoor Signage
Prominent, on-brand signage makes any business stand out, whether you’d like to attract passing traffic and visitors, are in a difficult-to-find location, or have a company such as a retail shop or hospitality organisation that uses signage to advertise your products.
Having solely internal directional signage may mean that potential customers do not know about your business, limiting your opportunities and hampering your growth potential.
Strategic signage doesn’t necessarily need to be large but should be positioned and designed for maximum exposure based on your brand style and the types of visitors you most wish to appeal to. Clever logo placement, contrasting text, and high-visibility fonts can all work well, developing easy-to-see and understandable signage.
Thinking back to first appearances, a high-quality professional sign makes the right impact, informing customers that your business is there and creating a positive impression about the types of products or services you may offer.
This factor applies equally to tourist and visitor attractions, where simple signage can clarify whether you are open to families, any seasonality information, and your opening hours – while also representing your business and providing a snapshot of what you can offer.
Marketing Through Outdoor Signage
Outdoor signs may comprise a comprehensive signage solution with entry signs, waymarking, and directional and informational signage boards. As a form of advertising, signage is highly cost-effective, with one signage panel designed to last for years, treated with appropriate preservative finishes or produced with durable and long-lasting materials.
Adding details to signage models, such as ladder signs, works well for multi-business parks and attractions. It helps to showcase everything available – a valuable aspect for companies and venues that share an entrance point or traffic route with other organisations.
Choosing a well-designed sign can offer excellent returns, where outdoor signage is on display 24/7, is regularly visible to local consumers and visitors using roads and highways close to your business, and uses logos, icons, symbols, text and directional arrows to signify the details you’d like potential customers to remember.
Choosing the Right Outdoor Signage
There are numerous options when it comes to outdoor signage, from wayfinding posts and display notice boards intended for nature reserves and parklands, contemporary, slimline signage for modern businesses and heritage timber signage for spaces with historical importance or who wish to make a minimal environmental impact.
Fitzpatrick Woolmer can suggest specific outdoor signs, notice boards, panels and display units based on your requirements. Our signage is intended for outdoor usage and is built with durability, value for money and quality in mind.
Options such as permanent engraving, highlighted with contrasting font colours, printing that is designed to stretch and expand with natural movement, and UV-resistant inks that continue to deliver bright, visible information work well within outdoor settings.
If you would like further information about the purposes that outdoor signage fulfils or the best-suited outdoor signage models for your business, site, or facility, you are welcome to get in touch at your convenience.
Alternatively, please browse the extensive collection of outdoor signage available from Fitzpatrick Woolmer through our website, with full specifications, sizing, customisation options and delivery lead times listed on each product page.
