As an important small business, you need to get your name out there in the most effective ways possible so you can gain more exposure and increase your sales.

Of course, marketing strategies like direct mail campaigns or social media advertisements are effective at getting the word out about your brand, but what about your physical location? How do consumers know which store is yours, what options you offer, what sale is going on or if they aren’t on your mailing list or Facebook page, how do they get introduced to your business when passing by?

This is where small business signs play a significant role in your marketing. From small to large signage to simple logo signs to grand opening or informational signs, your small business needs effective and eye-catching signage, and we have 10 ideas to help you get started.

1. Banners

Custom banners are indoor and outdoor business signs that are a must for small businesses. They are perfect for promoting a grand opening, huge sale, or just to advertise what your business has to offer.

They are extremely affordable and moveable, making them easy to change out, bring to craft shows, farmers' markets, or other places where you may promote your business. They can be hung up using grommets and rope, draped over tables, or can be displayed standing up using a stand like an x-stand.

Banner Tip: Create a clean and easy to read banner design that stands out with eye-catching colors and images that attract your audience to your brand’s message. For example, reds encourage appetite while greens are often used to stimulate relaxation.

2. Yard Signs

If you need to market that your business is now open, you’re hiring, having a big sale, offering delivery, hosting an event, or even just need some affordable signage with your logo and an arrow to point your audience in the right direction, then custom yard signs are the perfect small business signage for you.

Yard signs come in a several sizes including smaller sizes like a 18” x 12” or larger sizes like a 36” x 24” yard sign.

They are extremely effective when placed outside of your business, on street corners, in local neighborhoods, etc., and they help raise brand awareness and drive traffic to your business.

Yard Sign Tip: Keep your yard sign message short and sweet. For example, your sign could say “50% OFF Everything” or “OPEN HOUSE” with an arrow to help guide your audience. You don’t want your audience to have to stop for 5 minutes to read your message, you want them to look once and take action right away.

3. Window Decals

Custom window decals or window graphics are versatile small business signs. They grab the attention of people passing by and with an effective design, draw people into your business.

They come in permanent adhesive like a perforated window decal or vinyl window graphic, or they can come in a removeable adhesive like a window cling.

Window Decal Tip: Where you put your custom window decal matters. Make sure it’s at eye level and easy to notice when approaching or passing by your storefront. Also, if you’re highlighting your business hours, make sure you place your window decal on or near your front door.

4. Storefront Signage

Custom storefront signage is often the first impression a potential customer has on your business.

They are typically hung above your business’s entrance as an outdoor wall sign, a blade sign, or dimensional lettering.

Storefront signage should include your business’s name and align with your branding guidelines as well as clearly delivering the message of what your business does.

Storefront Signage Tip: You will want to make sure your sign is large enough to be visible from at least across the street and that you use your logo within your sign to build brand awareness or choose a font that is easy to read. Medium or bold San Serif fonts tend to be easier to read at a distance.

5. Menu Boards

If your small business is a restaurant, café, bakery, salon, food truck, automotive repair shop, or any other type of business where you offer a variety of items or services, then you need to have a custom menu board or menu sign.

This is because when someone enters your business, you want them to know what you offer and what they can choose from right away. What you offer is one of the key characteristics that sets you apart from other businesses and you want your customers to buy from you with ease.

Menu boards come in a variety of styles that are for indoor and/or outdoor use including magnetic menu boards, inserts for A-frame signs, aluminum menu boards, hanging menu boards and so many others to fit the needs and style of your business.

Menu Board Tip: Keep your menu board design and layout simple and easy to follow with light colored font on a dark background or a dark font on a light background. You want your customers to be able to read your menu sign with ease and understand what they can choose from without asking a million questions.

6. Vehicle Decals

As a small business you know the importance of gaining more brand exposure. That’s why you need to incorporate vehicle graphics or vehicle decals into your business’s signage.

These types of signs allow you to market your brand wherever you go, allowing people who may not pass by or know your business to start gaining awareness.

Vehicle graphics can include magnetic car signs, car window decals, vinyl car decals, vehicle stickers or even back window decals.

Vehicle Graphic Tip: Create a handful of vehicle stickers or vehicle magnets to hand out to customers when they make a purchase. The more people who are driving around promoting your brand, the more likely you are to bring in more traffic.

7. Table Tents and Table Towers

Custom table tents or table towers are popularly used by small businesses in the restaurant industry, hospitality industry, by event planners or by the medical and health care industry. However, because they are so cost-effective, they’re a great option effectively used by other industries as well to promote a sale or other marketing message.

They are perfect for displaying on tabletops, in a waiting area or on a reception desk.

Table Tent Tip: Understand what your audience is interested in when creating your table tent message. For example, if you own a restaurant, a table tent featuring your happy hour options is always a crowd favorite, or if you own a private practice, what do your customers seem to care about the most? Table tents are great for getting prospects interested, however, they are often viewed by your current customers as well making them a great tool to strengthen your customer relationships.

8. Posters

Custom posters are one of the most effective and cheapest ways to market your small business.

Posters come in a variety of sizes and materials and are effective in marketing a variety of messages, including a sale, grand opening, business message, holiday message and so much more!

With an eye-catching design and intriguing message, your posters are sure to create greater levels of engagement.

Poster Sign Tip: Make sure to take advantage of negative space. It’s easy to get carried away with your poster design but you want to make sure there is enough space between design elements and text. The goal for your poster is to attract the viewer and then get them to take action. So, you’ll want some breathing room, so your audience isn’t overwhelmed. Negative space also increases readability from a distance which is a key factor for any type of business sign. 

9. Ceiling Danglers

Custom ceiling dangler signs are an affordable small business sign that you can use in a variety of places throughout the interior of your business.

These types of business signs help decrease clutter on your retail shelves, point of purchase displays, or reception desk and they move your marketing message upward to help customers navigate through your business.

Ceiling Dangler Tip: Choose a bold image and text. One of the main purposes of a ceiling dangler is to grab people's attention even from across your store. So, you’ll want to choose a large and easy to read font along with an image that represents your message.

10. Interior Wall Signs

Custom interior wall signs come in a variety of options for your business including small acrylic office signs for your private practice, large logo signage to hang above your host stand, wall decals or wall graphics, and so many more.

Interior Signage Tip: Make sure your interior signage has the same branding or style as your exterior signage to help build better brand awareness and recognition.

No matter what your budget, goals, or business size is there are so many sign options for you to effectively market your message and get the word out about your brand.

Click the button below to explore the details of these 10 small business signs and to discover other sign options available for you to start growing your business today.