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An LED sign puts your business in front of people while they are out and about, deciding where to shop, eat or stop. It is bright enough to read from the footpath or the road, you can change what it says from your phone whenever you need to, and it costs very little to run.
Here is what an LED sign does for a business, what to put on it, and how to tell if it is paying its way.
Why do people notice LED signs?
Our eyes are drawn to anything brighter than its surroundings, and to anything that changes. A printed sign blends into the street after a week or two. An LED sign keeps catching the eye because the message keeps moving on: new stock today, the lunch menu from 11, tonight’s band from 7.
It also helps people find you. If drivers go past without spotting your shop, they end up at a competitor down the road. A clear sign out the front, or on a pylon by the road, tells people exactly where to turn in. Our outdoor LED signs and pylon signs are made to be read in full sun, and the FA2 outdoor range reaches more than 10,000 nits.
Change the message whenever you need to
With a printed sign, every change means a new print job and a wait. With an LED sign, you type the new message on your phone, tablet or laptop and it is up in seconds. That makes it easy to:
- schedule different messages for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or for weekdays and weekends
- put up a message at short notice, such as new hours for a public holiday
- talk to different people at different times, such as tradies early in the morning and families after school
- plan the next few weeks of content and let the sign switch over on its own
What should you put on your sign?
Start with the things customers ask about most. Good options include:
- what you sell, with photos or short videos on a full colour LED screen
- new stock and seasonal lines
- services people may not know about
- opening hours and holiday trading
- reviews from happy customers
- your website and social media handles
- directions to parking, pick-up or your other locations
Services are worth a closer look. A takeaway that also caters for offices and parties, a mechanic who also fits tyres, a florist who delivers: people who already buy from you are the easiest people to tell about something new, and a screen they see while they wait is the simplest way to do it.
For more ideas, see 10 ways to use digital signage in your business.
Use screens inside, too
Once people are through the door, an indoor LED display can keep talking to them. Near the counter, it can suggest something to add to the order. In a waiting area, it gives people something to watch, so the wait feels shorter. In a showroom, a few screens can walk customers through your range in the order you want them to see it.
Screens out the back help your team as well. Use one to welcome new staff, thank people for a big week or remind everyone what is coming up, so nobody misses it on the way in to a shift.
Plan your content and pick the spot
The businesses that get the most from a sign plan what goes on it. Sit down once a month, list what is coming up and schedule the messages, so the sign is never left showing something out of date.
Keep each message short enough to read at a glance: one idea per screen, large text, strong contrast. Then put the sign where your customers can actually see it, with a clear line of sight from the footpath or the road, at a height that suits how far away they will be. Our guide to where to put a digital sign goes through the options.
Let other businesses pay for screen time
If plenty of people see your sign, other businesses may pay to be on it. Sports clubs do this with sponsors on their screens, and it works in busy venues and waiting rooms too. A local business whose product suits your customers gets in front of the right people, and you get money back towards the sign.
Low running costs, built to last
LED signs use very little power, and you never pay to reprint a sign again. They are also much tougher than old neon signs, which are fragile and can be a safety risk. Our outdoor signs are built for sun, wind and rain, and even frost in higher areas. Warranties run from 1 to 5 years, depending on the product.
How can you tell if your sign is working?
A sign is harder to track than an online ad, but there are simple ways to see the difference:
- compare your turnover for the months before and after the sign went up
- count how many people come through the door
- ask new customers how they heard about you
- put a QR code on the screen and count the scans
Raff Barbaro, owner of Barbaro Bros Butchers, put it simply: “People noticed and sales increased, that’s why I bought three of them!”
Try one first, or spread the cost
If you would like to see what a sign does for your business before you commit, hire an LED sign for a few weeks. We deliver portable and trailer signs anywhere in Australia, often on the same day in Perth, and show you how to change the message. If you decide to buy, finance through Ledge Finance spreads the cost over fixed monthly payments.
We have been making signs since 2002 (as Running Signs), and as iCatcher since 2019. Every sign is designed and built at our workshop in Welshpool, and we install LED signs across Perth and the rest of Australia. To talk about a sign for your business, send us a message or call Aaron on 0416 053 335 or the office on (08) 9335 7944.
