The signage you choose for your business will act as your marketing even when you’re not in the building. Choosing unified branding across all signage enforces your brand identity and message and gives a professional look to your business that’s sure to draw in customers. Choosing the right material, colour, and font is all important, but you can’t forget about it once it’s installed. If a potential customer walks up to your business and sees a faded, dirty, or broken sign, it makes a bad impression. It can make it look like you don’t take care of the little things, and can give an overall unprofessional feel and that potential customer is likely to choose a competitor instead. Maintenance and cleaning on a regular schedule ensures you send the best impression to customers, new and old, so we’ll go over some tips now.
Maintaining Business Signs in Melbourne with Ease
When deciding on the right material for your signage, the company you choose will be able to help you pick one with the right level of water and weather proofing for your business and area. Choosing high-quality materials will help, and there are steps you can take when you first get your signage installed to extend these features and ensure your signage is long-lasting. Consider investing in UV-resistant coatings for exterior signs, as these will delay fading, which is especially important if the sign is in direct sunlight. For metal signs, use a protective varnish, if possible, to prevent moisture from causing rust and ruining the look of your sign. If your sign is going to be facing high winds, consider how it’s mounted to prevent damage or, in the case of road signage, to prevent it from ending up outside someone else’s business.
Like the rest of your building, all signage is going to accumulate dust and dirt. Removing this regularly improves the look of your signage and prevents build-up from damaging your sign. For large or illuminated hero signage outside, a professional cleaner may be needed. This means your staff don’t have to worry about getting up ladders and you’re not risking damage to the lighting. If you already have a company that cleans your building exterior and/or windows, they should be equipped to include your exterior sign. To clean signs in windows, simply use a soft cloth and gentle glass cleaner to clear dirt and prevent streaks. The same method can be used to clean movable signs placed on the pavements outside your business. If you have any signs on the parking area outside, such as noting a speed limit, it’s advisable to use a hose and a scrubbing brush to deal with the stubborn road dirt. If you have branded vehicles, these also face all the debris of the freeways, but scrubbing brushes could damage the signage. It’s best to clean them often with a non-abrasive spray cleaner and a soft or microfibre cloth.
If you manage a branded vehicle fleet, it’s especially important to maintain a consistent and professional look on the move. Regular cleaning combined with occasional vehicle fleet signage maintenance in Melbourne ensures your brand is well-represented across the city. And if damage does occur, timely sign repairs in Melbourne can restore your signage quickly, helping avoid disruption to your business visibility.
Alongside your regular cleaning schedule, you should also put regular signage maintenance checks in the calendar. Quick inspections once every few weeks can help you spot small problems before they cause further damage. Loose signs, for example, can be secured before they fall off and damage a customer or the building. You’ll be able to address any fading with further UV protection and polish small scratches to keep your signage looking fresh. If your sign is illuminated, these checks ensure flickering or broken bulbs are replaced quickly. Your signs won’t last forever, so be sure to replace them once they’re showing obvious signs of disrepair, but regular visual checks will extend their life. You should also consider replacing signage if your business logo changes to ensure a unified professional look.
If your area is prone to graffiti, there are a few steps to take. Consider security cameras placed at your business entrance as a visual deterrent. Speak to your signage company too, who can recommend anti-graffiti coating and easy-to-clean materials if it is sprayed.
If your business changes signage seasonally, ensure it’s stored correctly to prevent damage. For softer materials, stack neatly to prevent bending and store in a cool, dry place to prevent water damage. For further protection, consider buying solid storage boxes for your signage. This will also stop them from gathering dust, so will save you cleaning time when you get them back out. These tips ensure you can use them again when it’s the right season.
How to Follow Home Business Signage Regulations
While we’re talking about signage tips, we should mention home businesses, too. You should follow the relevant maintenance tips above for signage, and also consider that the exterior of your home itself is advertising. If potential customers pull up and see an appealing sign, but it’s on an overgrown weed-filled front lawn, they might think twice. There are certain legal obligations you must follow with home business signage. Check with your council for specific guidelines, but for most residential properties, only one sign is allowed, and acceptable dimensions are given, while permission must be granted for any over those sizes. It must be informational, not advertising. It can show your logo, opening hours, and contact details, for example, but not ‘25% off sale now on’. You’re also required to consider your neighbours when it comes to signage, and it can’t disrupt them by, say, blocking part of their driveway. Your neighbours are potential customers after all, so it’s best to stay on the right side of them. Some councils allow window signage too, but it can’t take up more than 20% of the window and can’t be illuminated, so you’ll have to consider other ways of advertising your business after dark.
Following these maintenance and cleaning tips doesn’t take long, but will help ensure your signage works for your business for a long time to come. At LF Sign Group, we provide high-quality, customised signage to get you started. Find out more about our illuminated signs here.
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