What Sign Does My Business Need? A Decision Guide

Question 1: Do people pass you on foot or in a car?

Pedestrians read signs at an angle, walking along the pavement. For them, a projecting sign that sticks out from the wall is seen long before a flat fascia. Drivers read from a distance and head on, which means larger lettering, fewer words and often a freestanding totem or post sign near the entrance to a car park.

If you have both — a retail park unit, say — you may need two different signs doing two different jobs.

Question 2: Do you trade after dark?

If your busiest hours are evenings or winter afternoons, an unlit sign is invisible when it matters. That does not mean it has to glow: a trough light over a painted board, halo-lit letters or spotlights on a hanging sign all work. If you close at five, illumination may be money better spent elsewhere.

Question 3: Do you own the building or lease it?

Tenants usually need landlord approval and may have to remove the sign when they leave. That points towards signs that fix cleanly and come down without damage — panels, individual letters on a fixing rail, window graphics. Owners can invest in something more permanent, such as built-up letters or a cast plaque.

Shopping centres and business parks often have their own sign rules. Get them before design starts.

Question 4: Are you on a high street, in an office building or on an estate?

• High street shop or café: a fascia plus a projecting sign is the standard pairing, often with window graphics to show what is inside.
• Office in a shared building: you may only control a reception wall and a directory entry — reception signage and a nameplate carry the brand.
• Unit on an industrial or business estate: visibility from the estate road matters most, which suggests a large fascia panel, a totem at the entrance and clear directional signs.
• Premises that move or have no frontage: vehicle graphics can be your most visible sign.

Question 5: How often will the message change?

A business name changes rarely; offers, menus and prices change weekly. Put the permanent message on the permanent sign and give changing information its own home: a menu case, a poster frame, window vinyl you can replace, or a digital screen. Mixing the two leads to fascias covered in stuck-on notices.

Question 6: Is the building sensitive?

Listed buildings and conservation areas limit materials, sizes and lighting. Timber, painted finishes and discreet lighting are more likely to be acceptable than large lightboxes. The consent rules have their own blog guide, and it is worth reading before you fall in love with a design.

Putting it together

Most businesses end up with a main identifying sign, one sign that catches people approaching from the side or from a distance, and somewhere for changing information. If your answers point in different directions, that is normal — it is what a survey and a design proof are for.

We survey, design, make and install every sign ourselves, so the recommendation you get is for the whole front, not just the item we happen to sell.

Common questions