Things such as marketing with branded merchandise, advertising, word of mouth referrals, weekly and major events aimed at attracting new business and encouraging repeat customers are obviously great for bringing in the crowds and generating interest. If people can’t find your business they’re likely to get frustrated and give up. Equally important, a lot of business for many industries can be generated purely by traffic that passes by and notices them. The way businesses and organizations make sure people can find them and that they get a slice of that foot traffic is by making sure they have proper signage.

There are several different styles for banners, fliers and signs. The key things to keep in mind are: size, colors and design, type of material, fonts and text, and where to display the signs. You’ll also have to decide what’s most important to display, such as what products or services, promotions, mottos and taglines to include, etc.

Every business should have a large sign displayed directly above their door at minimum, if possible. This is normally best accompanied by some kind of branded pavilion underneath it, with a description of your business, service or advertisement of major products. “Free Insurance Quotes – Dental, Auto, Health”, “Home of the Texas Burger”, “In Business Since 1954” are all great examples of what to put on the outside of the pavilion. For your logo, a small graphic next to your business name is ideal. It’s also a good idea to illuminate your logo if possible. This can be achieved by having LED letters, or display lights set up below pointing at the sign. In conjunction with the sign above the business, if you have space, a large stand-up sign that is next to the street is great for letting people know where you are and getting that drive-by business previously mentioned. The larger the better, but there are certain restrictions on signage with most city’s permits.

You do may not need a permit for certain kinds of signage. This includes banners, standalone “sandwich” boards, and campaign-sign style temporary signs (the ones you stick in the ground). The rule in San Marcos, similar to many cities, is that you must not keep this out for more than 24 hours. So you can put out these kinds of signs right when you open, and put them up before you close. As for what to put on the signs, unlike the large signage these are much better for advertising the unique products and services you offer, the best qualities of these, any upcoming events, and arrows pointing at your business. They can also be used to advertise any deals or sales you have ongoing. Make the text large enough to read and make sure you get the point across quickly, as you’ll only have a passer-by’s attention for a few seconds.