Great signage is a part and parcel of any successful restaurant business. It doesn’t matter whether yours is an upscale brassier that boasts locally sourced ingredients, a cozy, romantic bistro complete with a rotating menu, or any option in between. All this will amount to zilch if you cannot let your hungry customers know that you exist. It could be that you have a perfect location, great food, and wonderful customer service. However, none of this will matter if diners cannot find you.
Business signage isn’t just effective but also cost-effective. Unlike newspaper ads, TV, and radio that usually run for only a limited period, one neon sign can advertise your restaurant to hundreds, if not thousands of people, over and over for several years.
When it is well-crafted, a neon sign can create an unforgettable first impression and can imply quality service. In the case of a neon open sign, it will bring customers right through the door.
Why do You Need to Invest in a Restaurant Sign?
At first, it may seem like the advent of the internet made it unnecessary for restaurant signs. After all, all you need is your website, a mobile app, and an email list and you are good to go, right? With this, customers will be stampeding to enter your restaurant or so you think.
Not so fast. There are lots of perks that come with signage advertising. A well-placed neon open sign complements your online advertising. After you have convinced them to come to your hotel, they will need a clear direction on where you are located. A sign serves as a constant reminder that you are in operation and also makes you be spotted easily from afar.
Good signage works more effectively than most forms of advertising like radio, print, and the internet. Many customers decide to go through the doors of a restaurant just because their attention was drawn to it by a sign. According to research, people will make an assumption about the quality of the services of a business by looking at how the signage has been designed.
These numbers should have already convinced you that signs are great and that they are a proven and trustworthy form of advertising a restaurant as well as the unique beverages and food it offers. Neon signs can attract hungry patrons in their droves to your restaurant and boost your sales.
It’s worth remembering that a restaurant is largely a physical business. Although there are to-go orders, delivery services, and drive-through, the majority of the essential transactions of a restaurant business can’t be outsourced the same way online shopping can. People are attracted to restaurants because of their great food and a relaxing atmosphere. Thus, physical neon signs are the best option to entice customers to come and dine and wine in your restaurant.
How does Neon Signs Help Advertise Your Restaurant Business?
Increase Visibility
For you to attract potential patrons, you will need to use conspicuous signs. A simple neon open sign can go a long way into attracting clients for your restaurant. Here are some tips to improve visibility.
- Use bright and bold colors: one of the best ways to ensure your restaurant neon sign stands out is to use vibrant colors. Contrasting the colors is also important. Dark font on a bright background will ensure that your words pop.
- Use Unique Designs: do you have a particular font or logo that your patrons identify you with it? If so, have these features highlighted on your sign. Restaurants that use a bold image or logo are likely to stand out from the crowd.
- Advertise both day and night: the good thing with neon restaurant signs is that they have brightness and wow factor. Also, a neon open sign will remove any doubt as to whether you have closed or still operating. It informs customers from far so they know whether to come or not.
Pass a Targeted Message
The key to effective advertising with business signage is to go for plain text. Most people, more so motorists, have little time to read signs. They can only afford a fleeting second and so you want to ensure your words count. To be effective, make sure your sign also uses a few words. Using small words has been found to make customers think your sign is crowded. This can be frustrating to them. Here are tips to lure readers quickly:
- Provide Facts in a Few Words: What food does your business offer and what makes it unique? Inform your patrons what kind of food awaits them once they are inside.
- Use a Sense of Humor: Use humor that appeals to your audiences while conveying the natural personality of your restaurant. Clever restaurant signs can do more to attract customers to your hotel.
- Add directions: your sign should be able to help customers locate your building even if they are in their vehicles. This can only be achieved when you include directions on the sign.
Promote Your Brand
When customers come to your restaurant, you should offer them more than just-food. Restaurants are associated with a set of values and a whole experience. There are a few ways you can use to promote your brand:
- Display the logo of your restaurant: Your logo will be symbolic of the quality experience that customers recall from eating with you.
- Create a great first impression: It’s essential to have a top-notch design, perfect grammar, and flawless spelling. Also, you need to tell customers the quality and value they’ll get inside your restaurant. It’s a good idea to display the awards you have earned. If your hotel is 5-star, make sure this is captured in the sign as well. Use positive testimonials to entice people.
- Use Word-Of-Mouth Marketing: a well-done sign should be able to accomplish this. A unique sign that pops up in the neighborhood is enough to get people talking. It will leave local revelers wondering if the restaurant is as good as it appears. It won’t be long before they troop in to see what you offer.
Conclusion
Nowhere in the business world are neon signs more important than in bars and restaurants. Neon signs are often associated with nightlife, vibrancy, and partying. And because you mostly operate even at night, this is the time when these lights are most effective. But are you taking advantage of neon signs to boost your restaurant sales? If you are not, then you are missing out on sure customers.