Your sign works every hour your building stands, and it is often the first thing a new customer sees. A custom business sign is designed and built for your name, your brand and your building, so it fits the wall, reads from the street and looks like you mean to stay.
Gogi Signs designs and builds custom signs in our Linden shop for businesses across New Jersey and New York City. This guide explains why a custom sign is worth it, what the research says, and which type of custom sign fits your business. If you are weighing a catalog sign instead, see our comparison of custom signs vs ready made signs.
In this guide
What the Research Says About Business Signs
A national survey for FedEx Office found that 76 percent of consumers have walked into a store they had never visited because of its signs, and 68 percent believe a store’s signage reflects the quality of what it sells, as Printing Impressions reported. More than half, 52 percent, said they are less willing to enter a store with misspelled or poorly made signs.
Finding you matters too. Research led by Professor James Kellaris at the University of Cincinnati found that nearly 50 percent of shoppers have driven past a business they could not find because its sign was too small or unclear.
The New York State Small Business Development Center’s sign guide, What Is Your Signage, reports a University of San Diego study in which one additional on premise sign raised annual sales by 4.75 percent on average. Results like these depend on the business and the location, but they all point the same way: a clear, well made sign brings people in.
Google Expects a Real Sign Too
Your sign also affects how you show up online. Google’s guidelines for Business Profiles say businesses that show their address should maintain permanent fixed signage of their business name at that address, and that your listed name should match the name used on your storefront.
Google also asks for exterior photos, because they help customers recognize your business when they arrive, according to its Business Profile photo guide. A custom sign that matches your listing makes those photos work. Our guide on why business signage still matters in a digital world covers this in more detail.
What a Custom Sign Does That a Stock Sign Cannot
- It fits your building. Sized to the sign band, the wall and the town limit, not to a catalog size.
- It carries your brand exactly. Your logo, colors and fonts, not a template.
- It reads from your street. Letter height and contrast chosen for how far away your customers are. See our guide to viewing distance.
- It passes the rules. Drawn for your town’s sign code and your landlord’s criteria, so it gets approved.
- It lasts. Built from materials chosen for the weather it will face.
- It lights safely. A lit custom sign is built and listed as a complete electric sign for your wall.
The Main Types of Custom Signs
Channel Letters
Channel letters are the classic lit storefront sign, with each letter built and lit on its own. They read clearly at night and suit almost any logo. Our guide on channel letter signs explains the lighting options.
Light Box Signs
A light box sign is a lit cabinet with a printed face. It costs less than channel letters for the same size and the face can be changed later if your branding changes.
Blade Signs
A blade sign projects from the building so people walking along the sidewalk see it from both directions. It is often the second sign on a busy street.
Carved and Hand Painted Signs
Carved signs and hand painted signs suit downtowns and businesses with a classic look. They are often a good fit in historic districts, where design rules can be stricter. Our guide to signs in historic districts explains what to check.
Metal and Dimensional Letters
Metal letters and dimensional letters give offices, lobbies and storefronts a clean, solid look. Our guide on how metal letters help your business covers finishes.
Window Graphics and Awnings
Window decals turn glass into signage for hours, services and promotions. Awnings add shade and a second place for your name.
Custom Signs for Different Businesses
The right sign depends on how your customers find you. A few common patterns:
- Restaurants and cafes. A lit main sign for evening trade, a blade sign for people on foot and window graphics for the menu or hours.
- Shops in a strip center. Channel letters or a light box that meets the center’s criteria, plus door and window graphics.
- Offices and medical practices. Dimensional letters outside and in the lobby, a directory and ADA room signs.
- Salons and studios. A sign that shows your style, often with neon or LED neon, and window graphics that show your services. Our guide to salon signs and graphics covers the full set.
- Service businesses with vans. A storefront sign and vehicle graphics that match, so customers recognize you in both places.
What a Custom Sign Costs
A custom sign costs more than a catalog sign because it is designed, built and installed for one wall. Size, sign type, lighting and the installation decide most of the price. Our guide on what affects the cost of commercial signs explains each factor, and how much a business sign costs gives published price ranges. At Gogi Signs, one price covers the survey, design, fabrication and installation, so there are no separate bills for each step.
A well built custom sign also lasts. Outdoor signs made from aluminum, acrylic and quality vinyl, kept clean and checked once in a while, give years of service. Our guide on how long commercial signs last breaks it down by material.
How to Choose the Right Custom Sign
- Start with where customers see you: a road, a sidewalk, a plaza or a lobby.
- Decide on lighting: if people arrive after dark, a lit sign is worth it. See illuminated vs non illuminated signs.
- Check the rules: your landlord’s criteria and your town’s sign code, which can differ between towns that sit side by side.
- Match your brand: materials and finishes that fit how you want to be seen.
- Plan the whole set: the main sign, windows, door and inside together, so everything matches.
Our sister shop in New York shows the full range of options in its custom signs collection. And your vehicles can carry the same brand: Pixel Wraps, our sister graphics shop, explains how in how truck wrap advertising helps businesses generate more leads. Our guide to planning a complete business sign package brings it all together.
Getting Your Custom Sign Approved
A custom sign is drawn to pass the rules, but it still has to be approved. In New Jersey, most permanent outdoor signs need zoning approval from the town and a construction permit, plus an electrical permit if the sign is lit. If you lease, your landlord approves the design first. Our guide on whether business signs need a permit in New Jersey walks through each step, and how long a custom sign project takes shows how the approvals fit into your schedule.
The fastest way to start is a site survey. We measure the wall, check the power, note the town and landlord rules and photograph the building, so the first proof is drawn for the real conditions. Send a few photos with your quote request and we can often give you a first price before the visit.
Common Questions About Custom Business Signs
Is a custom sign worth the cost?
For a permanent location, usually yes. Surveys find most shoppers judge a business by its sign, and a custom sign fits your building, carries your brand and lasts longer than a generic one.
What is the most popular custom storefront sign?
Channel letters are among the most common, because they are lit, durable and suit almost any logo. Light box signs and blade signs are popular too.
Does Google require a business sign?
Google’s guidelines say businesses that show their address on Google should maintain permanent fixed signage of their name at that address, and the listed name should match the storefront.
What custom sign works best indoors?
Metal, acrylic or dimensional letters for a lobby logo, and panels or standoff signs for rooms and directories.
Do custom signs need a permit?
Most permanent outdoor signs in New Jersey need a permit from the town, and lit signs usually need an electrical permit too. Your sign company should handle the drawings.
Can I see a design before it is made?
Yes. You should get a proof that shows the size, colors, materials, lighting and mounting, drawn on a photo of your building, before anything is built.
Custom Signs Built Around Your Business
Every sign we make starts with your building and your brand. Browse our sign gallery, see our outdoor signs by type, then request a free quote. The price includes the survey, design, fabrication and installation.
Sources and further reading
- Printing Impressions: FedEx Office survey on signage and store sales, 2012
- University of Cincinnati: consumers rely on signage
- New York State Small Business Development Center: What Is Your Signage
- Google: guidelines for representing your business
- Google: Business Profile photos
