| Jim Zylstra knows signs. In fact, he’s made signage one of his most successful marketing tools. His signs are big, bright and, most importantly, effective. “I get calls off my signs every day,” says the owner of Tuff Turf Molebusters, a Byron Center, Mich.-based business. “And I’ve gotten a lot of compliments.” Zylstra says he’s “ticked off” some people with his signs as well. He says the trick to successful signage is knowing what to include, and perhaps more important – what not to include. In constantly perfecting his own signs, Zylstra pays a lot of attention to what other companies are doing. He says one of the biggest signage mistakes is including too much information, particularly on intersection signs. “The main thing to remember with intersection signs is that people are driving through and glancing,” says Zylstra. “They are not reading. I have seen some very wordy signs including one by a window washing company that I actually had to get out of my truck to read. When using intersection signs, don’t list all of the services you offer. Specialize and pick one service. Keep it is as simple as possible.” Zylstra says that highlighting a specialty helps get the potential client’s attention. Once you draw them in, you can discuss additional services. “If you landscape, try advertising for delivery or spreading of shredded bark,” Zylstra suggests. “Put signs in the yard of houses that were just barked and at the entrance of the subdivision and every intersection. The smell and sight are the emotional reaction that will get neighbors to call or go to your website. Afterward, they may decide they need plants or bushes – or even a new patio. Does anybody really want to do one-time services? Not really. But advertising one-time services can get a foot in the door with customers. For example, take vacation mowing. I know somebody that converted an acre lawn into a regular mowing customer because they cut the grass while the homeowner was on vacation.” While keeping the sign short and sweet is important, be sure to include your website information. Zylstra says that driving traffic to his website is his primary goal for any sign he places. “My goal used to be to make them call,” he says. “But if they call, you have to pay somebody for 15 minutes of their time to answer the phone and explain your services and prices. Then you have to drive out or mail expensive brochures. A lot of time and money can be wasted. Instead, my website is a much better brochure that can be changed and updated regularly. It even allows people to request an estimate. By the time the first phone call comes, they already know what we do.” Of course sign placement is also a critical component. Besides intersection signs, Zylstra also places signs in vacant lots and in his customers’ lawns, with their permission. Some of the signs he places in customers’ lawns have additional information, as they are designed to get the attention of people walking by that have more time to read. With those signs, he mentions core services. “This is also effective in neighborhoods where you have a lot of customers because they can be seen from a long way’s away and people in cars will understand you service a lot of homes on that street,” he says. In addition to these signs, Zylstra also has a special sign that he places in his customers’ neighbors’ lawns. These signs give that neighbor a special offer while letting them know that Zylstra is treating a nearby lawn. It also lists the company’s primary services. “Just mentioning that I work on a neighbor’s lawn is not enough, especially if that neighbor isn’t watering or caring for their lawn,” says Zylstra. “There has to be an offer for a call to action.” But it is with these “neighbor” signs, placed to solicit new business, that Zylstra says he’s “ticked off” some people. The most irritated neighbor called Zylstra asking him to remove the sign personally. With incidences like these, signs can have a very short lifespan. As a result, Zylstra advises keeping the budget for signs reasonable. He buys several years’ worth at one time to keep the price per sign lower. Overall, Zylstra says he gets about 5-7 percent of his new business from signs alone. Though he’s had a lot of success with his signs, Zylstra continues to evolve his signage all the time. He’s constantly looking for new ideas to keep his signs fresh and effective. The author is a freelance writer based in Cleveland. |
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