Despite some COVID restrictions that are still in place, Australia is projected to experience a 4.4% increase this year. The country’s vaccination rate is also increasing at a rapid pace, with more than 4 million vaccine doses administered this May.

Small business owners may think that things are finally going to go back to the way it was. But is that really true?

A lot has changed since the onset of the pandemic – including how consumers behave. From in-store shopping to curbside pick up. Food delivery instead of dine-in. Streaming new movies in lieu of going to the cinema. Many small business COVID success stories happen when owners rose to the challenge. And if these changes are here to stay, small businesses have to consider fully transforming as well.

Businesses may fare differently during the pandemic, depending on their field and scale. But now that things are seemingly about to return to normal, there are some universal things that you can take note of to ensure that your small business can succeed in the post-COVID world:

Optimise what works

Though many small businesses experienced financial loss during 2020, some thrived. For example, some small specialised grocery stores in Melbourne managed to leverage social media to deliver their goods to customers’ home. A beverage manufacturer in Canberra managed to increase its revenue from online retail. If you happen to be one of the small business owners with small business COVID success stories, consider optimising the innovations you’ve made during the pandemic and keep them as part of your normal operations.

Check your finances

Consider your state of finances before deciding to return back to how you usually run your business prior to COVID-19. Though the government provided numerous relief package for small businesses during this pandemic, most of these would eventually cease. Be sure to check your liabilities and assets to ensure that your business can function in the first few months when you return to normal operations.

Leave behind some business processes

Since many small businesses had to innovate to survive, there may be merit in leaving behind some business processes you used prior to the pandemic. Perhaps you’ve managed to streamline your customer orders by using online forms instead of manually writing them down? Or found that your products are a huge hit with international customers than local ones? There’s no shame in changing how you run your business if it means success and resilience in the long run.

Boost your team’s morale

The COVID-19 is hard on everyone, not just financially but also emotionally. Many of us had to go through some form of quarantine process for months on end and limit our interactions with people we don’t know. This can hit your team’s morale hard. Be sure that you have a plan in place to help them return to normal business operations. That way, your team’s productivity levels can return to the way it was before the start of the pandemic.

The above are but just a few ways that you can prepare your small business for a post-COVID world. We don’t know yet when that would happen and how it would look like. But better to begin now in restarting your small business ready in a post-COVID world.

For all your printing and signage needs, contact Wild FX Signage and Print.

The post How Small Businesses Can Succeed in Post-COVID appeared first on Wild FX Signage & Print.

From dating apps to online shopping, we choose products, services and people based on beauty.

Successful business owners know this well.

According to Adobe, companies with a strong design outperform companies with a weak design by 219% on the S&P Index (a stock market index) over the span of 10 years.

In fact, 48% of people said that the website design of a business was their number one factor in determining the credibility of that business.

So not only is good design directly tied to success, it’s also tied to trust.

Here are 7 proven reasons why good design is good business (and how you can use design to increase your small business revenues).

1. Good design makes a strong first impression.

Good design is about using colors, shapes, textures, space, forms, images, and content in a harmonious, balanced way.

Good design starts with a strong brand.

A well-designed logo is an important part of a company’s brand.

In the digital age, companies only have a matter of seconds before a customer makes up their mind.

Those few seconds are crucial because they can make or break a sale – and design plays a huge role in the deciding factor.

For example, it only takes people 10 seconds to form a first impression of a brand’s logo, but it takes 5-7 impressions for consumers to recognize the logo.

Design is a signal to customers that they should buy from you.

This is true not only online, but also for physical products.

Packaging design, for example, can alter the perception of your product.

2. Design helps your business stand out.

If you thought you had no competition, think again.

Every company, no matter the industry, faces a hefty amount of competition.

Design can make or break your business.

3. Builds customer relationships.

Since relationships are based on emotion, customers are often emotionally connected to a company.

Design is not only a reason why your customers become customers – it’s also why they stay.

4. Keeps your website easy to use.

Design is not just what looks good.

To be effective, design needs to perform a specific function.

Its about how something looks and works.

A well-designed website, for example, helps convert visitors into customers.

When people have attention spans that are shorter than that of a goldfish, you know you don’t have a lot of time before someone gives up.

Today, that attention span is 8 seconds, while a goldfish clocks in at 9 seconds.

While the difference seems small at first, it’s actually a pretty big deal.

With design, websites and online products are easier to navigate and bounce rates are usually lower.

When people encounter poorly designed sites, they are more likely to give up because they can’t find what they are looking for or it takes too long to find the information they seek.

Signs that a website is easy to use includes a simple display of information, no middle-man steps, and no bells or whistles.

Design and good usability aren’t about information overload or tons of animations – it’s about giving the customer the bare minimum that they need while still expressing your brand.

If your website isn’t intuitive, it’s hurting your business.

5. Promotes brand consistentcy.

It would be strange if Google suddenly started displaying search results in a cursive font. Or if McDonald’s decided to change up their logo depending on the day.

If you’re cringing, it’s probably because you’ve never tried to imagine a purple McDonald’s logo or a script Google search results page.

We don’t blame you.

The layout of Google’s search results and the McDonald’s logo are more than just design elements for the companies, they’re a part of their brand.

Because those designs are so memorable, it’s hard to imagine them changing, and that’s a really good thing.

Consistency is key when it comes to creating a cohesive brand.

6. The key to social media success.

If you thought you only needed a well-designed website to succeed, think again.

Many of today’s marketing efforts are done on social media platforms.

Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or any other platform, social media is one of the best ways to connect to customers, go viral, and make a name for your company.

But in the age of aesthetics, you won’t get far with your social media strategy with poor designs.

Customers aren’t the only ones that agree good design helps companies on social media platforms. 60.8% of marketers said that in 2017, design was essential to their marketing strategies. And 93% agreed that it was very important.

Without design, marketing messages boil down to plain text and this approach rarely catches people’s attention.

7. Good design makes you money.

We pointed out that good design is good business and hopefully, you’re beginning to understand why that’s true.

Ultimately, it increases your company’s value, boosts sales, and puts your business in a better financial situation.

Through building trust, making strong first impressions, building customer relationships, and even executing successful campaigns, good design helps make your business more profitable.

At the end of the day, the technology or the differentiating factor in your business can only take you so far.

Take Facebook and MySpace as an example. Both platforms set out to do the same thing: connect people to one another. At one point, it was significantly more popular to have a MySpace account than it was to have a Facebook account.

Today, a MySpace account is the equivalent of a flip phone. It’s Facebook’s clunky, uglier relative.

Facebook’s sleeker, more intuitive design helped Facebook become the dominant social network in the U.S.  Facebook is now valued at over $440 billion, while MySpace is valued at around $35 million.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Even though your business is small today, it can help it be big tomorrow.

The post Reasons Why Good Design is Good Business appeared first on Wild FX Signage & Print.

Below, you’ll find a complete breakdown of what vehicle wraps are and whether you should consider as an investment.

What is a car wrap?

A vehicle wrap is a digitally-printed mobile billboard. Professionals will work with you to craft your advertisement and then print it on vinyl. Professionals print vinyl wraps in full color with eye-catching graphics. After using graphic design software to design your wrap, the individual will then apply the vinyl film to your car.

You can select either a full wrap, which covers the entire vehicle including the windows, or a partial wrap. Even if the wraps cover windows, you won’t have a problem looking through them. A high-quality vinyl wrap typically lasts three to five years.

Are vehicle wraps effective?

When you think of marketing techniques, the use of vehicle graphics may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, you may want to give car wrapping more consideration based on the following statistics:

• “individual vehicle advertising generates between 30,000-70,000 daily vehicular impressions,” according to ARD Ventures.
• “Mobile advertising generates 2.5 times more attention than a static billboard,” says Perception Research.
• “Messages on outdoor mobile billboards have a 97% recall rate,” RYP & Becker Group indicates.

Based on these metrics, it’s easy to see why small business owners would want to consider choosing vehicle wraps over more traditional forms of advertising.

Aren’t wraps meant for large companies with vehicle fleets?

There is a common misconception that vinyl car wraps are only for companies with large vehicle fleets. However, this is not the case. Even if you don’t own company vehicles, you can still rent a truck or van to advertise your company’s information.

Taking advantage of these mobile advertisements could legitimize your small business and introduce your brand and logo to customers in your area. When small business owners use vehicle wraps, it puts them on the same investment playing field as companies large enough to maintain vehicle fleets.

How do vehicle wraps compare to other forms of advertising?

Wrap advertising isn’t quite as cost-efficient as online advertising, but it’s certainly more effective than some other forms of marketing.

Vinyl wraps tend to increase the outreach of a marketing campaign. When conducting traditional marketing campaigns, small business owners often limit themselves to a small demographic. However, if you engage in a mobile billboard advertising campaign, you’ll reach everyone from children to seniors.

A word of caution

Because printing technology is better than ever, wrap installations are more accessible than ever. However, there has also been a rise in inexperienced people setting up fleet wrap shops. It’s a good idea to check a wrap provider’s credentials and reviews before engaging in business.

Wraps shouldn’t damage a vehicle’s paint job. However, if an inexperienced individual applies the wrap film, there’s a chance that the image can bleed through the wrap onto the paint. There’s also a strong chance that the paint will be scratched or chipped in the process.

You’ll be better off investing in the services of a professional who you can trust. Make sure that you choose a company that is highly-rated and has years of experience. Additionally, you should always ask for a warranty in writing. If you’re working with high-end wrap designers, they should be more than willing to offer one.

Keep track of your marketing expenses

Vinyl wraps could be a valuable investment of your overall marketing strategy, especially if you live in a highly-populated area. Choosing vehicle wraps will allow you to reach a broad target audience for minimal costs.

Whether you choose vehicle wraps or some other form of small business advertising, make sure you integrate it into your overall business plan and keep track of your marketing expenses.

The post Would a car wrap be a good investment for my business? appeared first on Wild FX Signage & Print.

Business cards are part of the branding exercise that marketers take up to beat the competition. The cards do not merely hold contact details such as email address, phone number, website address, and others. Smart strategists turn the cards into impressive designs. The design speaks favorably for a business. Every design element like color, typeface, space, image, and logo, etc. has its planned use in the card for the desired impact.

For clients and general customers, business cards are a window to peep into a company’s possible quality of products or services. The importance is evident from some glaring facts. You will lose many customers if the card paper doesn’t have a perfect business card size, too thin and its design fails to impress them.

1. Ease Of Giving Contact Details

A reason for business cards still in circulation is that they deliver contact information with ease. A company’s contact information is vital to clients. All of your contact details such as email address and phone number are available on the card. The recipient can put the card easily in a wallet or office drawer. These cards thus come handy in finding out a company’s details quickly.

Some digital devices such as iPhones and Android phones can send information to another phone. But that happens only when the other device is compatible. Not all of your potential customers may have compatible phones. That makes these cards essential for all businesses.

2. Give A Personal Touch

When handing out a business card, clients do not merely get the contact details. A lot of handshakes go with exchanging these cards. Both the parties give thanks and greet each other. Moreover, they spend a good time while talking and connect well. They share their contact information through the cards in a friendly environment. This warmth helps in building a relationship with a client.

However, do not forget that the quality of the cards matters. While personal warmth in sharing the cards is necessary, their quality material and design remind the clients of your professionalism. A prominent speaker & author on startups and economic development, Beth Ramsay advises to use metal as a material to create the cards. He says, “Metal business cards are a good investment, especially if you were to meet Magneto. He would have no other choice but to be attracted to you.”

3. Make A Quick First Impression

Every seriously conducted business must grab the attention of its target customers. People’s attention span is already increasing due to many distractions. Therefore, instant first impression on a target audience becomes all the more essential.

An attractive and well-thought-of business card design catches the eye and builds a favorable impression of a business. A company logo, tastefully displayed company details, use of the right brand colors and typeface surely give the card a professional look. It makes a brand recognizable for customers.

4. Appropriate In Some Cultures

In some cultures, business cards hold a prominent place. For them, the cards are part of business rituals. For example, if you do business in Hong Kong, you must offer your business card in return when someone gives you the card.

You will surely lose the client if you do not share your card. Similarly, in Japan, clients see the quality of your card paper to judge how efficiently you run your business and conduct yourself.

However, when creating your business card ideas, it is essential that your logo design appears on one side prominently. That logo and contact details are the reasons you created the card for.

5. Turn Them Into Direct Marketing Tools

A modern custom business card is a direct marketing tool. While search engine optimization, email marketing, and other marketing methods fetch leads and potential clients, still business cards are more effective. This is because of the in-person meeting that goes with sharing of the cards.

When you happen to meet a potential lead anywhere including at airport lounges and industrial conferences, just give your card to them. Just have some cards always in your pocket to hand out them to prospect directly wherever you find them.

6. Make Your Business Referable

Business cards should also mention what skills you or your business possesses. Giving your company name and contact details are not enough. If your card lets the recipient know about your extra skill, it helps create referrals. The recipient person can refer your business and skills to someone who is looking for those set of skills. This is important that you come across with people from a variety of backgrounds. They can refer your business to others.

But first, make sure that your card design is good enough to compel referrals. So, hire competent graphic design services provider who can create the desired impact from the design. Use the elements of colors, text, images, and logos wisely to convey your brand message effectively. If the card recipient is impressed, your chances of getting more referrals go higher.

7. Building Trust

Because of a highly competitive market environment, customers must have trust in a company and its products. If they do not have faith in the offerings of a company, they will just buy. Business cards can bridge that trust deficit to some extent.

Since there is a lot of warmth and personal greetings exchanged when sharing the cards, it helps in building a fair amount of trust. Moreover, a professional graphic designer knows how to incorporate colors etc. in the card design to evoke trust. A card design that appears as organized speaks well for the business.

8. Turn It Into Your Networking Tool

Most businesses happen virtually in today’s digital world. This has helped in expanding the network of companies tremendously. You can make virtual contact with hundreds of people through emails etc. quickly. But this eliminates the chances of meeting customers personally. There is no alternative to the face-to-face networking that has been the proven conventional method of building relationships.

Business cards play a significant role in creating opportunities. They help increase sales due to the power of personal networking. Remember that with a solid networking plan, your business can build a true brand identity. Business cards help significantly in creating a chain of personal relationships.

So, these are the key reasons for businesses of all scales that they should use the power of business cards for their growth. But the results will depend on your ability to explore the cards’ potential in building your network. These are undoubtedly great marketing tools if you can make them as part of your overall marketing plan.

If you are looking for great design ideas to create your business cards, Wild FX Signage & Print is the right place.

The post 8 Reasons Why Your Business Cards Are Still Important appeared first on Wild FX Signage & Print.

A high proportion of millennials believe that marketers can play an important role during the COVID-19 crisis and want to see communications that address the situation in their tone and/or focus on brand initiatives. With this in mind, marketers need to be innovative and creative in their communications with consumers.

1) Social media channels currently offer special opportunity for innovative engagement

With so many people spending more time at home, internet usage is even higher than normal. In this vein, we are seeing some brands engage in innovative engagement.

2) Influencer marketing strategies may need to be changed to target “homefluencers”

As with everyone else, the lives of social media influencers have been impacted by COVID-19.

3) Strong consumer brands should deliver simple messages that address COVID-19 and social responsibility

Bigger brands that have influence within consumer communities keep their messages simple, obvious, and informative.

4) Tone and human-centric messages are especially important for companies experience an uptick or shift in distribution channels during the crisis

The public is well aware that this crisis has hit many individuals very hard. As a result, messages that focus on the human element are likely to enhance effectiveness.

Looking to take your brnd to the next level? Wild FX Signage & Print have a range of products and services to suit your business, including building signage, business cards, printing, appreal, promotional products and more.

Remember we are all in this together, stay safe and well.

The post COVID-19 Made Brands Engage With Consumers appeared first on Wild FX Signage & Print.

Even in a digital age, a business card is a popular–and necessary networking and communication tool. Having a great business card provides legitimacy to your or your business, it’s a quick and easy way to exchange information, and can provide ways to help promote your work.

What creative Business Card Ideas you put say a lot to others. Here’s a guide to what to put on a business card, with plenty of creative ideas to help you get started.

1. Identification and Contact Information

No matter how you decide to create the design, every business card should include the basics.

It almost goes without saying, but there are too many beautiful cards out there with no real information to identify the source. Equate this to an awesome website that loads slowly. You will just move on to something else.

There are a few vital elements that every business card needs:

• Name and business name (if you have one)
• Basic contact information such as an email address or phone number
• Something that tells people what you do – designer, photographer, web developer etc.
• Website URL to showcase your work

2. An Image That Shows What You Do

A great photo can take an average business card to the next level. Leave a visual impression with new connections by using an image that shows what you do or your work on the card itself.

This is a popular choice for photographers and artists, although it can be a little more tricky for web developers. Look for an image that’s sharp and easy to understand at a small size. (Your canvas is probably no bigger than 3.5 inches by 2 inches if you opt for a standard size.)

Other ways to use creative imagery for a business card design includes using an image or illustration that shows what you do. Maybe you have a great “action” photo of yourself. Maybe you have a creative take on your job. Any stellar image can make an impression. The trick is to make sure it communicates exactly what you want to say visually.

3. A Location Map

If your clientele needs to come to you, a cool, funky or artistically represented map could be a great reverse side of your business card. (You are planning to use both sides of the card for the design, right?) Plus, people just love to look at maps.

Don’t get hung up on a map that has to show a precise location. The map should give users a general idea of where your business is located. Instead, opt for a striking visual that provides basic information such as city and state or proximity to a well-known landmark.

Just make sure that if a map is a key element to include a physical address that people can use to Google your location as well. (You don’t want to leave anyone wondering how to actually find you.)

4. Plenty of Color

Black and white business cards can be kind of boring. Create maximum impact with high color visuals that connect to your personal (or business brand) and personality.

One of the best tricks to make sure your card stands out is to use a thick paper with a color edge. Since most business cards will probably be on the thinner side (too many people do this to save a few bucks) and have a white edge.

A thick card with a color edge will be a lot more memorable, screams quality and will be easy to find in those endless stacks of cards that get collected at professional conferences or networking events.

High color designs can work for any part of the business card design. Look for ways to incorporate logo with a bright logo or typography on a white card or consider a color card with reverse lettering. (Just remember, the goal is to stand out professionally.)

5. Textured Effects

Since a business card is a physical medium, make the most of it with something that users can see and feel.

Opt for a textured effect such as letterpress or foiling. Use high-quality printing (not copying) for production so there’s a subtle raised quality to letters on the card.

You can even look for a laser cutout or curved or nontraditional edges to make the most of a tactile design. The longer a user holds on to your card to examine these features, the more likely it is that they will have a stronger memory of it – and what you do. It’s an easy way to create a longer lasting impression.

While these effects are some of the most costly in this list, there are ways to avoid breaking the budget. Print two types of business cards – one is a more standard design at a lower price point (use these in mailing and non-contact marketing touches), then have a second card with a premium design for top clients and meetings that you hand out in person. Try to use a similar visual design for each.

6. Amazing Typography

There’s almost no design project where great typography isn’t a must-have element.

With something as small as a business card, typography is vital to creating a design that people can understand. A common flaw in business card design is typography that’s too small.

A good business card design has a typography hierarchy and structure just like any other project. Don’t be afraid to go big with important words such as your name or what you do.

Use clean, easy to read typography. This is especially important if your name is uncommon or your business name or location includes difficult words or spellings. Make it easy for the user.

7. Plenty of White Space

Don’t cram your business card with too much stuff.

In addition to all the reasons why white space is good for the design, a bit of usable space can enhance business card usability. It allows the card recipient to make notes or write down information that they might need later.

If this is something you see happening a lot, consider a matte or flat finish so that taking notes directly on the card is easy and so that ink does not smear.

8. A Call to Action or Promo

Physical elements such as business cards don’t come with the same measurable ROI or analytics that many of us are used to getting with digital products. Include a call to action or promo code for a product or service to help measure who is looking at and engaging with your card after a meeting.

It’s not a surefire way to measure results – many people never redeem promos – but it can help you give users something in exchange for their time. An enticing call to action or promo can at the very least drive some traffic to your website or generate emails or phone calls, so why not try it out?

Conclusion

Just because you have Business Card Ideas, doesn’t mean your business card has to be boring. Make a great first impression with a strong business card design that lets people know who you are and what you are about. Use high-quality paper and printing techniques to solidify that impression.

And don’t be afraid to get creative. In a creative field, your business card should not just tell people who you are; it should also showcase your style.

Need a creative idea for your new business card? Ask Wild FX Signage & Print to help you stand out from your competition.

The post 8 Creative Business Card Ideas to think about appeared first on Wild FX Signage & Print.

Let’s go over the basic business logo truths. The general consensus among designers is that logos should be unique, scalable, simple, and work well in monochrome. This is all sound practice, and this article does not argue against any of these mantras. That being said, there is more to gauge quality than these common prerequisites.

What is the Function of a Logo?

To understand what a great logo is, we must first consider its purpose. A logo is essentially a tool for conditioning. Businesses need a way to differentiate their products and services from their competitors, and they do this through unique stylization of the packaging, advertisements, and messages that they offer.

If logos and branding didn’t exist, there would be no way to easily indicate who you were buying from. We would be stuck reading every single label and description for every product. Products and services would then be stripped down to their pure utility—we could only determine the value of something based on its actual function.

Although this is a Marxist dream, imagine if every product, restaurant, and company had the exact same label set in the same type with the same colours. Would that not be a more boring world to live in? Thus, novelty is extremely important in business, culture, and branding. To conclude, a logo is the unique form (smallest amount of stimuli) that communicates the ownership of a particular good or service.

Logos (and branding) are important because products and services are relatively fungible. Fungibility refers to the property of a good or commodity that is essentially interchangeable.

Consider a can of Coke and Pepsi for example. Both of these products offer almost exactly the same amount of extrinsic value. The amount of liquid and sugar is nearly identical, and most customers can’t actually distinguish their taste. This makes branding particularly important for products where the utilitarian value is essentially the same, which is actually most of them. This, coupled with the fact that many of our purchasing decisions are emotional—a well-formulated ‘schema’, or mental representation really matters when trying to instil a deep emotional connection with the product or service. Classically, companies do this by telling stories that humans associate with the company’s visual assets.

For example, we know a McDonald’s restaurant is a McDonald’s restaurant based on the visual look of the storefront, signs, and banners. McDonald’s in their advertisements pairs this schema with images stories of joy, youth, and happiness to evoke a positive emotional response that we unconsciously internalize.

The Qualities

Quality 1: Great Logos Can Be Recreated by Hand, Off Memory

If an individual can notice, remember, and replicate a logo with relative ease, then you’ve probably got a good one. Think about the Nike swoosh, Mcdonalds arches, and Adidas three stripes. All of these are simple and memorable enough for people to easily replicate. If one is not able to replicate the logo, it’s a sign that it isn’t ‘structurally’ adequate for it to be stored in long-term memory, which can be caused by complexity or banality.

Quality 2: Business Logos Should Look ‘Structurally Sound’

Structural soundness is another quality of a logo that nobody talks about. Imagine a graphic form as if it were a structure. Would it stand firmly? Does it look balanced or symmetrical? Humans are attracted to language and symbols that adhere to organization, alignment, and symmetry. It’s why Comic Sans is one of the most hated typefaces on the planet. Structural soundness equates to deliberateness, which equates to excellence. Most companies should strive to communicate excellence.

Keep in mind that although humans are attracted to ‘modern’ forms, we still value novelty—especially in art and nature. The logo must then be both structurally fit and novel at the same time. This is where the challenge lies. How can one make something look organized, deliberate, and simple while also being completely unique? The answer is that it often takes time and ruthless conceptualization.

Quality 3: The Founder Should Like It

Logos are very dear to the founders of companies and for good reason. It’s often the first thing they think about when starting up, or hiring a designer. This quality of fondness also makes it extremely difficult to design logos profitably. The subjective nature of the project is ripe with chances for failure because the designer can’t plan for personal taste— the subjective preference of both the founder and their close network of peers. In reality, the designer should and will know what solution works the best, but at the end of the day, this really doesn’t matter because they’re not the key decision maker. It isn’t their baby. This makes it very important to have a very structured process for designing logos, which should involve a heavy ‘discovery’ session at the beginning to gauge taste.

Without sound logo/brand design process, bitterness over subjective tastes are likely to occur, and this hurts good creative business. The designer must respect the founders’ taste, while the founder must respect the designers time. If the designer doesn’t have a good process for listening, proposing, presenting, and justifying—they will likely get under-compensated. Also, if the designer continues to allow for iterations or new logo concepts, the founder will continue to prolong their decision and the process will continue indefinitely.

Quality 4: It is Remarkable

Great logos are ambiguous, intriguing, and often remarkable. Some may think that a logo needs to have some literal representation to the product or service in question, which is completely not true. Nobody needs to look at a logo and know exactly what the company does. That in mind, if you can amalgamate different abstract forms while achieving both simplicity and ambiguity, it can create an attraction or fondness that is ultimately good for business. The basic truth is that humans love mysteries and novelty, and if you can literally get people to look at your logo for longer, the memory and recall will become more significant.

Remarkable designs, advertisements, and stories spread virally. That’s how business works. People see or use something, they tell their friends, and then it spreads. Advertisers don’t simply list all of the features and extrinsic reasons why you should buy something—they create something that is funny, interesting, dramatic, and powerful so you will share it. This ensures that the company doesn’t make it seem like they are overtly trying to convince you to buy something for the sake of profit. They give a little value (entertainment), and put their logo at the end to create an unconscious link to that story or emotion. Business logos can then take the same approach—they can be remarkable and interesting enough for people to want to talk about.

Conclusion

When designers reach legend status they can start to work like Paul Rand who charged Steve Jobs $100,000 for the Next logo in 1986. Taking inflation into account that’s roughly $240,000 today.

What’s even more profound is that Paul Rand only ever gave one option to Jobs (and most of his clients at the end of his career). Rand despised the politics of design and made it his mission to seek clients that valued his expertise. Steve Jobs, like most great entrepreneurs, know how to select and trust talented people—and let them do their work. Poor entrepreneurs can’t trust anyone and thus they resort to micromanaging every part of the business. Company founders then need to spend more time selecting the right people and spend less time managing them.

There’s a difference between great leaders and great egos. If you’re looking for an exceptional logo, Wild FX Signage & Print can design a business logo that is just right for your business.

The post Four Critical Qualities that Make up a Business Logo appeared first on Wild FX Signage & Print.

Bold Color Contrast

Employee uniforms should make them stand out so that customers can easily identify them when they need help. This does not mean that you need to dress everyone in shocking neon colors, but does mean that the t-shirts should be easy to read from a distance. Choose a color that fits in with your other branding – for example, if your logo is red, the shirts should be red or have red somewhere on them.

Make It Obvious

It should be very obvious that your employee works at your business. The color choice and company name, as mentioned above, are a great start. For an added touch, you can add things like “STAFF” to the back of the shirts so that customers can tell who is an employee and who is not even the employee is facing away from them.

Quality is Key

Your hard-working employees need a uniform that stands up to their daily tasks, so you’ll need to get your uniforms from Wild FX Signage & Print.

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But, what about your internal business brand? What do your building’s lobby, hallways, offices and conference rooms look like? Are you taking the time and effort to brand your building like you do promoting your business brand to the outside world?

Importance of Internal Designs

Your internal office space is a powerful communicator. When design and decor are done right, your building clearly communicates your brand’s identity to your most valuable asset, your employees, as well as partners and clients who enter your building.

The key messaging through your internal designs should display your corporate vision, mission and values. It should inform, delight and motivate every employee. It should be well-designed with a clear message that reflects your brand, and above all, your internal designs need to create a deeply engaging experience for everyone who walks through your doors.

Besides what your office interiors should do, here are some things a well-designed and engaging interiors will do for your company:

• Better connect staff across all levels
• Improve communication and advocacy
• Boost employee morale
• Increase participation
• Energize staff
• Help with employee recruitment and retention
• Unify company culture
• Create a physical and sensory relationship with your internal audience
• Differentiate yourself from your competitors
• Strengthen brand recognition.

Internal Graphics You Should Use

First and foremost, the types of internal graphics you need to use are images. Don’t believe us? Check out these stats:

• Studies have proven that people only remember 10 percent of what they hear and 20 percent of what they read, but approximately 80 percent of people remember things they see.
• 90 percent of what our brains absorb is visual information.
• People process visuals 60,000 times faster than they do text.

OK, now that we have down that visuals are where it’s at, what kind of visuals do you use?

Brand your corporate environment with wall graphics and murals. These signage types are both attractive and affordable. Whether you want vinyl wall art in your break rooms, custom wallpaper for your conference rooms or custom commercial wall graphics for your hallways, every option brings color and adds life to your walls while strengthening your brand. Stick to the walls so you can stick to people’s minds!

Aside from your walls, liven up those windows of yours with window graphics. The best internal-facing materials are clear and perforated decals, static clings and visual magnetic graphics. Decals are a strong, long-lasting signage type, while static clings and visual magnetic materials are more versatile and easy to reposition.

And don’t forget about indoor banners. From smaller, temporary banners to large, long-term ones, full-color banners announce your message with enthusiasm! Use them to announce new product rollouts, a company party or whatever statement you need to make.

Your outside target audience deserves your time and attention, but so does your internal audience. Create an aesthetically pleasing, experiential interior so your employees, partners and clients will take the time to better appreciate and engage with your brand.

If you’re looking to reinforce your brand through your office interiors, then let Wild FX Signage & Print help you with the right branded graphics!

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In today’s visual world, there is a vast array of different techniques, colours and graphics used to best communicate a brand’s message to its customers. By displaying a sleek, professional looking sign, visitors will not be in any doubt about the quality of your business and will be drawn into your shop.

Here are Identity’s top five tips on how to use great signage to get your business noticed

1. Contrast Your Colours

Colours are one of the main visual elements individuals remember most, and can directly impact how customers perceive your brand and increase the chances of converting them from an interest into a sale.

When choosing a background for your sign, don’t use anything that will make it difficult to focus on the main message. Using bold, striking colours doesn’t necessarily draw in customer attention, but alternating contrasting colours will make it easier for your audience to understand who you are and what you’re all about.

2. Use Shapes To Convey Meaning

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