Introduction to Buying a Sign

Most of our customers only buy permanent interior and exterior signs occasionally. New signs are generally purchased at the startup of a new business, a new location, or when moving. It can be a complex decision process when you are unfamiliar with the many options available for signage. With new products coming on the market every year, what was a great sign product 10 years ago may be replaced with something new, innovative and more durable.

Determining what product to use is just as important as deciding other factors of your sign such as colors, shape and size. Pricing varies considerably from one type of sign to another. For example, on a recent sales call to a customer who was remodeling, we quoted 1″ thick solid metal sign letters (which are very expensive) per the client’s request. We had questioned where she needed to be from a budget perspective, but were told that they weren’t as concerned about price as they were about matching their existing signage.

When the quote was presented, the customer voiced concern about the cost of the sign fitting in her budget. We did explain to her in advance that 1″ Solid Cut Metal Letters were one of the most expensive options for fabricating her sign. Of course, being budget conscious, the customer then decided to get comparative quotes and was presented with a quote from another sign company with much lower pricing. Upon investigation by our sales rep, the lower pricing was due to totally different sign material. The competitor quoted her sign using 3/4″ acrylic letters with aluminum laminate. Upon realizing this, we re-quoted the same product to the client.

Comparing Sign Costs and Types That Fit Your Budget

This brings about the point that when purchasing a new sign, it is very important to compare apples to apples as they say. Different sign companies specialize in or are comfortable with different sign types and tend to offer the customer the products that they have the greatest profitability on or that they are comfortable with producing. It becomes a bit of a game of cat and mouse for us sign companies to produce a quote that meets the customers needs when they really don’t know what they want or what their spending limitations are.

In order to be able to purchase a new sign with confidence, it would be wise for customers to do some research on the different products available for the situation and determine their budget and preferred sign type. Many of our customers are reluctant to give us a budget number for their sign purchase as they are afraid we will use that to get the most money out of the project as possible. This is actually the opposite of why we are asking. With so many different material options for signs these days, we could quote your project 20 different ways with pricing varying greatly. This in turn creates a difficult situation for the client as they end up with different sign companies quoting different products, install methods, etc. and cannot really compare quotes.

At Express Sign & Graphics, we do our best to educate our customers on the options available for their sign. We have samples in our showroom that help them see what they are buying. In addition, we try to have a great selection of photos on our website to help them see installed versions of the many different types of signs. We can also direct you to physical locations of our signs so that you can see them installed in the field. Furthermore, you can browse our website where we provide a web page for almost every different type of sign product, describing it’s uses, materials and longevity.

Get Help From the Experts

If you are ready to purchase a new sign, but are not sure what type of sign will suit your needs or your budget, we are ready to help you make that decision. Our knowledgable sales staff will provide you with samples of different materials and offer you cost-effective products and solutions that you can buy with confidence. Simply stop in our store at 9B Kidder Road in Chelmsford, MA. We are here Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. There is always a knowledgeable staff member ready to help.