Signarama provides solutions on communicating the latest safety procedures in employee- and customer-friendly ways.
We all want to protect our employees and customers. Let’s get into how to do what’s best for everyone who’s involved with your business.
First, do an assessment of your space.
Keeping your team healthy and safe while conducting day-to-day business is key. Evaluating your workspace — or having a professional come in to do it — is an important part of knowing the safety measure protocols needed stop the spread of COVID-19. It’s also a vital part of the sign creation process.
- Step 1. Site analysis.
Do a walkthrough and carefully review your floor plan and look for spots where face-to-face interactions are likely to occur. Key areas include lobbies, restrooms, shared kitchens and anywhere lines would form. Think about less obvious areas too like stairways, narrow halls and outdoor sitting areas. - Step 2. Get the information across.
When looking at your site and daily operations, think about what you’d want your employees and customers to know. Are there procedures people should follow before entering the building? What are the health and safety expectations of your team? Is there a direction people should walk or a place they should stand? Depending on the size of your operation, you may want to reach out to trusted team members and ask if they have input on what employees and customers should know. - Step 3. Make a plan.
Now that you have an understanding of your traffic patterns, safety protocols, and what you’d like people to know, it’s time to learn more about what’s out there to best address your signage needs.
If you’d like a helping hand at any step in the site survey, sign creation and installation process, Signarama has a team of professionals who can work with you. That way you can focus on your everyday business needs, while still maintaining a healthy environment, promoting good hygiene, and preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Here’s an A-Z quick sign tutorial.
Before we get into uses, let’s talk about the sign options out there.
A-frame sidewalk signs — also known as sandwich boards — are outdoor products that are lightweight and cost-effective. They are versatile because they can be moved around as you want, are easily storable, and are eye catching.
Banner signs can be many in a variety of sizes and be used Indoor or outdoor. They are typically low-cost and have long-term use.
Mobile, lightweight and quick to install, flags — which can be double- or single-sided — are made to hold their own in the sun and inclement weather conditions.
Floor graphics point out directions or specials in your physical location — make sure that you get decals with heavy duty laminate to keep them in tip-top shape.
The signs are used to communicate policies, rules or best practices directly. These are extremely customizable. They can be utilitarian and relay basic information or have special features like backlighting or colorful graphics.
This one is for businesses that have essential information that needs to be put out on a regular basis. If you are looking for a computerized sign that can be changed daily or even more than once a day, then electronic message centers could be the right choice for you.
This is an affordable, portable, option that can be customizable to whatever your needs are. An added bonus? When posters are properly cared for, they can last a long time.
Use safely-related symbols along with a message you want your team to know. You can have these printed on aluminum-backed boards or sticker type decals.
These signs move to wherever you go without any extra effort. You can use them to show customers that the vehicle they see is affiliated with your business. They are also used to promote business and distribute important info like your contact details and location.
Wayfinding is directional signage to help people get to where they need to go quickly and safely. They are not only functional, they can be customized to fit your brand.
Usually made from vinyl or perforated vinyl that has images printed on it, window graphics offer a variety of customization options.. You can use graphics that cover the entire window space, you can go with smaller images, or just use a few lines of text — whatever fits your goal.
When you pass a yard sign, you look. People know they are effective. These are for more short-term messaging since they don’t last forever. But they do have a lot going for them — they are lightweight, water-resistant, customizable, and give you a real bang for your buck.
We shared sign types that would work best for COVID-19 needs, but there are other sign styles available. Learn more about sign types.
Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
Now that you know what is out there, maybe a better question is: How do I sort through all of it? We’re going to talk about products through how they provide solutions. That way you can see multiple options of what’s available for your business needs.
What would you like to do?
Tell customers that we’re open.
Make the most out of your location. Hang a large banner or put safety signage outside of your store to let anyone driving by know that they can stop in and get the services they need from your store. Budget-friendly, fast-turnaround items like yard signs and flags are also great attention grabbers.
If you are in a walkable location, you could also invest in A-Frames (also known as sandwich boards) to share that you are open and give suggestive messaging like inviting the customer into the store.
Window decals are a good option to give store hours or any additional important info — and they are removable if you think you may make changes in the near future.
Beyond signage, use all of your points of contact to let people know that you are open — your website, social media channels, user reward apps, email lists, word of mouth. Be consistent with what you say because consistent communication shows that you have a well thought out plan — your confidence will translate into consumer (and employee) confidence.
Share which business entrance point is best to use.
If there are multiple entrance points to your place of business and you want people to now enter through a specific door, window graphics, wayfinding signage or posted safety signs can help guide them.
Make sure that any door that is no longer in use has a sign to share the direction of the current entrance so people are aware that your business is open and the locked doors are a part of protocol that’s keeping them safe.
Communicate safety procedures at — or prior to — entering the building.
Some companies will have public safety officers performing temperature checks at the door. Employers may require a phone app check-in prior to coming walking into the building. Other places may be mandated by state law to require masks.
People understand that new business practices are for their safety, but change can be confusing at first. So it’s important to clearly state expectations at the entrance point. Signage also takes the burden off the workers who are performing and enforcing these safety measures.
A-frames, informational signage and posters are eye-catching ways to communicate with valued team members and customers. If you have multiple messages to your team or customers that you’d like them to know upon entering the building, an LED message center may be right for you — and it would serve you and your business well into the future.
Let my team know how to navigate small or narrow spaces.
All businesses have small spaces. Maybe it’s an elevator — COVID-19 elevator etiquette is to have only four at a time (one in each corner) — or breakroom. Signs communicate how to best handle these areas without needing to put extra resources, like an added employee, in these spaces.
Banner stands, posters, and floor graphics are great ways to let people know they are entering a narrow or a small space and what the safety protocols are. If a hallway was changed to a one-way foot traffic space, let people know and give an alternate route through wayfinding signs. If masks are needed in certain areas, put it on an eye-level poster outside of the tight space. If there’s a high traffic area restroom, put floor graphics on the ground so people know where to stand while they wait.
Signarama has worked with many companies to help design solutions for small spaces — if you’d like assistance on how to organize these areas of your business, let their team of sign experts know.
Restaurant waiting areas, lobbies and checkout counters are hubs for face-to face interactions and can become hot spots of activity for team members and guests. But there are ways to organize these busy areas that will keep efficiency and safety top of mind.
Posters, A-frames, banner stands and informational signs are good options here — will help direct foot traffic, maintain proper social distancing, and provide visitors and employees with the latest health and safety protocols. But saying and showing are two different things. That’s why floor graphics are one of the most effective ways to handle lines. And there are lots of options with those. Does your team have a mascot? Are there colors associated with your brand? If so, Signarama’s team can create a custom look so your floor graphics are engaging and familiar.
Promote germ prevention and good hygiene.
By now we’ve all heard about the importance of handwashing and six-foot distancing during the pandemic — but we’re all human and sometimes our minds are focused on other things. To keep these top of mind, post safety and informational signage throughout your business that encourages employees and customers to practice health safety procedures such as frequent hand washing, social distancing and wearing face masks.
Protect my employees who work in spaces that don’t allow for six-foot social distancing.
Even with the best signage plan, extra steps need to be taken to protect your team. When six feet can’t be maintained while doing a job, sneeze guards and personal protection equipment are proper ways to maintain healthy workplaces. Because of nationwide delays in producing the equipment, Signarama has retooled some of their machines to fulfill these customer safety needs.
Show same in-building professionalism with my remote services.
Customers choose your business because they trust your name and service. So how can you keep up with demand, accommodate everyone’s safety needs, and keep their trust? Offer delivery or curbside service — and create branded signage to affirm your name.
If you offer curbside, consider an A-frame in the parking lot that includes your logo and directions on how to utilize the service. If you are adding a delivery service, there are a couple vehicle graphic options — a car wrap works well if you have a designated company car for delivery; if several non-business owned cars will be utilized for delivery, consider vehicle magnets that can be placed on the vehicle doors.
When it comes to creating signs, also keep in mind…
- Signage doesn’t have to be cold and unfriendly to get the point across. Consider incorporating a welcome message along with the security and check-in process. Or instead of messaging that reads like a demand — for example: Wash Your Hands! — use iconography or inclusive language like “Let’s wash hands.”
- Support your new COVID-19 policies and procedures with a companion communications campaign through email, social media and other digital communications to let customers and employees know what new measures have been implemented.
- Let people know that the messaging is coming from a trusted source — you. For a familiar cohesive look, consider creating signage that has your brand colors, fonts and logo. It’s important to strike a balance between content branding and function when building and keeping trust in difficult times.
There are more than 700 Signrama shops nationwide that are working to elevate company brands, while also keeping America safe. We’d like to partner with your team too. Let Signrama help design, create and install your COVID-19 safety-related signage for your business today.
