How and why you should invest in quality physical signage

A 6 minute read to let you spend more time on your business not your marketing

Why good quality physical signage is so important

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Don’t sleep on signage.

It sets the tone before someone even walks through the door.

Sure, there are those cool Newtown or North Fitzroy spots with no sign at all. The “if you know, you know” kind of places. @breakfastshirts sums up my perspective on this perfectly and whilst it is directed at snobby cafes, I believe it applies to all businesses with an aversion to signs.

A beautiful aesthetic and signage is not mutally exclusive. It doesn’t take away from the experience, if anything it adds to it. Great signage tells people where you are while making a statement.

It’s not just the big fancy sign out the front. It’s everything, from your menu boards to that poster on the back of the toilet telling people what’s on next week.

Working with NOMAD Bouldering, Baloney’s Deli and Wheeler’s Farm has only reinforced it for me: great signage is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your marketing.

So in this article, I want to help you take a step back and think through all the elements of your small business signage.

Above is our visualisation of the eight key types of physical marketing signage. They all have different roles and some will matter more to you than others, but I’ll walk you through the four we believe are most important to get right, with examples and tips along the way.

Simply signage helps your business be seen more, which naturally makes it more likely people will purchase from you.

Let's get into it.

Three upfront pro tips

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1. Make your core signage something you actually love walking past every day: If you’ve got a shopfront, office, or even a ute you rock up in, your main signage is the first handshake with your customers. It sets the tone before they even step in. If it feels cheap or half-baked, that’s the vibe they’ll carry through the rest of the experience. Spend a bit more here and get creative, it’s worth it.
2. Keep every sign speaking the same language: From your front door to your menu boards, keep colours, logos, and tone consistent. It’s what makes your business feel intentional and easy to remember. Baloney’s Deli nails this their deep red and New York-deli feel shows up everywhere, from the counter signs to the coffee cups.‍
3. Use your signage to boost your online presence: Add QR codes for Google Reviews, your Instagram, or upcoming events. It’s a low-effort way to turn passing foot traffic into followers, reviewers, and customers who keep coming back which works wonders for showing up more online, pumping up your Google Business Profile in Maps or search. Find out more about how to set up your Google Business Profile here.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to set up high quality physical signage

We will go through three important signs from above, their role and some examples to help visualise what high quality is.

1. Make your core business signage a standout feature

Priority: Critical

Role: Identify & attract – Tell people who you are, what you do, and help them spot you from the street. It’s your first impression before they even step inside.

Your core signage is worth slowing down, investing in and getting right. Think about it as a piece that grabs attention and immediatley leaves an impression.

A great Instagram follow for some inspiration is @Domusvim — a Sydney-based designer who’s had a hand in more small business signs than you can count. His work is creative, distinctive, and brings venues across Australia to life.

That said, you don’t have to hire a pro. Our friend George from Baloney’s Deli in Byron Bay dreamed up and designed his own big red acrylic Baloney’s Deli sign — and it looks cracking.

There’s no rigid formula here. Just make sure it feels like a natural extension of your brand. If you want to dig into how to create signage that does exactly that, you can read more here.

It's the piece you will be seeing day in and day out so make something you are proud of.

2. Make your product and service signs speak the same language

Priority: High

Role: Inform & clarify – Explain your products, services, prices, and features so customers can make decisions quickly and confidently.

From menus to price boards to service lists — these are the signs people spend the most time looking at once they’re inside. If they’re inconsistent, messy, or hard to read, it’s easy to lose a customer’s attention (and their spend).

Aim for consistency in colours, fonts, and tone so everything feels like it belongs together. Even if you use different materials or styles, they should all feel like they’re part of the same family. If you’ve got an in-house menu refresh coming up, use it as a chance to update the rest so they match.

3. Don't shy away from "Follow Us" and reviews style signage

Priority: High

Role: Increase visibility online & word of mouth – Encourage customers to follow you on social media, leave reviews, and share their experience.

The easiest time to ask for a follow, tag, or review is when someone’s already enjoying what you offer. A friendly sign by the register, on the table, or even in the bathroom can be a simple nudge that turns a happy customer into an online advocate.

QR codes make this effortless — link straight to your Instagram, TikTok, or Google Reviews page. The goal isn’t to shout about it, but to make the next step so easy they can do it before their coffee’s even gone cold.

It also taps into behavioural science — specifically Robert Cialdini’s Influence. In it, he writes: “Once a stand is taken, there is a natural tendency to behave in ways that are stubbornly consistent with the stand.”

It’s the “foot-in-the-door” effect: when someone agrees to a small request, they’re far more likely to say yes to something bigger later. So, by politely asking for a quick follow or a 5-star review while they’re already enjoying your business, you’re planting a seed that makes them more likely to keep supporting you down the track.

Explore more about how to set up you Google Business Profile here.

4. Put your business in the spotlight with clever paid signage

Priority: Medium

Role: Drive preference – Communicate your businesses products and vibe through paid advertising promotions.

For small businesses, paid signage can be incredibly effective when done right, especially for businesses that don't have a physical location themselves, like your everyday butter.

Take Pepe Saya, a premium Australian butter brand. They came up with one of my favourite pieces of signage ever — the kind you see and think, I wish I’d thought of that. Much like breweries use branded signs outside pubs that pour their beers, Pepe Saya created a similar placement for grocery stores that stock their butter. Simple. Clever. Genius.

Or Wheeler’s Farm — they don’t have a physical shopfront, so they use simple pull-up posters and A3 boards at markets to draw people to their capsicums over others. Each year they send these to their supplers from Brisbane to Melbourne.

The good news? Paid signage doesn’t have to cost the earth. You can create professional-looking assets through sites like Canva and get them printed affordably via Vistaprint or local printers.

In the end signage isn’t just about business results — it’s something you can be proud of. It marks changes, celebrates moments, and, especially for small businesses, makes you smile when you show up each day.

That’s why I can’t wait to see Wheeler’s Warlocks’ new farm signage up in Bowen, Queensland. Currently in the works with one of our freelancers at Unjumble to match their new brand identity you can see here.

Thanks for reading. 

Cheers,

Zac

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Main image is of Sydney Cafe Domo39 instagram @domothreenine, signage by @domusvim

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