Help Clients Create a Welcoming Atmosphere with Interior Church Signs
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No matter where your sign shop is located, there are likely several places of worship in your area. And if you’re not already doing business with them, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to increase your revenue. Although in-person attendance decreased due to the pandemic, churches are starting to see it pick up again. So, there’s no better time to add interior church signs to your selection of offerings and break into a new market—as long as you go about it the right way.
Like many public facilities, churches receive anywhere from tens to thousands of visitors each week. They open their doors to both longtime members and new guests. Therefore, it’s important for leadership to create a warm, welcoming church atmosphere. Doing so can solidify the relationship between the church and current members. Plus, it can encourage other individuals to join.
As a sign shop owner, you can help church clients achieve that goal by providing them with signs that highlight important information, simplify navigation, and reinforce the church’s branding efforts.
However, if this is a new market for your business, it’s worth looking at the specific ways interior church signs can benefit your clients.
Why?
Understanding the importance of such displays makes it much easier to work with faith-based organizations. If you can demonstrate your knowledge and expertise to potential clients, you can build the foundation for a long and prosperous partnership. Ultimately, you can become the go-to sign shop for churches in your area!
With all that said, let’s dive in…
Why Interior Church Signs Are Necessary
Take a drive around your area, and you’ll see that many places of worship have large, colorful signs installed outside. Further, exterior digital displays are becoming increasingly more common. So, it’s safe to say that outdoor signage is often prioritized over indoor signage.
However, this shouldn’t be the case.
It’s true that exterior signage is what brings people in, but it’s interior signage that has an impact on the visitor experience. Having the right displays installed in the right places can go a long way toward making visitors feel safe and comfortable. And after all, that is what places of worship should strive for.
Here are a few examples of how beneficial interior church signs can be:
- A custom logo sign provides first-time visitors with confirmation that they’ve arrived at the right place.
- A directory installed near the front door makes it easier for newcomers to navigate an unfamiliar building.
- Restroom signs with graphics allow young visitors and non-English speakers to locate the correct restroom.
- Exit signs placed at appropriate points show visitors and staff where to go in the event of an emergency.
- A bulletin board informs members about upcoming church events and other important information.
- Room signs help visitors determine whether they’ve reached the room or space they’re looking for.
- A mission statement wall sign gives first-time visitors a quick and easy way to understand the church’s mission.
When working with a church client, it’s crucial to remind them that their building is a place of community. As such, those who walk through the front door should immediately feel welcome. And interior church signs can help with that.
Although it’s primarily up to the staff to foster that connection with current and future members, the choices made regarding tangible features such as signage also have an effect.
What to Consider When Offering Interior Church Signs
In working with clients in this market, you should keep in mind that they may not have an exact vision of how they want their signs to look. Unlike traditional businesses with more resources at their disposal, churches don’t often possess style guides they use for all their marketing materials and signage. So, you’ll likely be starting from scratch.
That’s why it’s worth sitting down with a client and getting the following details before moving to the next step.
1) What kind of interior church signs are they looking for?
As you would with any other business that enlists your help, you’ll want to ask your church client about the type of signs they’re looking for. There are a lot of displays that fall under the category of interior church signs. Therefore, nailing down the specifics is essential to ensuring you get their order right.
Are they in need of directional signs, restroom signs, stair signs, exit signs, room signs, or directories?
Are they doing a complete overhaul of their signage and need all the above?
Are they just in the market for decorative signs featuring the church’s name?
Determine exactly what they need and what they hope to accomplish with their new signage.
2) How many displays do they need?
Once you’ve determined the type of signage your client needs, you’ll need to find out how many displays they require. As you know, the size of the order has an impact on the turnaround time. And if you’ll be outsourcing the order, the third-party fabricator will need to know the number.
Make sure to ask about the number of rooms, exits, and other areas where the signs will be installed. It’s possible the client won’t have an exact number in mind, but the closer you can get, the better. This will ensure you can provide an accurate quote for the project.
3) What colors does the client like/dislike?
To avoid dissatisfaction with the finished product, make sure to ask about your client’s desired color choices beforehand. As mentioned previously, your client may not have a style guide available. However, they’ll likely be able to tell you whether they prefer bright colors or neutral tones.
If there aren’t any specific shades they like or use often, have your team do some research on color psychology so you can offer suitable recommendations. And don’t forget to ask about the building’s current look and feel. That way, you can be sure the interior church signs you provide will work with the church’s existing décor.
4) Does the client have a logo?
While collecting information, it’s also worth asking if your client has a logo. Including the client’s logo on their interior church signs can reinforce their branding in visitors’ minds. Further, it can help in creating a more welcoming church atmosphere.
If the client has a logo, suggest using it on all their displays for the sake of consistency and branding. Of course, this level of customization does come with an additional expense. So, you’ll need to take that into account when offering a quote.
5) What is their budget?
Finally, you’ll need to determine the client’s budget for their new interior church signs. This is no different from what you do with traditional businesses. To determine what kind of signage and how much customization you can offer, you have to know what they’re able to spend on their displays.
As noted above, churches typically don’t have the same resources at their disposal as for-profit businesses. So, a client may come to you looking for a budget-friendly way to improve their church atmosphere with signage. In that case, it helps to have a partner you can turn to—one with ready-made signage and predesigned sign packages that can be customized as needed.
There are more specific questions you’ll want to ask your church client (especially if you’ve never worked with them before), but those listed above will give you some insight into what they’re looking for and how you should proceed.
Before we wrap things up, there’s one more aspect of selling interior church signs that’s worth addressing—how the ADA applies to churches.
How the ADA Applies to Churches
Most of the businesses you work with will need to have ADA signage in place, per Title III of the ADA, which refers to public accommodations and commercial facilities. However, churches and other places of worship are not included under Title III. Although religious institutions were initially labeled as public accommodations in the initial draft of the Americans with Disabilities Act, they were left out of the final version.
Does this mean you should forgo recommending that a client’s interior church signs be ADA compliant?
Not at all.
It’s true that such organizations are not legally required to adhere to ADA rules and regulations. However, they’re still strongly recommended to do so.
Here’s why…
- Hanging ADA-compliant signage helps foster a sense of inclusion among all visitors, such as those with visual impairments.
- Though other features needed to achieve ADA compliance may require a more considerable investment, signage can make a significant impact for a relatively low cost.
- ADA-compliant signs naturally make navigation easier for everyone, which first-time visitors to a church will appreciate.
- The simple act of installing signage designed to be read and understood by those with limited vision can help the church make a positive impression.
- ADA rules may apply if a church is used for another purpose—such as a polling location or meeting place for private groups.
When you’re approached by a church client in need of interior displays, keep all of this in mind. Often the best course of action, even for churches, is to make signs identifying permanent spaces ADA compliant. And you can always turn to a third-party fabricator that specializes in ADA signage for help.
Takeaway
The value of interior church signs shouldn’t be overlooked—by you or your potential church clients. After all, such displays can go a long way toward improving the church atmosphere. So, if you’ve been thinking about breaking into this market, make sure you stress the importance of interior signage and recommend adhering to ADA rules as well.If you can’t fulfill a client’s order for custom displays or just interior church signs that meet ADA guidelines, reach out to Erie Custom Signs for a quote.
