Patricia Ward's Blog

Custom Digital Print Banners

Patricia Ward (Pro West Media Concepts) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:55:11 -0800

Thinking of custom digital print banners? With so many new online marketing strategies to help promote your business, business owners began focusing their attention on “trendy” marketing ideas and stopped spending their hard earned marketing dollars on the one device that has always been a great performer in attracting customers to your business. Custom digital print banners from Pro West Media Concepts in Modesto, California can be your perfect choice for every promotional event to get the most out of your marketing campaign.

By using bright colors and large images, digital print banners and vinyl banners produced locally in Modesto, California at the state-of-the-art facility of Pro West Media Concepts will design custom banners that will be specifically designed to get your products and your message noticed. Unlike online marketing or billboards where you have a short window of opportunity for your product to capture your customer’s attention, digital print vinyl banners have a much longer life span and can be displayed for as long as you need it to capture the greatest share of your target market.

Digital Print Banners can be used for any promotional purpose – to announce a new product, promote special events, advertise sales, thank your employees, generate excitement about an upcoming event or attract and motivate customers. Custom vinyl banners are available for outdoor or indoor use and come in a variety of weights and styles. We use a heavier vinyl banner material for extra durability, especially if used outdoors, and include grommets to keep your custom vinyl banner secure in place. Pro West Media Concepts in Modesto warranties your product, so you can rest assured you will be getting the most for your marketing dollars.

Custom designed digital print vinyl banners are printed on high quality vinyl. Every Modesto vinyl banner from Pro West Media Concepts is digitally printed using UV-resistant inks. Because your design is digitally printed with full color printing, you can be as creative with the range of colors and graphics as you wish to get have the most professional looking digital print vinyl banner possible that you’re looking for– high quality custom printed look at an affordable price. Click here to launch your business presence with Pro West Media Concepts by ordering your Modesto vinyl banners today. Check out our great customer testimonials to get an idea of the customer care and quality you will receive when working with our professional staff.

Ordering Your Banner couldn’t be any faster or easier. We produce banners of every type and size in any configuration. Whatever you need, we can print it. For full color printed vinyl banners, all you have to do is just send us your banner artwork, and we'll take care of the heavy lifting.

When you display your digital print banners from Modesto, you effectively reinforce your brand without having to pay for every time you display it. These exciting promotional products are available in numerous sizes, colors and styles, and every need. Just give us a call and our experienced designers can help you with your next personalized promotional product.

When it comes to Custom Signs in Modesto or wherever you are, when you need business signage you need it done right. You want a professional image to make your company stand apart from the competition. Aside from custom digital print banners, we can help you with your overall corporate brand identity. This includes your logo, graphic design, building signs, and vehicle graphics that will capture attention – all customized to work with a budget that works for you. Creative marketing doesn’t have to break the bank in order to be effective.

At Pro West Media Concepts in Modesto, we understand what you need in custom banners and signs and with decades of experience from our professional team. You will receive the highest quality print banner to be seen by customers, build your corporate brand identity, and maximize your marketing investment with a quality product that lasts.

We will work with you every step of the way and promise to deliver the finest quality in creative custom digitally printer vinyl banners in Modesto, California – only from Pro West Media Concepts. Contact us today to really take your business to new heights.

CAN SIGNS AND GRAPHICS REALLY HELP MY BUSINESS?

Patricia Ward (Pro West Media Concepts) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:33:33 -0700

Can signs and graphics really help my business? The answer is a resounding yes! Signs and graphics serve a very real purpose in business:

They inform and direct the way as well as sell products. Often the first impression someone has of a business is through their signage. Businesses should make the most of that first impression to create a positive one.

Signs and graphics are so important, many commercial loan companies won’t issue a loan if signage isn’t included in the budget. The U.S. Small Business Administration says signage is the least expensive, yet most effective form of advertising available to you. That’s how signs and graphics help your business.

Signs and signage are invaluable to businesses large and small. Especially in the age of the Internet, even a home-based business can have vehicle signage and have a substantial leg up on the competition even against a brick-and-mortar building with strong, effective visual communication in their advertising. Not every business needs to drive around with a full vehicle wrap! Less is often more effective and good design is priceless! You want your message to come across clearly who you are, what number to call and you don’t really want it lost on an over-crowded background or a confusing, cacophony of color!

Consider these ideas for some of the most common industries.

Automotive-Building & Monument sign for the shop building, Vehicle Graphics & Wrap for the company truck, Banners for the Manager’s Special & Flags to brand the business and direct traffic tothe shop, Labels & Decals for employee safety, Promotional Products for marketing plan and Posters for informational and decorative display in the lobby.
Insurance- Building & Monument sign for the building, Vehicle Graphics & Wrap for the company vehicle, Banner to promote a product, Event graphics for Tradeshow Exhibit, Promotional Products for branding and marketing.
Real Estate-Office building sign, realtor yard signs, Vehicle Graphics & Wrap for the company vehicle, Flags to accent and call attention to the office, Promotional Products to market the company and the clients.

Yes, every industry uses signs and graphics everyday to help their business grow. Effective use of color, layout, proper use of media and substrates are all key to making effective visual communications and to spend your marketing dollars wisely. Work with a professional graphic designer and sign manufacturing company to bring your vision alive.

Build the brand you want the public to be aware of. Brand loyalty generates leads, retains customers and helps with sales promotions. Window and storefront signage also provide effective visual presentations to compete in any venue at a hectic Tradeshow Event.

Yes, Virginia, signs and graphics CAN really help your business!

WHAT CAN EFFECTIVE SIGNS AND GRAPHICS DO FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

Patricia Ward (Pro West Media Concepts) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:02:23 -0700

WHAT CAN EFFECTIVE SIGNS AND GRAPHICS DO FOR YOUR BUSINESS? This economy presents a whole new batch of issues for business and sales people today and dealing with those issues requires us to be nimble, flexible and creative in our approach. Maintaining an advertising presence is easy with cost-effective signage for long-term brand awareness in your community and among your clients.

Signs and graphics can be an effective tool to help your clients become aware of your business or service with dynamic visual communications, directing people to your event with wayfinding, street and directional images, create purchase decisions with P.O.P. signs and displays and all the while build brand awareness of your unique product. And this can all be done at an affordable price for any budget!

What can effective signs and graphics do for your business, you ask? Remember, signs and graphics are tools in your advertising arsenal. They serve 3 basic functions. These tools: Inform, Direct and Sell and may serve more than one purpose at one time!

We have many wineries and local food manufacturing facilities in our lush San Joaquin valley that needs signage to moves trucks, material and employees in a safe and efficient manner. Specialty areas are also needed to direct consumers or sales people to offices and public areas and keep people out of restricted areas they should not have access to for their own safety.

Have you ever wandered around a big complex---totally lost because there was not enough simple signage to make it clear where you wanted to go--finally relying on some good soul to take pity on you to direct you? What can effective signs and graphics do in a place like that to create well-being for new and returning customers, vendors and keep the safety of the facility intact? Simple directory signs are affordable, attractive and easily customized to your existing décor.

What can effective signs and graphics do for your business? Signs are invaluable to businesses in any industry and any size. During a slow economy, advertising is critical and helps develop your long-term competitive advantage. If you’d like to find out how cost effective signs and graphics could help your business, just drop us a line or give us a call. We’ll come out and provide you with a free estimate or survey of your business or facility, talk with you about how dynamic visual communication signage could help you stay competitive and thrive in this economy! That's all you want your signs to do!

The Sign Shop Is My Best Friend

Patricia Ward (Pro West Media Concepts) — Tue, 17 May 2011 18:45:16 -0700

The sign shop is my best friend. Sounds like a mantra, right, and it should be! Why does McDonald’s restaurant chain always have big, bold signs? Because signs are still the premier way businesses tell their customers who and what they are. What toddler does not know what “the golden arches” is all about? McDonald’s spends, on average, $40,000 on signage for every store. Why? Because studies have shown that $40,000 spent on signage can generate up to $600,000 in sales! (Maybe that’s where the term ‘happy meal’ came from!)

The sign shop is my best friend. What you want is a sign that will work day or night, stands out from the crowd, and that is not too cluttered. That last point is essential. As people drive down the road they don’t have much time to invest in reading your sign. So you have to make it simple, clear, and direct. It has to relay the essential idea quickly.

The sign shop is my best friend. You will notice that a good sign conveys a benefit to the consumer also and that is vital. Like a tagline. Can you visual a sign for American Express and below the logo: Don’t Leave Home Without It? You may also want to add your phone number or website, but the need for more than that is questionable. Remember, time is short. People drive by too quickly sometimes. When a sign has lots of information on it, who has the time, or ability to read a lot of copy? Keep it short, readable and it will work better.

The sign shop is my best friend. Signage expenses are really amortized over the life of a sign which could be 10 years or more for certain signs. $1000 spent on good quality signage = less than $100 a year. How much business will that $1000 sign bring to your door over 10 years? Ask McDonald’s. Remember… The sign shop is my best friend!

Have a great day!

Do you have the wrong date on a custom banner?

Patricia Ward (Pro West Media Concepts) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:43:50 -0700

Do you have the wrong date on a custom banner? Why don’t dates fall on the same day each year anyway? Wouldn’t that be easier for a lot of things if they did? Clients who have a tradeshow or exhibition event every year often have a custom banner either for their table, booth or even outside their building and put a lot of effort, time and money into their marketing materials. Or my graphic example here, a church or a non-profit organization may have an annual event, but that date thing gets in the way again. The date may or may not even be on the same day, but if you say Tuesday March 23, next year its going to be Wednesday. What’s a business to do? Throw out the banner with the bath water? Wait! Stop! Sign solutions always start with good design!

When you’re making a custom banner for an important event, you’re probably expecting, or at least hoping, to reuse that banner for next year but you may not even be sure what next years date will be. The sign solution is to create a block of white space for the dates where they can be easily changed, usually with die-cut lettering and then you can easily change the dates for the following year.

A custom banner works for any organization that holds an event each year such as:

Business tradeshow
Church program like Easter picnic, Vacation Bible school
Service organization fundraiser or scholarship drive

When you can get more usage from your custom banner, you stretch your advertising dollars, keep your image and branding forefront and all cost effectively. Problem solved! And that's a good sign!

It’s easy to change the dates on a custom banner if you plan for it ahead of time. Have a great day!

Are you looking for cheap magnetic signs for advertising?

Patricia Ward (Pro West Media Concepts) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:33:17 -0700

Are you looking for cheap magnetic signs for advertising? Magnetic signs are made of durable, adhesive-backed vinyl and bonded to magnetic sheeting material and are a great tool you can use for advertising. They are very popular especially among realtors, but there seems to be quite a decisive feeling about cheap magnetic signs. People either love ‘em or hate ‘em. They seem like a great way to advertise your business and keep your name in front of clients so let’s explore the pros and cons.

The positive side is they represent a non-recurring expenditure. Just make a single purchase and the signs are yours. No need to make a payment every month in a newspaper or a real estate magazine.

The signs are removable. As you know, some associations restrict or specify what types of vehicles and advertising are allowed in the complex and your clients may not want you to show up at their house with your “Realtor” signs blazing away to the neighbors they may be selling.

They are fast, timely and readily in front of your clients to see your brand and generate immediate response. You do not have to wait for publication dates and deadlines with other forms of advertising. When you choose to use cheap magnetic signs you pick them up at the sign shop and apply them to your car and your message is on the road!

If you choose to use cheap magnetic signs for your vehicle, we suggest you remove signs at least once a week, clean any moisture buildup between vehicle and sign and reapply. To apply, always apply sign to clean surface and let one edge of the sign contact the vehicle in the desired location. Then let the magnetic power do the work as it puts the sign into place from the starting edge to the opposite side.

The downside is we often hear a sad story about “my signs blew off down the freeway”…Protect signs when not in use by adhering to a metal surface, don’t leave them just laying around. With a little care, your cheap magnetic signs will be with you for a long time!

If you’d like to know more about care of magnetic signs or our company, we would be pleased to hear from you! Please drop us a line, let us know what your graphic questions are and we will be more than happy to help find a solution to your graphic problems.

Vital Signs

Patricia Ward (Pro West Media Concepts) — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 15:53:43 -0700

The first step in signs is always the graphic design. Lao-tzu says… “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Good signs always begin with good design. That’s vital to good signage.

Signage is one of the most effective forms of advertising there is. Taking into consideration the life of the average sign, whether its on a building or a vehicle (other than stated temporary signs like banners) amortize that cost and divide by the amount of “readings” you receive and it becomes very effective AND very affordable, that’s vital to good signage. And don’t just take our word for it. The US Small Business Administration agrees “Signage is the least expensive, most effective form of advertising and can be responsible for half of your customers! That’s right. 50%! It can affect the success or failure of your business.

So, the first step in any signage project that requires developing a new design is determining the needs of the client. What vital message are you trying to send in your sign project and of course what is your budget. Are you looking for temporary signage? Or are you looking for something to last? If you’re like most business owners, your signs don’t need to be recognized globally to be successful. It just has to meet the needs of your market.

Signs…

Play a vital role in promoting you and your business.
Attract potential customers.
Should be functional AND attractive.
Send the unique identity branding to the business.

I love this design we did for Salida Unified School District Food Program. It’s fun. It communicates their message to children. And it came in their budget constraints. Watch for more about their school program coming up in the news!

It can take hours to put together a sign project depending on the complexity of the design and manufacturing but all of that is vital to your signage project for the potential customers who may only spend moments looking and absorbing your message. You want your sign design to be effective and not waste those dollars. Your message needs to be Clear—Concise ─Communicative. If you think we could help you with your next vital sign project write a private message by clicking on this link. It could be the first step…

Sign Visibility Factor 101

Patricia Ward (Pro West Media Concepts) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:17:55 -0800

When you need a sign, you need it for a reason. I believe that reason is to communicate a message. And whether it’s Apples 50 cents a pound or Warning! Danger! Keep Away! you want to get your message delivered plain and simple.

There are many different methods for signage today. Vehicle graphics and vehicle wraps are hugely popular nowadays and custom banners always work to send your message of Grand Opening or Sale! to your audience. The effectiveness of your custom sign depends on just a few simple and basic factors. Going over them will help you be better informed when you’re working with a graphic designer on your next project.

Factor #1-Is it readable? That may sound silly, but is it? The size of the sign based on the distance to the intended audience and how fast the audience may be moving is crucial. You want to make your message clear so that your audience can read it and respond. For basic code compliance, transportation companies are usually required by law to have lettering visible from 50 feet. That would mean the vehicle lettering would need to be 2” tall minimum. 4” tall lettering would be visible from 100 feet and so on, with a specific scale for larger letters and signage. Factors that would affect required letter size are the color scheme of the lettering, font selection, abutment or standoff of the sign from a building and certainly traffic and weather conditions. More about the study of fonts, block vs. script lettering, the best color combinations for readability in further blogs, etc. because each of them deserve more time devoted to those alone.

There are many artistic and script fonts that are fun to work with and have a place on a printed page, but not usually in business signage because its just not easily read. Choose carefully and have others proof for the readability factor. Too condensed? Stretch it apart, called Kerning. Font too funky? Leave it out. ALL UPPER CASE? Spells D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R! Keep in mind the visibility factor for your next sign project and you’ll be getting your message across plain and simple. And that’s good business!