Dental offices face an incredible amount of competition. Well-established dental offices don’t have to advertise, as patient referrals and established clients bring in sufficient business. New offices, or ones that are expanding, however, depend on advertising to generate new business. Using traditional advertising venues like the media and billboards can become incredibly-expensive over time. To be successful, you don’t necessarily have to aim that big-custom window signs can generate just as much attention for a fraction of the price. It all depends on the design, however, so here are some great tips to help you design perfect dental office window signs:
Material/Size
You’ll first need to take into account your size limitations. Measure each of your office windows individually-they may all look the same, but in many cases they’re different, so be thorough. If you want to cover the entire front of your dental office with signs, create a design using one-way vision graphics that is split across multiple windows. This is a great product because you are able to see through it from the inside, so customers won’t feel trapped (nobody likes that feeling when they’re at the dentist!). If you just need small signs, though, you can choose something custom, like a die-cut vinyl decal or vinyl sticker.
Message
The message is ultimately the most important part of a dental office sign. Much of your competition will create flashy, attention-grabbing designs, and this is definitely important, but if you have no content to back up your design, you won’t get many new patients (or at least returning patients). Think about what makes your office unique and feature that-whether it’s your doctor’s certifications, your great family discount plans and new patient specials, or the fact that you accept all insurance. Customers need to see the value in choosing you as their dentist, so vinyl decals and window clings are how you show this to them!
Visuals
As mentioned above, you’re likely going to face stiff competition with the visual aspect of your window signage, but don’t be afraid to be bold. Family-friendly offices should use bright, fun colors that will attract children, whereas more upscale “dental spas” should use a refined, elegant color palette. All fonts should be large and bold so they can be read from a distance. In addition, smiling faces can brighten up the exterior of any office, so add vinyl decals displaying your happy patients.
If you don’t have some sort of window sticker or full-scale window graphics on the front of your dental office, you’re fighting a losing battle. Start designing your office’s new look today, and get input from your customers-word-of-mouth goes a long way in the dental industry!
