4 Reasons Why Signs Are So Valuable To Churches

Religious institutions need proper signage to promote their image and solidify their place in the community. Consumer advocacy is just as important to religious organizations as it is for businesses. Both need to attract new members and customers while retaining current ones. The reasons why signs are so valuable to churches and other places of worship is because they raise awareness while exhibiting important messages.

Makes the Church More Visible

An outdoor sign is a direct representation of the church. It doesn’t matter if the sign is big or small. These signs offer an attractive aesthetic to a church’s exterior. Members and strangers alike can see the church’s design and theme. Signs can illustrate whether the church is older and serious, or modern and geared toward younger people. It can also explain what type of church it is. Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, Mormon, or other Christian denominations all utilize church signs to promote their building. Non-Christian places of worship can utilize exterior signs as well. 

Shows the Church Location

A big outdoor sign will alert passerby to the church building. New members will not know where to go for main services. Signs indicate where the main service building is, as well as a separate youth building or kitchen. Any garage or outside storage area should have a sign too. Outside signs will benefit religious camps by indicating where the cabins, dining hall, swimming area, sports fields, sanctuary, and other areas are located. 

Spreads a Strong Message

Signs are also great for spreading a strong message. Churches and other places of worship can promote biblical verses, holidays, or other upcoming events. Religious and community leaders can use signs for general and specific information. For example, having weekly services on the sign will let new and current members know when to attend. Also, including unique or special services in addition to the weekly service will inform readers of calendar changes and current church events. It’s sure to help your attendance skyrocket.

You Get the Most for Your Money

One of the best aspects of outdoor signs is that they’re affordable, attractive, and long-lasting. Good-quality signs are cost-effective investments. They’re customizable, with different fonts and colors to match your building. This will give your church an attractive exterior, which will bring in and retain members. Additionally, they’re long-lasting. Since these signs are made from high-quality materials to withstand all weather conditions, they’ll last a long time. This way, your initial investment pays for itself in no time.

If you’re in the market for custom message board church signs, then be sure to check out our selection at EZSignsOnline. Our selection of market street church, business, and school signs are unique, durable, and only take three to four weeks to complete. Order yours today!

Farm Agritourism Preparation Tips

The agricultural industry is changing with the times. In some places, visitors can see their dairy, fruits, vegetables, breads, or baked goods being made and engage in hands-on, immersive activities. Today, this is called agritourism, and its popularity is growing. Activities like pick-your-own fruits and vegetables, hayrides, and corn mazes are all immensely popular. If you’re a farmer and want to expand into agritourism, then it’s important you follow the right steps. Read these farm agritourism preparation tips to boost your visitor numbers and maximize revenue. The nice thing about agritourism is you can keep your farm’s integrity while establishing a rich customer experience.

What is Agritourism?

Agritourism is a form of tourism where visitors take part in farm activities such as animal and crop care, cooking, cleaning, handicrafts, and entertainment. This eco-friendly focus on entertainment and exploration has become mainstream. More people want to engage in rural experiences and outdoor recreational activities. This, in turn, is a great business opportunity for farms and shops. Not only do these places see growing revenue, they are also able to recruit outside help. This provides economic viability for small or rural communities. Even more so, agritourism allows for educational experiences, entertainment, hospitality services, and on-farm direct sales.

Types of Agritourism:

Many different types of agritourism exist. All allow for one-to-one consumer engagement with the agricultural product or service. These types include:


Pumpkin patch picking

Corn mazes

Petting or feeding zoos

Hayrides

Horseback riding

Pick-your-own fruits and vegetables

Living history farms

On-farm markets

Processing demonstrations

Wildlife photography

Sleigh rides

Farm or ranch vacations

Bed and breakfasts

Winery or brewery tours and tastings

Cut-your-own Christmas trees

Garden tours

Ice cream or bakery production and tasting

Agritourism Advantages and Disadvantages:

Agritourism provides economic, educational, and social programs to producers and consumers. Farmers get to market their goods via hands-on promotion and contact with families, school trips, and farm-to-table advocates. Still, this comes with its own challenges, like neighborhood impact, traffic control, and noise levels. As agritourism’s popularity grows, farmers must consider all the possible advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

As previously mentioned, agritourism contributes to the customers’ wellbeing. Farmers can build their reputation through direct marketing and service to local communities. Rural communities greatly benefit from this through increased job viability and tax revenue. Ultimately, agritourism enhances the economic viability of the farm and provides employment opportunities, additional income, and increased agricultural product awareness.

Agritourism also provides educational opportunities for the local community. Schools, churches, or other community organization can visit farms where they will experience the business from a personal perspective. From there, farmers will give tours teaching about sustainability or local heritage.

Disadvantages:

Additionally, there are some disadvantages and challenges farmers must consider. There are potential noise problems, disruptive traffic, and trespassers that can change the community dynamic. The most worrisome issue is noise level. This can diminish the quality of life for neighboring landowners. Agricultural operations require machinery, trucks, and people. All these can disrupt a community’s local flow. Buffers or noise ordinances will address those issues. It’s important to take note of the increased traffic, too. You should engage with your local government to organize a traffic management plan to identify potential traffic impacts. Make sure you have enough parking. Local, state, and federal ordinances should be properly implemented to ensure no further issues arise.

Preparing Your Farm:

Converting your farm into an agritourism attraction is a must. You must plan for any risks to reap the most reward. It’s essential to design your farm as a welcoming atmosphere. It should be a place people want to spend time at, not just purchase things and leave. The scenery, music, lighting, features, and decorations are all part of a well-designed setup.

Another necessity is to formulate a story. Showcasing your roots shows your business’s history. Especially for small farms, people like a heartwarming backstory. Be sure to talk about your family, crops, livestock, products, equipment, and production practices. The more interactive the experience, the more people will come back.

You should also focus on the long-term or big-picture results. High yields are no longer the main priority of this operation. Establishing strong connections and meeting unique customer needs now take precedence. Even adding customer-centric areas allow for a greater experience. Add rest areas, food and beverage stations, play areas for children, clean restrooms, and areas to shops. Advertise your farm with custom farm signs for a rustic ambiance.

Safety:

Safety is the most important quality for any farm. Lots of people are going to be visiting your farm, so it’s crucial that visitors feel safe. You can ensure this with fire safety equipment, an evacuation plan, and phones with emergency services ready. Make sure staff are CPR-certified and have first-aid on-hand. It’s better to prepare for an emergency rather than wait for one to arise. Be sure to warn guests—especially those with small children—about the risks and dangers of farm operation, such as heavy machinery or large animals. Suggest visitors wear appropriate clothing, such as closed-toed shoes and long pants, to protect against bugs and environmental debris.

Cleanliness and Sanitation:
Agritourist operations are typically seasonal, so it’s important you maintain cleanliness during the off-season as well as the peak season. Put away unused equipment, including any machinery or tools. Lock up any sheds or areas that guests are prohibited from entering. You should also prioritize everyday cleanliness. Make sure wastebaskets and recycling containers are prevalent throughout your farm. Keep animal cages and show areas relatively clean to promote waste management. Every agritourism operator must keep their farm clean to ensure customer satisfaction. Similarly, keep hand-washing stations outside of animal cages and petting areas—as well as outside food and beverage stations—to promote good sanitary practices.

Whichever type of agritourism operation you run, it’s urgent you have a large sign to promote it. At EZSignsOnline, we pride ourselves in our selection of farm and ranch signs. Check out our products and get the best wooden sign for your business!

Design Tips for an Effective Outdoor Business Sign

Design Tips For An Effective Outdoor Business Sign

It’s important to remember old advertising techniques. Paying for airtime on the local radio station, buying up space in a newspaper, or even telling friends and strangers about your business are all traditional marketing technique. One of the most effective marketing strategies is outdoor signage. To improve their profits, any business owner should know these design tips for an effective outdoor business sign.

Know the Location:

Sign placement is essential for successfully promoting your business. You want your sign to stand out from its surroundings. You should aim for optimum exposure. To do this, place your sign in a location people frequent. This might be near a road or path, for example. Still, make sure your sign is not placed too high or too low where people can miss it. 

Keep Size in Mind:

Size does matter—larger letters mean easier readability from a distance. This is especially important for roadside signs or signs in high places. Simply put: visibility is legibility. Another important tip is that less is more. Don’t clutter your sign with letters and symbols. The more precise your message is, the stronger it comes across to readers. 

Choose Impactful Colors:

A powerful color scheme can make your sign stand out from the rest. As humans, different colors give us different physiological and psychological responses. Orange, yellow, and red give a stimulating response. Blue, green, and purple are less stimulating and give a soothing response. Keep this in mind when picking colors for your sign. Make sure to choose contrasting colors to make your message stand out. 

Ensure Readability:

Your message’s typeface, font, and overall readability is the most important part of effective signage. You want a crisp, easy-to-read message that customers will remember. Feel free to use different styles, such as italics or boldface, to get your message across. Also, don’t feel like you must use all capitalized letters for your message. Contrary to popular belief, this does not improve its readability. Using all capital letters can be overwhelming and off-putting. Using both capitalized and lowercase letters in your message give the best readability up close and at a distance. Another important note is to not use two different fonts in one sign. While it might look creative and make your sign stand out, two different fonts make your sign harder to read. Keeping your message clear and easy-to-read is ideal for customer satisfaction.

Add Graphics:

Finally, the design and graphics are the last piece to make your sign stand above the rest. You should use your company symbol on your sign to maximize brand awareness. Graphics add visual interest and improve reader attention. In this case, it’s better to underuse graphics than to overuse them. You don’t want to make your sign difficult to read.

Here at EZ Signs Online, we make it our mission to provide the best custom outdoor business signs. Check out our product selection for your small business or community building.