To buy a digital sign or not? Here are our tips on what to look for and how to pick your next monument (outdoor) sign.

It’s a debate we hear from time to time: your outdoor church entrance (or monument) sign — when should you update it, what kind should you get, how much money should you spend and should you invest in newer technology like electronic message boards? Sometimes this seemingly straightforward item can become one of the more controversial and complicated tasks on a church communications leader’s to-do list.

To a certain degree, we can understand why. The sign in front of your church building is often a significant vehicle for first impressions. Of course, you want that first impression to be a good one! And in terms of practical considerations, your sign needs to do a good job at its main function — identification. Your sign names your location for the rest of the world. It lets visitors know they’ve arrived. You don’t want anyone to get confused about that.

But beyond these two purposes, the importance of your church sign is not worth inflating. Recently, a pastor friend asked my opinion on electronic signs. Some of the folks at his church noticed that a couple churches down the road had invested in some very fancy electronic signs, and the question was raised — should they also invest in a similar kind of sign?

At Fishhook, we often say facts are friends! It’s important to do some homework to consider your options and the long-term value of what you purchase. And you definitely don’t want to cave to peer pressure or keeping up with the Joneses! So, here's a list of questions and considerations to help you think through your decision, especially if you are considering an electronic option or other forms of message board space:

  1. Zoning
    Make sure you and the signage company you are working with are aware of the zoning regulations and building codes in your region. You will learn what limitations you have on size and style — you might discover that you can’t place your sign as close to the road as you wanted, but you may also learn that your new sign can be larger than the current one.

  2. Visibility
    Once you know what your legal limitations are, make sure that your sign is going to be visible from the road and unobstructed by other structures (man-made or natural) in the viewer’s line of vision. Is there some unkempt landscaping nearby that should be trimmed back or removed? Should you include some lighting, so that your sign will still be visible at night? Is your church name large enough to be read by passersby? What about any secondary information — is it going to be legible from far away?

  3. Clarity
    Although this could fall under the Visibility category, we think it is important to mention as its own special item. At Fishhook, we often ask clients, “Is it clear to a stranger?” Remember, the main purpose of your outdoor monument sign is to identify your location. If you’re thinking about including some sort of message board as part of your sign or even just additional information beyond the name of your church, it’s important to realize you have just seconds to capture your viewer’s attention and limited real estate to work with. The more information you try to put on your sign, the more diluted its impact will be. Your church name should be the most prominent — and perhaps only — information viewers will see.  

  4. Return on Investment
    The cost for outdoor signs can often extend into many digits. However, church budgets often do not. It’s important to consider not only the cost of your sign, but whether its impact matches up with your investment. Yes, your sign is a welcome mat that needs to make a good first impression, but so is your website, and many potential guests will spend their time there before they make a physical visit. (This is especially true for young adults — 59% of adults under age 30 who are looking for a new place of worship spend their time looking online, according to a recent Pew research study.) Before you invest in an expensive outdoor sign, make sure you’re not forgetting to invest in other communications tools that have a more significant impact.

  5. Visual Appeal
    Your outdoor church sign provides a great opportunity for reinforcing your brand identity. Perhaps there is a color from your church logo that you can include as part of the sign design! That being said, it’s also important to consider the life of your sign — it may outlast your church’s current logo. If that’s the case, you might consider a more neutral color palette or style that won’t look outdated in a few years. And don’t forget about making intentional choices about the materials that are used! What you choose can help convey outside what the experience of your church is like inside.

  6. Convenience and Upkeep
    Will your choice of sign require any upkeep or ongoing financial costs? If so, do you have a sustainable plan for that? An electronic sign may be more convenient to change than the message on an old marquis sign, but a simple monument sign comprised of just your church’s name still does the job without requiring the upkeep.

Our friends at Connection Pointe Christian Church recently went through a signage update. Here's what they had to say about their experience: 

"We installed our sign in the early 2000s and did an update with our new brand in 2015. The main priority in our update was budget. In hindsight, we wish we would have had a plan for our entire campus' signage before we did our update." 

— Brooke Reeves, Communications Director, Connection Pointe Christian Church

Wherever your church ends up in the monument sign debate, be sure you've thought through these six considerations before making your decision. You'll be glad you did.