Window vs Indoor Scrolling LED Signs

Window LED signs are 10 times brighter than standard indoor LED sign. Also known as a "semi-outdoor" LED display, these brilliant window LED sign can be viewed through tinted windows and in bright sunlight. Despite the "semi-outdoor" classification, this does not mean they should be used outdoors. These signs are not weather proof. The "semi-outdoor" classification refers only to the brightness of the LED's used on the sign.
Semi-outdoor LED's are bright enough to be highly visible, even in bright sunlight, and therefore suitable for storefront windows. If you intend to use your LED sign or display in a window, be certain the model you select is clearly rated as "semi-outdoor" or suitable for "window display". Unless your business operates after dusk, ordinary indoor LED signs will not be visible, even in moderate sunlight.

Scrolling window LED displays communicate far more than the words upon them, they present a professional image. It has been said you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The manner in which you present your business to the public can be crucial to its success. Attractive, quality, legible semi-outdoor LED window signs say come in and do business - we're ready to serve you. You are making an investment in your storefront signage. Make sure that sign will be visible at all hours of the day. 

Federal Grant Money for LED Signs and Trailers

AdsUp Trailer

Did you know that Federal Grant money is once again available for the purchase of a LED Sign, if it is used by a Fire Department? This includes the purchase of our Fire Edition AdsUp LED Trailer. Grants are available yearly to help Fire Departments meet their emergency response equipment needs. In 2010, FEMA awarded $380 million for new vehicle aquisitions and training. Other agencies offering grants for Fire Departments include the US Forest Service, Rural Housing Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as private groups like the First Responder Institute. 
Fire Departments can and should apply for grants. Grant money is a great way to recoup some dollars you are spending that you don’t need to. If you would like more information on our AdsUp LED trailer, please contact an LED Sign Authority associate.

Small Town Business Owners Find Value in EMCs

A recent pilot study conducted by Professor Van Bulck of the University of South Carolina-Sumter found Outdoor LED Message Centers to be cost effective, easy to use and increased business regardless of the size of the sign or type of business.

Generally we think of EMCs being located in large metropolitan areas, but even the small town business owner can benefit from the installation of an EMC. More than 86% of small town business owners said the LED signs "help bring in more customers" and 83% said the signs "increased sales".
LED message signs are an effective outdoor advertising tool and 86% of small town business owners found "LED signs made people more aware of the location of their store" The more exposure your business receives through your sign, the more you can increase traffic and sales.  Not surprisingly double sided signs where found to be more effective than single sided signs.
Part of surving in a small town is competing with the world. Small business owners don't have deep pockets to develop big advertising campaigns. Their advertising dollar must work hard and achieve top results. EMCs have been proven time and again to be an cost effective method of advertising no matter what your business or where it is located.

Don't be Left Out in the Cold

Before purchasing an LED sign, check with you local building department to make sure you will not break any city ordinance or zoning policies in your preferred location. Also consider your LED sign requirements and compare them to sign regulations set by your local government. Many communities set restrictions on the size and appearance of signs.You can find out how property is zoned by contacting your local building department, or use the state and local search engine to find if your city or county has zoning ordinances online. If you need any assistance, LED Sign Authority can help you select the right sign for your location. Here are a few questions you may want to ask your local building department:

• How many square feet of signage is allowed?
• Is there a minimum or maximum height restriction? What is it?
• Are there set back requirements? Minimum distance from the roadway or sidewalk?
• Are you allowed an LED Moving Message Sign? Can it move and scroll, or must it stay static?
• Can anyone pull a permit or is a license necessary?
• Can your organization install the sign themselves or is a Sign Specialist required?

If you need asssitance in for assistance in interpreting your local municipal sign codes and regulations please call or email LED Sign Authority. We are here to help.

On Site Certification

Don't end up pulling your hair out because your Outdoor LED Sign was not installed properly or you are not familiar with the sign software.



LED Sign Authority's On-site Certification Service provides the following on site activities on our outdoor LED displays.

• Unpack systems and components.
• Verify receipt and condition of all boxes and components.
• Verify the availability of customer-provided physical site and power.
• Verify product serial numbers match packing list.
• Check and make sure that the voltage setting is correct before powering up the system.
• Test all accessories for correct operation
• Install software and configure sign to work seamlessly within your network.
• Subject to time availability, our consultant will provide you as much Customer Orientation in using your LED Sign and software as is possible within the 8-Hour onsite service.

LED Sign Authority offers an optional On-site Certification Service and Customer Orientation that is hassle free and affordable. For businesses, it provides comforting reassurance that their installer has done the job correctly. As an added benefit, customers also receive orientation and software training saving valuable time and money by increasing the amount of hands-on personal learning.

At the conclusion of the Customer Orientation you should have gained an overall greater knowledge and appreciation of your new LED Sign. On-site Orientation is the perfect choice for companies that need to train groups of employees. You get a maximum number of employees trained in a minimal amount of time for one flat fee. They receive the same message at the same time, creating synergy to the learning experience that gets everyone “on the same page”. LED Sign Authority can ensure that the sign setup is tailored to your specific needs and make recommendations for improvement. Investing in the installation of your LED Sign is extremely important and LED Sign Authority understands that.

ROI Numbers are Tough to Ignore

The Big Question for any business owner thinking of  investing in an LED Sign is "will a LED Sign really increase my buiness?" We know the answer is a resounding YES, but don't take our word for it. The Small Business Administraion has found the addition of a LED sign typically results in a 15 to 150% percent increase in business. What will be your expected return on investment (ROI) with the purchase of an outdoor LED sign? Lets take a typical LED display purchase and determine how long it would take to pay for itself using conservative numbers.

Proposed Sign Price: $8,000

Annual Gross Revenues: $150,000

Assumed Increase in Annual Gross Revenue: 15%

Take the annual gross revenues and multiply it by the assumed increase (in this case we will assume a minimal increase of 15%). Take the result of that calculation and divide it by the sign price. That gives you the number of times in a year the new sign would pay for itself. Then take the number of days in a year and divide it by the number of times it would pay for itself in a year. This gives the number of days it will take for the proposed sign to pay for itself in increased gross revenue.

$150,000 X 0.15 = $22,500 = estimated annual gross revenue increase from adding a LED Sign.

$22,500/$8,000 = 2.81 = the number of times the LED sign will pay for itself in one year.

365/2.81 = 130 days = the number of days it will take for the LED sign to pay for itself (in gross revenue).

So the new LED display pays for itself in 130 days. Less than 6 months after the LED sign is installed, the buisness would be in the black. Plug in your numbers to this simple formula and calculate your ROI.  Can your busines afford to ignore the numbers?

LED Sign Viewing Distance

At what distance will your LED sign be viewed? And at what angle? This will help you determine the correct message display character height and minimum pitch required to produce an image that is crisp and lifelike. Longer distances require less resolution and shorter distances require more resolution. If you are traveling 55mph on a freeway and the LED message sign is 600 feet away at a truck stop, the LED message text letters must be at least 20 inches tall to be legible. If you are standing 60 feet away from a LED sign, the message letters need only be 2 inches tall to be legible.

Resolution is the most important factor affecting the cost of your LED sign. More resolution means more diodes and more circuits, which usually means higher cost. How do you determine the resolution of an LED sign? Pitch is the distance between one diode and another. The SMALLER the pitch the HIGHER the resolution. You are probably not a sign expert, but we can give you the knowledge you need on distance and angle to ensure your site and LED sign match up correctly.