The tradeshow date is on the calendar. You’re looking forward to promoting your business and generating leads. The question is…is your booth ready?

The signage that will represent your business to prospective clients deserves some time and consideration. After all, this will determine how many people will actually be interested enough to visit your booth. You only have a few seconds to grab their attention so you need to make a good first impression– and fast.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

Use bold colors and a tasteful design that represents your business appropriately.

Make sure the name of your business is large enough to read and recognize. Also make sure it’s in a prominent place, so people know exactly who you are at a glance.

Consider a short & concise tagline. What do you have to offer that reaches above and beyond your competitors? What is it about your business that will generate interest to prospective clients? Are you offering a new service, or product? Make sure what you say is short and concise. If it looks busy, it will appear to be too much of a time commitment and people will likely walk on by.

Use graphics to convey your ideas. That old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” is true. Show your prospective clients what you do at a glance. This often draws people in to ask questions about the details.

Offer something small for people to take home—candy, a pen with the name of your business, a magnet, etc. These little things can also add to the overall appeal of your booth, not to mention more advertising for you! Once people have chosen to give you some of their time, then you can give them more info and offer your flyers or brochures. And it’s all history from there!