Leasing a van is a big investment for your company. For many businesses, the van is one of the most important pieces of equipment as it carries tools, workmates, parts and other equipment to the site.
But your van is not just for transport. It’s also a great advertising tool. With the right signage, you can get your brand seen by thousands of people just by driving to work.
There are plenty of advantages – and a few disadvantages – to signwriting your van lease. We’ve covered them here, so you can weight up the pros and cons before you decide.
Low Cost Advertising
You can sign write your lease van quite cheaply. Most vehicles only cost £400 + VAT to get your business info added onto them. That’s £400 for a moveable advertising board that you take with you whenever you are on the road.
If you keep your van for three years, your van and its signage will be seen by thousands of people, and it only takes one job due to someone seeing your van and it has paid for itself.
Professional Looking
Plain white vans are pretty common, and they don’t say much about your business. Putting your logo, contact details, or other information onto your van lease adds a level of professionalism to your vehicle. This carries through to the rest your business, giving your customers confidence in you and your company.
Good signwriting promotes your brand and shows that you have pride in your company. When people see a plain white van, they might assume it is a day rental and not a van lease owned by a business.
People Can See Your Contact Details
Always put your contact details on your van if you are signwriting it, and not just your logo or company name. That way, potential customers will not just see your business, they will also have a way to get in touch.
Many tradespeople claim they receive a lot of work from people in the same street as an existing customer, just because they saw the business information on the van parked outside. A well-branded van can bring in business enquiries just from being seen.
Increased Risk?
There is the potential for increased risk if your van is branded, as it will advertise the contents of the van to thieves. As having a van is associated with owning a business, you are more likely to have valuable items (tools, parts, and so on) stored in it than with a car.
While there is no official study to this effect, some insurance providers will increase their insurance premiums to account for this.
Signwriting is also classed as a vehicle modification, so you need to declare it to the insurance provider when it’s time to renew your policy.
Tips For Signwriting Your Van
There are good ways and bad ways to advertise your business on the side of your van. Here are a few handy tips to keep in mind when planning your vehicle signage.
Keep it Simple
How many words can you read on a vehicle as it’s driving past at 30mph? Long, detailed advertisements explaining your full list of services might not be the right idea. Your van might be out sight before your potential customer gets to the contact details.
Any design you consider for your logo should match any other branding you have done. Your business website, company uniforms, and any other marketing you use along with your van should all have the same colour scheme and style.
Make it Clear
Your customers might only have a few seconds to see your advert. In that time, they need to see what type of business you have and how to get in touch with you. A single line of information beneath your company name or logo, such as “Building & Roofing” or “Electricians”, should quickly convey who you are and what you do. This leaves plenty of room for a phone number, website or email address so that potential customers can follow up on the advert.
Stand Out
If you have any awards or accolades, tell people about them! The more good press you have, the more likely that people will trust your business and decide to enquire about your services. Members of professional bodies, such as the Federation of Master Builders or Gas Safe, should have their logos on the van as well.
You can also include logos for Checkatrade, TrustATrader, or other review organisations, if you are a member and want to display your high ratings.
Check Your Work
Proofread your design. Then proofread it again. Once it’s on the van, you’re stuck with it, so make sure there are no spelling mistakes. Check the phone number and email address are correct. Get someone else to double-check.
While a great sign on the side of a lease van can bring in lots of business, the opposite is also true. Poorly written signs with bad spelling or grammar can give people a low opinion of your company before you’ve even spoken to them.
Be Professional
Now that your van is labelled and branded correctly, everyone will know who you are. That means your brand and your business will be associated with the appearance of your van lease and the way that you drive.
A dirty van, with damaged markings will present a company that perhaps doesn’t look after its vehicles, and so may not show care and attention to their customers. Similarly, bad driving will reflect badly on your business, and may deter potential customers from enquiring.
One Last Thing
Signwriting is permitted by most leasing companies, though we do recommend that you check with your finance lender before you begin as there may be additional fees included in the contract.
If you lease a vehicle on Business Contract Hire, you will be required to return the vehicle once the lease period is complete. The finance company may require it to be returned in the same condition as it was leased, without any signage or labelling. If so, bear in mind you may need to remove the signage once the lease is done.
