You know, there are times when I think we print signs and posters without realizing what we are saying. I know there are times when people print signs to be intentionally funny as well. Take this sign – I have a feeling the double meaning was intentional – It would certainly have people talking.

If you were to buy into that business as a franchise, would that sign encourage you or put you off? I am not sure how I would feel being associated to a sign like that. Sure it’s funny to start with and very clever, but like all franchises, being funny and clever doesn’t always equate to good earnings. Being able to filter out whether what is being offered is a New Franchise Opportunity or Rumor can be difficult. Research is the key – just don’t be misled by any clever slogans.

Messages are often confusing or misleading. Do you like leading life on the edge. You may jump at working as an excavator operator if your saw this message – Excavators Take You To The Edge. It’s true, excavators often work sitting precariously on the edge of a trench or large excavation – but it’s not really living on the edge.

Even businesses make changes without completing the job. Look closely at the shop door and the operating hours. It says quite clearly in large letters, open 24 hours. Below that is clearly shows shop hours that indicate it closes each night. It’s not then 24 hours is it?

Our web sites are the same. I see some sites with links that are supposed to go to internal pages – instead I am met with 404 page not found errors. Or I am sent off to an affiliate page. Your internal linking is important. It guides your visitors around your site – it also guides the search engine bots around your site. Mislead them and watch your site drop out of the search results. Read this post if you need to know What Kind Of Link Structure Should You Use?.

Misleading signs – the world is full of them.