A successful business must have a growing customer base. After all, the more customers you have coming through the doors, the more profit you can generate. Sadly, pulling traffic into your store isn’t always easy. While marketing certainly helps, there’s more to a business than the products on offer. In a world where image matters, looking the part is important. When you leave your store to weather and wear away, you allow your premises to put off customers. Fortunately, improving a storefront isn’t too difficult. With that in mind, here are ten effective ideas you can try.
Lay A Welcome Mat
Buying a welcome mat certainly isn’t a large investment, but it can have a huge impact on the customer experience. Having a doormat at the entrance of your business sets the tone for the store while allowing customers to wipe their feet. Rather than picking a generic rug, you should have one personalized with the name of your business. You could even go one step further and add the company logo and contact details. This level of detail shows off your professionalism.
Sweep Up The Trash
Litterbugs are a menace to society. While the trash they dump isn’t your responsibility, if it finds its way outside your premises, it can directly affect trade. Leaving litter outside your business shows a lack of care that could put off customers. For this reason, you should sweep outside the store regularly and throw away any trash you collect. Make sure you remember to clear the parking lot too. By putting trash cans outside the store, you give people a place to put their litter.
Repair Any Walkway Damage
The walkways outside a building aren’t usually the responsibility of the owner. Instead, the local council is expected to make any necessary repairs. The trouble is, if that walkway is cracked or chipped, it reflects badly on you, not the council. What’s worse, if someone were to injure themselves because of the damage, they might come to you for compensation. That is why you should repair the damage yourself. By doing so, you improve curb appeal and protect your reputation.
Work On The Signage
A business without signage is problematic. Unless you show off your name and offer information about the business, people won’t know your store is there, much less if they want to go inside. Because of this, you must maintain your signage and add a pop up banner or two. These can be displayed inside or outside the building and are great at attracting attention from potential customers. It’s vital that your signs are easy to read, or customers won’t remember your name.
Paint New Parking Lines
Many stores have parking outside, both for customers and employees alike. This can make life easier for both parties, but if your parking lot is missing spaces, it could do more harm than good. After all, without clear spots to park your car, people could leave their vehicles too close to others, thus risking damage. Painting new parking lines will keep this from becoming a problem. You also give your business a polished appearance, which will be appealing to customers.
Apply A Fresh Coat
While the parking lot is important, there are other areas of your building in need of a fresh coat of paint too. A splash of paint can work wonders on the exterior walls of your business. What once seemed dingy and worn could look fresh and brand new. Paint will also protect the structure of the building, which means less maintenance will have to be carried out. If you plan on rebranding your company in the future, you should take that opportunity to paint the building a new color.
Install Proper Light Fixtures
Lighting can have a huge impact on curb appeal, even for businesses. Although lights make a big difference at night, they have their benefits during the day too. After all, with decorative lights, you can soften the mood around your building. There are several types of lights you can use around your store, including LEDs and solar-powered lights. Special lighting, like display lights, can direct attention towards the items in your window display, while overhangs illuminate doors.
Pay Attention To Greenery
Everyone loves a green view, even in a city. If you have a grassy space outside your building, you must take care of it. Remember to cut the lawn regularly and use weed killer. You might also want to put up a fence to keep customers from wearing the lawn down. When grass isn’t an option, you should add greenery where you can. Flower boxes and hanging planters both allow you to grow greenery outside your building, without taking up too much space.
Display Sale Items Outside
An effective way to boost sales is to host a clearance sale. However, this will only work in your favor if customers know what products are reduced. To make things easier for customers and employees, you should display cheaper items outside the building. Although window displays work well, the alternative allows people to get close to the products and maybe test them out for themselves. This can be enough to entice them inside to make impulse purchases.
Make A Seating Area
Customers who sit down outside your store clearly enjoy the location. What’s more, the longer they linger outside, the more likely they are to shop. Because of this, you should make the exterior inviting and comfortable by creating a seating area. Just a few chairs and a table will be enough for customers wanting a sit-down. While customers are resting outside your store, they might take pictures and post them online, which is free social media marketing for the business.
Improving the curb appeal of your business is an effective way to attract new customers. Rather than entering and leaving through the back door, you should use the front and experience what your customers do. If you don’t like what you see, then make changes. With the advice above, this shouldn’t be too difficult.
