05/ 17/ 2007
How to make the appearance of your business speak to customers
As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. So it's important to evaluate your business' physical appearance through the eyes of your customers. What do they see when they drive up to your building? What do they see when they walk through the door?
An easy but beneficial exercise to go through would be to rate your business in the several different categories. Enlist the help of a couple of employees or family members and encourage them to be completely honest. Rate each area "poor," "adequate" or "excellent." With each rating, jot down comments that are positive or negative.
Sprucing up the outside of your business
How many times have you seen signage where half the letters in the name are missing? Or bulbs that are burnt out of a sign, causing only part of a name to be visible? Make sure your sign is legible at all times.
Look at the outside of the building. Is everything clean? Have employees been leaving cigarette butts on the sidewalk after their break? If possible, plant some greenery around the entrance. Check your door to make sure it's easy to open and close for customers who may be elderly, mothers with young children or physically handicapped people.
If you have windows to your business, do they have attractive displays? Do you change them frequently to attract customers? Some businesses use store windows to stock merchandise. Don't do that; it's not appealing.
Decorating the inside of your store or office
Too many times, customers walk into a store or office that doesn't appear to be clean. If you allow your customers to use the bathroom facilities make sure they sparkle. There should be a pleasant odor in the showroom or office. Customers don't want to smell what you had for lunch. Use air fresheners if necessary.
Make sure there is proper lighting. If it's a retail store, customers should be able to see a bright, cheery store so the merchandise can easily be displayed.
Decor is important. Does your store or office need a new coat of paint? Do the walls look dingy? What about the carpet? Is it clean or torn? If you have a tile floor, are the tiles broken or missing? Does the floor look dirty? All of the above will make a negative impact on your business. The decor and colors you select can have either a positive or negative impact on your customers as well. You might even invest in a book about the physiology of color when considering a new paint job. Red makes people hungry. Blue can be relaxing.
Also, if you're in a retail business, be careful how you space merchandise. You want to maximize space and offer as much product as possible. But customers need to be able to walk through the aisles and around the display tables. Think of a mother trying to push a stroller or someone in a wheelchair. Can these individuals get through the aisles? If your merchandise is jammed together, customers can't even see it properly or find what they are looking for because they may not be able to even get the clothes off the rack. Customers should be able to feel that they have space to move around the store.
For owners who have an office, avoid clutter. It's not appealing for your customer to walk in and not even have a chair to sit on because the chairs are piled high with papers. Although you and your employees need to work, make sure your office doesn't give the appearance of disorganization because so many items are lying around.
Displaying sales materials
If your sales materials are in racks, make sure the racks are stocked. When sales material is on a table or desk, keep the information in orderly stacks so your customers can find what they need. Make sure you have business cards available, too.
Labeling products
Make sure your products are clearly labeled with the price. Codes don't help the customer decide if he or she wants to purchase the item. It's annoying to have to go up to a salesperson and ask "How much is this item?" That happens in too many businesses. Keep your shelves dusted and stocked to give the appearance of lots of choice. A half-empty shelf may make a customer feel like he is not getting the best or the most of what you have to offer.
Take the time to evaluate your business' physical appearance. Even consider taking a look at your competitors and seeing if their physical appearance is better than yours. It may make you realize it's time to make some changes now.
