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When you own a business that’s public-facing, you need to be able to show off a little. Attracting the right customers is so important for your business to thrive properly and you want to increase your sales and get your customers in the door. To be able to do that, you need to consider the appearance of your business to outsiders who would be tempted to come in. Your first impression is about looks as much as it is about personality, and it’s your business “look” that’s going to encourage people through the doors.
You want to achieve higher sales and better spaces where people will want to visit and enjoy their shopping experience. To be able to have these things, you need to look at how you invest in your exterior. For example, investing in the best roofer and not a cowboy company will make a difference to the way in which you keep the exterior of your roof looking slick. You also may consider investing in an outdoor structure to shelter customers from the rain – it’s the little things like this that will improve the appearance of your store. So, with this in mind, we have a few tips on how else you can do well for your business.
- Begin with the exterior of your business. Yes, your layout and interior design are both important but you do need to begin with the first thing that people can see. The experience for shoppers starts in the parking lot of the business, and a clean exterior is instantly reassuring for your customers. They can see that you’re a business owner who cares, and a lot of customers won’t go into a store if the outside is outdated, untidy or dirty. Work from the parking lot to the front doors and make sure that you have an outside with intact windows, a sturdy and secure roof and shelter for rainy days.
- Next, look at your drive-through options. If your store has a drive-through facility, this should be clearly marked and signposted to ensure that there is no confusion at all. If you can implement new technology to make card payments easier, you should. The way that you serve your customers on the outside will give them confidence to shop with you on the inside.
- Offer seating in the shelters around 10 feet before your store entrance. There has to be a zone for people to sit a moment when they get to your store. At least, if you have a bigger store it should be. This is a good place to start when you want to ensure that your customers are happy with the service that they are receiving.
- Open out the aisles inside the store. Your stores should have aisles that are around 4.5 feet wide. This will be more inclusive to mothers and strollers, wheelchairs and shopping carts. You can save a lot of money if you ensure that this is the case from the day you open your business as you won’t have to tear it all down to start again.
