Investing time and energy into how your shop looks has a knock-on effect on both your customers and your staff. If done well, it can result in happier employees, happier shoppers, and more money in your pocket at the end of the day.
In short, looks matter, which is why you should be tending to your shop’s exterior at every opportunity. If you are not quite sure how to go about it, there are some basic things you can start with, and you should be able to see the effects almost immediately.
How to Look After Your Shop ?
You are going to need to look into some pointers on how you can look after your store. There are several ways that you can do this, and no matter how small, they all add up to impressing your customers and increasing your bottom line.
#1 ParkingÂ
You are going to need to ensure that you are looking after the parking lot for your patrons. The basics here include taking steps to ensure parking bays are well marked, and any potholes are repaired quickly. People are less likely to want to shop with you if the parking lot is a mess and uneven, so you should make sure that it is one less thing for them to worry about.
You might be able to mark out the bays yourself (remembering to allow room for accessibility), but you will probably need parking lot maintenance services to take care of the potholes or any cracks in the asphalt.
#2 Weather Damage
If you have weather damage to your store, it can be easy to see why people might not want to come by. Whether it is the smell of stagnant water or leaks on the inside of the building dripping onto goods, it doesn’t give a good impression. It is also a major safety and health hazard, as weather damage can lead to black mold and attract pests, which can quickly send your reputation down the drain if you aren’t careful. To get around this, you need to make sure that you are checking the property regularly, and calling in the professionals to help the second you discover a problem.
#3 Security
You should make sure that you have burglar alarms, high-quality locks, and surveillance cameras on and outside of your store. This can do much to deter most criminals, or to at least make sure that you are covered in the event of a burglary. This is helpful, as it can help you to make sure that you have evidence if something goes wrong or there is someone caught stealing on your premises, and you can catch whoever did it and hopefully bring them to justice.
#4 Signs and Outdoor PaintworkÂ
You should also be making sure that your shop has a good-looking exterior. Making sure that paint isn’t peeling, your sign isn’t weathered or broken, or that you don’t have visible stains on the exterior can go a long way to giving the impression that your shop is polished and professional. The bad news here is that this can be expensive, and again, you should get the professionals to do this for you, so you can focus on the small matter of running your business. You might also find it beneficial to make sure that your windows are cleaned regularly, too.
What Can This Do for Your Business?
Once you’ve ticked all of these boxes, you see there are a lot of benefits to making sure that your shop looks appealing from the outside. Here are some of the things that might happen if you put care into your store’s appearance, and the facilities that it offers.
#1 Builds Intrigue
If your shop looks nice, it is likely to pique your customers’ curiosity. They are more inclined to go and have a look around your store, and hopefully, buy something – or at least talk about it with their friends and families. You will find that this can help you bring in more customers who might ordinarily just be passing by.
#2 Curb AppealÂ
It can generate a lot of curb appeal. This can prompt people to look in your windows and have a look at what you might have available. This can be a particularly great move if you have only just opened up, or you have a lot of competition in your area. This can be just as effective as advertising, as it can help you get that little extra push to bring window shoppers inside and spend their money with you rather than your competitors.
#3 Displays
If you have displays, you can see what brings in your customers and what doesn’t. For instance, you could trial different ranges on racks outside to see which piques the most interest. This can also be a seasonal thing where you might have, for instance, sunglasses outside in summer, and ice scrapers in winter. This works if you are a complete newbie or an experienced trader, and can also give you an insight into which lines you can expand on, and which you might need to put on sale to get rid of them quickly.
#4 Access
Just like your parking lot, the more accessible your shop is, the more people are going to be able to come and see what you have to offer. Making your shop perfect for all shoppers is something that a lot of stores tend to overlook, and this could give you a much-needed edge over your competition. After all, it can be a real shame to miss out because your parking lot is uneven, and you don’t have any access ramps and too many stairs to be able to cater to a large portion of your target audience who are disabled or elderly.
Final Thoughts
There is a lot to consider when looking at the upkeep of your shop’s exterior, but you shouldn’t cut corners because making a good first impression matters. This starts with the parking lot and goes right through to the second they walk in the door to spend money.
