Image is everything…. Does your business need a makeover?

by Anna Hahn

We’ve all been there…..you saw an ad for a new store that sounded interesting, but when you got there and saw it, you just didn’t get a good feeling about it, so you didn’t go in after all….or you stumbled upon a shop and went in, but something that you experienced – poor service, lack of sale items in stock, or just a general "blah" feeling about the atmosphere – kept you from ever returning to that shop...and chances are you passed that experience on to friends and family. How can you prevent this from happening to you?

If your business has a physical location (a store, an office, a restaurant), it might be time to step back and take a fresh look. It’s easy to judge other businesses from the outside looking in, but when you are involved in your own business day after day, it can be hard to take an objective look and see it the way your customers do.

We all know first impressions are very meaningful in the business world. First-time visitors to your business will decide within ten seconds or less whether to enter the building. If they walk away without even giving you a chance or leave the store without making a purchase, you may never know why.

Think about the different physical areas of your business: the exterior, the main entrance, the interior…. Now you have to honestly evaluate each of those areas as if you were a customer. You may also want to enlist the help of a friend or family member who is not there on a daily basis.

Location, location, location...

• Is your business easy to get to from different parts of town?
• Is it located near other stores that appeal to your customers or do they have to make a special trip?
• Is it too close to any of your competitors?

The next time you drive to your place of business, look at it with fresh eyes. Park where a customer would park. Sit in the car for a few moments and take in your surroundings.

• Curb appeal: How does it look from the outside? Is the building itself in good repair or does it need some touching up? Is it landscaped nicely?
• Is it easy to find or is it lost in a cluttered strip mall jungle?
• Are your signs eye-catching, professional-looking, and easy to read from a distance?
• Is there plenty of parking for the customer? Is the parking lot clean, well-lit at night and in good repair?
• Ask yourself honestly, “If I had never been here before, would I find this appealing enough to get out of the car and go in?”

Next walk toward your main entrance. If you are the first one there, go in and turn on the lights, etc. and then go back out to check these items:

• Is the main entrance clearly marked and easy to get to?
• Are the hours of operation clearly visible? Is it obvious that you are open for business?
• Are the windows and doors clean?
• Are the signs in your windows easy to read and inviting? Or do you have too many of them, making it cluttered?
• If you use window displays, are they visually appealing? Are they updated often or does the customer see the same thing every time they visit? Is the merchandise currently on display in your window available in the store right now?

We’re going in…..Next, enter your business, again with the fresh eyes of a customer. You want the overall look and feel to be new and inviting, rather than run-down or outdated.

• What is the first thing you noticed when you walked in? Was it merchandise on the floor? A messy waiting area? A pile of papers on a cluttered desk or counter?
• Are customers welcomed and greeted promptly? Are employees dressed appropriately?
• What does it smell like in your store? Fresh and clean, or stale? If you are in the food service industry, the aroma should entice people to enter.
• If you sell products, do they appear neatly arranged, or could they use some straightening?
• Is the floor/carpet clean? Are displays and counters dust-free?
• Do the walls need a fresh coat of paint?
• What do you hear? If you use background music, is it music that appeals to your target market? Is it too soft or too loud? Does it come in clearly, or is there annoying static?
• Think about the layout of your store. Does the flow make sense to your customers? Is it easy for them to find what they are looking for, or do they have to hunt for it? Are the aisles wide enough?
• Are your displays creative and appealing to your customers? Are they enticing enough to make the customer willing to spend their money?
• Are business cards and/or flyers available in-store? Are they neatly arranged?

Telephone customers are important too. Many consumers will call a business to ask questions if they have never been there before. You need to be sure that these potential customers are getting the right first impression about your business instead of being turned off by poor telephone skills. If you have employees, call the store while out to lunch or from your cell or home phone. If you don’t have employees, evaluate yourself in these areas:

• Are phone calls answered promptly and professionally?
• Are customers routinely put on hold or are their questions answered quickly and politely?
• Is an informative recorded greeting used off-hours when a human is not there to answer the phone? Does it provide business hours, location, web address and alternate means of contact?

After checking the above items and making improvements where necessary, you will feel better about your business, and that should leave a positive impression with your customers!