Your Curb Appeal Has a Massive Impact on Your Business’s Success | The term “curb appeal” refers to how attractive property is when viewed from the sidewalk, street, or parking lot. It is often associated with homes but commercial establishments and businesses should also pay attention to their curb appeal.
If you own a brick-and-mortar shop, your curb appeal will make or break a visitor’s first impression of your business. An attractive business or shop exterior will attract customers and/or gain trust from potential customers. On the other hand, a worn-out building surrounded by clutter and sitting on a road with cracks might discourage customers from even entering your premises.
Instead of letting your curb appeal negatively impact your hard work, it’s time to do some sprucing and cleaning up. Whether it’s de-cluttering your shop or repairing potholes with cold mix asphalt application, it never hurts to invest in some curb appeal improvement.
How Do People Decide if They Should Enter a Business or Not?
A study from the CCIM Foundation reported that curb appeal has three dimensions that can positively affect sales: authenticity, atmosphere and architecture. According to the study, a store’s curb appeal impacts retailer sales, consumer behavior and retail real estate values.
Factors that contribute to the store’s exterior appearance include:
- Entertainment
- Landscaping
- Convenience
- Architectural features
- Signage
- Social aspects
- Safety
- Cleanliness
- Maintenance
Your property’s building materials, colors, design and surroundings can impact its curb appeal and sale prices, too.
How Does Curb Appeal Improve Your Revenue?
The term “curb appeal” is frequently associated with real estate, especially for properties up for sale. But even if you’re not interested in selling your place soon, it’s important to cultivate your exterior for a number of reasons.
Get More People In Your Shop
When it comes to business, how things look on the outside indicates the quality of products and services offered inside. If you want to encourage people to consider your business, start with a great first impression.
Since your property’s exterior is the first thing customers see, it should be clean and flawless (as much as possible). Both the inside and outside of your property should be equally well-kept.
Boost Brand Reputation
Apart from making a great first impression, you want to leave a lasting impression on your customers, so they’ll tell others about your business. Fair prices, quality products and good customer service are all important to maintaining a good reputation, but your curb appeal can make or break the deal. When people see that your property is in good shape, both new and current customers will highly recommend you to their family and friends.
How Can I Improve the Curb Appeal of My Business?
Even if you’re dealing with a property that requires additional TLC, improving your curb appeal need not always be a time-consuming or expensive process. There are many ways to improve your exteriors while staying on budget and on schedule.
- Repair steps and walkways. Broken steps, rickety stairs and crumbling sidewalks are tripping hazards for customers. Reduce the risk of injuries by repaving or repairing damaged concrete sidewalks, steps and stairways. At the same time, you’ll be improving the overall look of your property.
- Improve signage and way finding. People should find your business first before they can even consider your products and services. Make it easier for them to find you. Check if your street number is easily visible so maps and GPS users can find you. Also, make sure your business’s signs are large enough to read from wherever your customers are.
- Create an inviting atmosphere with landscaping. If your business is surrounded by vacant lots without a touch of greenery can be off-putting, especially for first-time customers. Add some landscaping boulders, flowering plants, bushes and other decorative greenery to add color to your business’s curb. If your store doesn’t have greenery, install a rock garden!
- Invest in seasonal décor (but make sure it’s timely). Seasonal décor like American flags, pumpkins and Christmas lights immediately update the exterior of your shop. On the other hand, keeping your lights up when Easter arrives can indicate that your business is overwhelmed, disorganized or closed for good.
- Clean up. While having a steady stream of customers is good for your sales, it also means plenty of cleaning on your end. If you don’t have the time to do the cleaning, consider hiring a professional cleaner to do the job for you. If strays are a problem, learn how to get rid of stray cats or have pros do the job for you.
Improving your curb appeal can seem like a “giant” task. It can be, but it’s one that guarantees the most returns on your investment. So, it’s time to do some cleaning, upgrading and improving!
