Big businesses have the resources, budget, and sheer reach to come back from having made a poor first impression. Small businesses don’t tend to have that luxury. While making a poor first impression doesn’t mean that there’s no chance of the potential customer returning, it makes it much less likely.
Making a positive impression is, ultimately, essential, especially for businesses that rely on foot traffic. There’s a lot that needs to happen in order for a passerby to become a customer, and if you’re not making a good first impression (retail experience design), then your business will have fallen at the first hurdle.
Happily, making a positive first impression isn’t as difficult as you might think. It’s mostly about ensuring that you take care of the essentials. In this post, we’ll run through a few handy tips that’ll help form a positive image in the eyes of your customers.
Inviting spaces
The external area counts for a lot — we’ll talk about it later — but the most important aspect is what happens when the customer first walks through your door. Ensuring that they have a positive experience comes down to ticking a few key boxes: creating a pleasant ambiance, feeding the senses (not too bright; not too dark), and offering a warm welcome. Do those things, and no one’s unlikely to turn around and walk out.
Managing the exterior area
Of course, your potential customers will be less likely to have the opportunity to see the inside of your business if the exterior area isn’t up to standard. While the front of your property might not seem like a big deal, it’s best to treat it as if it is. For some customers, it’ll set the tone for what’s inside; if the outside area isn’t cared for, then passersby may reasonably assume that the business doesn’t care as much as it should.
Keeping this part of your business premises in check isn’t overly complicated. If you repair damaged signs, use an electric leaf blower to keep leaves and debris away from your parking area, and use a lawn mower on any grassy areas, then you’ll have gone a long way towards ensuring your outdoor area is presentable. Just be mindful to periodically look at the exterior area through the eyes of a stranger, since it’s easy to miss things when you’re there every day.
Smooth processes
The best way to make a positive impression is to avoid annoying your customers — and if there’s one thing that’ll frustrate your visitors, it’s having to experience overly complicated shopping processes, such as finding it difficult to locate the items they need, taking longer than necessary to checkout, or having unfair return policies.
As with the front of your business, it can be easy to overlook these factors since you’re on the other side of the checkout process. As such, it’s best to walk through the shopper’s experience on occasion and see if there are any improvements that can be made. It’s also best to keep up to date with trends — such as accepting mobile payments — to ensure you don’t fall behind your competitors.
