What makes customers tick?
It’s the eternal question that every business owner asks, hoping to figure out the secret that will drive the company to success. There is no denying that your communication in the media and on various platforms play a significant role in the perception of your brand.
Take Steve Jobs, for instance. While the man who co-founded Apple has revolutionary design ideas, it’s fair to say that he alone didn’t turn Apple into the success it has become. Enthusiastic employees and advocate customers gave the brand its iconic status. But they only did so because Steve Jobs was a brilliant communicator who personalized the brand values and innovations.
But while big brands can rely on their leaders to interact with an audience on their behalf, many businesses need to showcase their values through their premises as customers and clients visit. Poor choices in the office or in store display can dramatically transform how people think about your brand. Here are the top 5 areas that commercial premises need to focus on to engage positively with their audience:
A shabby exterior affects your reputation
Nowadays, the role of a web manager is not only to manage the content of the site but also its layout and appearance. Indeed, branding experts have long known that the design of your website needs to include the way colors, shapes and fonts affect users. But, by no means does it mean that your digital look is the only one that matters. Indeed, businesses with a physical location have to put the maintenance of their building and exterior first. Customers who enjoy your website might get turned off when they discover a building that doesn’t hold the promises of cleanliness and glamor of the site. As a priority, your walls, garden, and roof will be responsible for the first physical impression. Building managers should consequently work closely with teams of experts from a professional garden landscaper to a commercial roofer. You can’t afford to neglect the look of your commercial premises.
Are you in the wrong area?
In the online sphere, finding the right audience is a matter of targeting and demographic research. Because everyone can be online, the location of your audience doesn’t matter – with specific exceptions related to your delivery areas, the GDPR compliance or even managed networks. But in the offline world, the location of your customers matters hugely. Indeed, if your business is running low despite market evidence that there is a real demand for your products, you might need to consider relocation. Moving to a new location can enable you to promote your brand to a new target, or even to a more dynamic area of town.
Making your shop mobility-friendly
Every year, dramatic road accidents and debilitating diseases bring more wheelchairs onto the streets. Customers in a wheelchair are very sensitive to obstacles within your premises. Indeed, you need to think further than whether or not you have wheelchair-friendly toilets. Narrow aisles in shops or in an office, a high curb in the middle of the office floor, or even doors with large wooden frames can affect their movements and mobility. While some shops have provided an easy to use solution using augmented reality, it’s fair to say that arrangements for wheelchair users tend to come as a second thought in your decor. Premises that are not accessible to all users can suffer from a reputation backlash.
Be spotless if you want to be appealing
Imagine a meeting with a potential client. Everyone sits at the table, and a friendly banter starts between the participants until your client notices a dark and dry ring of coffee on the table. Do you think it doesn’t matter? A company that doesn’t keep its office clean fails to present its brand positively. From a client’s perspective, they can assume that your company might treat business in the same it does the office, with little care. This is not the right impression to encourage future deals, or even to motivate your staff.
Nobody likes a dull office decor
Your office decor plays a significant role in creating a welcoming and productive atmosphere. Indeed, for your staff and clients, the decor is the extension of your brand values and your mission statement. You can use your surroundings to remind the team to act with consideration. Additionally, employees need motivation cues and inspiring interiors to stay focused and motivated. There’s no point using the website to promote your brand ethics when the office is a lifeless accumulation to chairs and desks.
Your brand has a physical representation that goes beyond your products. Your office, your shop, your commercial building act as the extension of your business values in the real world. When these extensions leave much to be desired, your brand is left behind.