Whether a business is a startup or an established corporation, there is a lot of time, energy, and expense put into marketing in an effort to draw in the core audience for their brand.
There is an expansive level of competition in each industry. That means it’s critical that the tools and techniques used by individuals be unique in order to stand out in the crowd and draw the consumer’s eye in their direction.
Doing something different from everyone else can prove challenging with the sheer volume of people you’re going up against. But if you are lucky enough to capture their interest leading them to your establishment, they must want to come inside.
There are no opportunities for a second impression. You only get one shot for the target demographic to make an observation, determination, and either convert into an interested shopper or leave.
If what they see when they arrive is cold in appearance, no life, unappealing, disheveled, or improperly manicured, this translates to them an opinion of you as the owner and what you have to offer as a brand.
However, if you offer lovely landscaping that invites the customer to your establishment in a warm, almost park-like surrounding with well-manicured foliage and beautiful pathways, it speaks volumes about the way you do business and the importance you place on customer satisfaction. Investing in curb appeal is simply another aspect of marketing important to bringing your consumers an added drive to do business with you.
Why Should You Invest In Commercial Contractors For Your Business Landscape?
A majority of customers will base their decision on whether to shop or do business with an organization on the appearance of the establishment. If you pull into a drive to see a poor external curb appeal, most people will leave.
The reason for that is because the ‘curb appeal’ or the first impression determines for that person what they presume the business relationship will be. Sloppy, unkempt landscaping translates to unorganized, messy transactions that lead to complicated mistakes, and no one wants to deal with that.
A place devoid of landscaping with a cold, cement face merely is not inviting, and almost always looks as though they don’t want anyone to come inside. Lush greenery with benches welcoming people to sit, and signs letting consumers know what to anticipate tells the audience you expect nothing less but for them to come in the door.
Investing in professional commercial landscaping contractors to bring that life to your company will ensure that you present a welcoming face to your core demographic. Most marketing tools are directed towards bringing the customer to your front door, but what will you do when they get there, and if they aren’t impressed?
How Can You Present The Right Aesthetic To Your Target Consumer?
Unfortunately, the modern age is solely based on technology, and marketing is focused on digital advertising. It isn’t necessarily a wrong notion, but the problem is it works merely in bringing your chosen demographic to your place of business. When they arrive, those in charge aren’t genuinely sure how to keep the consumer there, and that’s where they lose them – some at the front door.
Instead of focusing all of your time and money on digital marketing, some of your funds should go towards developing curb appeal for the business. How the place looks, the location, and the landscaping in itself will serve as advertising the company. No one will visit a less than desirable area, a site that’s falling down, or an establishment that’s so bare it looks closed. When you buy or rent an office or retail space, you’re not only in control of how the storefront looks but the surrounding area. You can be responsible for improving those areas and even attempt to help out neighbors who may not be so tidy.
An initial course of action would be to contact commercial landscaping professionals for a landscaping design consultation, with the specific intention of creating a space to entice customers to enter into the building. Nature is a key component to making any property, whether commercial or residential, warm and inviting. It’s also an excellent way to make your place stand out from other people in your same industry who remain focused on the digital concepts.
You’re almost appealing to the average person’s need to get away from technology. Once they arrive, they want to be reached out to as an individual person, not another ‘click’ or SEO result. In real-time, the experience needs to be more personable. There are other things you can do to incorporate this into your company aesthetic that other companies don’t think about.
- Make the front door shine: The front door should be the focal point aside from the landscaping and the pathways. It’s like the goal for the customer. You want to entice them to reach that point. There should be a ‘welcome,’ whether it be in the form of a sign or a mat, placed in front of the door. Also, put added greenery like hanging baskets or pots on either side of the walkway that is well cared for.
A sign needs to let people know that the place is open, what the hours are, and they can come inside. Typically, when arriving at an establishment, almost everyone will look for an indication that they can enter.
- Signage: Banners and signs are an old-school marketing tool that has carried on to this day with tremendous success. But they need to be well-kept or replaced. If your signs are faded, or the paint is peeling, this gives a wrong impression of the company.
A brilliant, bold sign that can be seen from a distance will capture attention and draw people to you. A person is instinctively curious, so when you see an exceptionally designed, catchy sign, you want to check out what the place has to offer.
If you get there and the exterior is as impressive as the sign, you’re going to go inside, showing the company did well with its advertising strategy.
- Keep the exterior looking fresh: If the shop is dated, people will assume the brand is as well. You need to ensure that you make changes to update the outside as trends change. Keep the light fixtures current, repaint with fresh tones, make sure the windows are always washed and bright, and make sure the front door stands out as the focal point.
If you’re in an area where neighbors’ places are not the best, the only thing to do is offer to help tidy up their locations. They may appreciate the effort, particularly if they’re not capable for whatever reason.
- Clean every day out front: Each day, make sure to clean up the exterior, including the sidewalk in front of the shop. Sweep away any dirt, debris, leaves. Make sure if you have plants near the door that you water and take off any dead areas.
The commercial landscaping contractors will likely maintain the property if that’s how the contract is set up. It’s vital to ensure that the grounds remain manicured and free from debris. If that’s not something you prearranged, you’ll need to take care of these things.
- Display In The Storefront Window: Some owners don’t think about the storefront window and the amount of appeal this can bring to the business. Having a well-thought-out display can entice people to come just to check it out. Some people can’t wait for stores to change the window out because often there is so much creativity involved, and they’re unique. These have the ability on their own to entice people to come inside to see the various products.
Window displays can be tricky, though. If you don’t stay consistent with them or change these timely, people will become bored and walk away, often taking their business with them. These should be refreshed up to every two to three weeks to keep the customers’ attention.
- What do you do: The signs and displays on the exterior need to precisely speak to your target demographic what your brand is about and what you have to offer. A company that doesn’t communicate these things clearly won’t see anyone come inside because the consumers will be unsure if it’s a place for the public or not.
When you see people passing you by, check out your sign first to see what it says to the audience. It may need to be redesigned if all of your other outdoor components are in line.
- Keep the exterior (and interior) free of clutter: No one likes clutter. It’s too much to try to take in, and it looks messy. When collaborating with designers for the landscape, it should be simple yet welcoming. The company can get lost if there is too much happening in the surrounding area.
You also don’t want to have too many pathways or a sidewalk flanked by things. It can not only be a hazard but confusing. Clean out or take down all material that detracts from the message you’re trying to reflect on the brand. Your voice should be clear, simplistic, and concise.
- Light it up: Make sure there is ample lighting on the exterior of the building, particularly around the door, in front of the window display, and the parking area. You should try to incorporate a spotlight that stays on throughout the night in the window display as an attraction to the business. It will surely make your shop stand out over others in the neighboring area or those in the same industry. Most establishments go dark after a certain point in the evening.
The parking area should be well lit for safety purposes for the customers, and the lights around the front door serve as a welcome to those coming inside. The landscape contractors may opt to incorporate some form of solar lighting throughout the grounds to add curb appeal.
- Maintenance and upkeep: It’s critical to maintain the property, so everything functions adequately when the target demographic chooses to pay a visit. If someone tries to open the door and the handle doesn’t work, that’s a reason to leave. You don’t want to lose a client over simple maintenance.
Trash receptacles should be emptied regularly, and they should be kept out of view of those shopping or visiting. Light bulbs should be changed out as soon as they go blank. All products and services should be kept current and fully stocked as much as possible without inconveniences to the core audience.
The priority in the presentation is the target demographic. That’s the key reason for marketing. Otherwise, there would be no purpose. There is a need to draw attention in your company’s direction even though there may be 1000 other businesses in the same industry. But to do that, you need to stand out in that crowd. And that’s all in how you present yourself to your chosen audience.
Final Word
You can spend a fortune digitally enticing people to consider you for their business, and it will probably work in bringing them to your door. But will they be impressed once they arrive?
The very first thing they will notice driving up to your facility is going to be the surroundings. If your landscaping is sloppy, cluttered, or nonexistent, that will speak to the customer, making them hesitant to go any further. The impression taken from a place’s exterior extends to the brand and the person running the operations. Click to learn the fundamentals of curb appeal.
Well-manicured natural surroundings are substantially appealing to people. These draw us in and make us want to investigate a little bit further. Once a client gets out of the car, they will likely go inside, if the storefront is as crisp as the lawn. Investing in your company’s appearance is a crucial advertising move without which your business can’t see the full potential of its success.
