What Will Influence How Your Customers View Your Business Premises

If a business is going to have long-term success, then it needs people to have a favorable impression of the company. This is multi-faceted; that is to say, there are many different things that influence how a person perceives a business. The quality of your service, how much you charge, your branding, and your development will all play a big role. So too will your business premises. This last one is something that many business owners overlook. Some think that their premises are just a place where they conduct work, but this isn’t true — it’s an extension of your company, and it plays a big role in how your customers perceive your business. 

In this blog, we’re going to run through some of the key aspects of your premises that’ll influence what your customers think of your business. Note that these points can apply to all types of business (including shops), though they are generally better suited to offices that receive guests. 

Easy to Find

One of the best ways to build trust with your customers is to have an extensive ‘contact us’ page on your website. If you have a phone number, email address, and social media channels on your site, then they’ll know that you’re the real deal. You should also include your address. It’ll be this that your customers use to find your premises. But it’s worthwhile checking that the address is as clear as it could be. You know exactly how to reach your site, but would someone who just has the address know precisely how to find you? If there’s any confusion, then be sure to include more detailed instructions about how they can find you. It’ll get things off on the right foot; no-one wants to spend more time than necessary driving around, just trying to find the place that they’re trying to reach. Even if your premises are generally easy to find, it’s a good idea to have some signs around the entrance, so that people know they’ve found the right place when they arrive. 

Ample Parking

If people are going to take the time to visit you, then they won’t want to spend more time than necessary trying to find a place to park their car. Of course, it’s not like you’ll have unlimited amounts of land to dedicate to cars. You’ll have to work within your means. For this, you’ll have a couple of options. You could leave a car space free for guests, so there’s always a spot when it’s needed. If that’s not possible (for example, you don’t have parking or only a couple of places), then you should provide information about where the nearest parking is. 

Clean Exterior

It’s important to focus on the interior of your premises (more on that later), but don’t overlook the exterior. This is where the tone will be set for your business. First impressions count! Even if the exterior of your premises aren’t fully “your responsibility,” it’s still wise to spend some time making sure that everything is kept clean and organized. You can’t expect people to have too high an opinion of your business if they’re arriving at a chaotic, unclean site. 

Good Signage

The signs of the business are something else that a lot of companies overlook. If you have your company name over your entrance, then you’ll periodically want to check: are all the letters there? Take a drive around your business district, and you might just be surprised to see how many business signs are missing letters. You’ll notice them straight away, so why don’t the business owners? It’s all because they’re “too close” to their business. They’re there every day, so while they may have noticed when a letter fell initially, they eventually just got used to seeing it that way, to the point where they no longer notice. But of course, people who are seeing it for the first time do notice. So if a letter falls off your sign, or you have an overhanging light that has gone out, or any other small issue, just take care of it. It really will improve the overall look and feel of your premises. 

The Reception Area/Greeting

And now to think about what your customers see when they first walk through your front door. What it is will depend on the type of business you’re running, for example if it’s an office or a store. But regardless of what it is, you’ll want to make sure that they’re greeted by something positive. If you’re running an office, then you should have a high-quality reception area, one with a friendly receptionist, seating area, water cooler, and even hot drinks and snacks, if it’s appropriate. If you’re running a store, then they should be greeted by a friendly member of staff, as well as a display that shows off what your store is all about. 

Watertight Building 

You can dress your premises up well, but if there are underlying weaknesses, then there’ll be an increased chance that your customers and guests have a less-than-impressed view of your company. For example, what would your impression be of a company with a building that had leaking water? It would be acceptable if it was for a day or two, but if it was a long-term issue, then the customer would reasonably begin to have doubts about the company. If you find that you’re having issues with your roof, get in touch with a company that installs tpo roofing; not only will it improve the performance of your roof, but it’ll also reduce your energy costs, too. The infrastructure of your workspace really will have a big influence on how your visitors view your business, so don’t let this be something that you overlook.

Friendly Staff

It doesn’t matter whether your visitors have direct interaction with your employees or not; they’ll be able to pick up on the overall mood of the worksite. If your staff are unhappy, or unpleasant, or anything else, then that’ll be a mark against your business. How could it not be? You can always tell something about a company based on the happiness of the people that work for that company. Of course, you can’t expect your staff to just turn on their happiness just because there’s an outsider at your premises. It’ll be up to you to give them a reason to be happy. There are many different ways to improve the happiness of your staff, including giving them more autonomy, boosting their pay, and improving workplace camaraderie. 

On-Point Branding

Is your office in line with your branding? It should be. If it’s not, your visitors could rightly wonder what the true identity of your company is. Don’t give them any reason to question your authenticity! 

Steady Development

Finally, remember that when you’re running a business, you can’t rest on your laurels, in any respect! While your worksite may look the part right now, it’s not as if it’ll always be that way. In a few years, it may have begun to look a little dated and jaded. Your regular visitors will notice if it feels like you’re never making any improvements. It’s a bit like visiting a restaurant that never receives a new lick of paint: it’s not a strong look. So as you move forward, be sure to make small improvements as and when necessary. It might not be the first thing you’d like to spend your company’s money on, but it’ll come back to you in other ways.