The inside of your store can tell an awful lot about your business.
A store that looks organized and clean likely has many visitors. If it is dirty and stuff is scattered all over the place, you probably do not have a mad rush of clientele wanting to come in to buy products.
That said when was the last time you did a “spot-check” of your business, looking to see if it is clean and organized, not to mention being appealing to the masses?
While your products and prices are oftentimes what make for sales, you’d better have a decent looking environment for patrons to step foot in.
Environment Matters Too
So that you can be sure your workplace environment will be as appealing as possible to consumers, make sure to keep these tips in mind:
- Setting – Are you in a safe and clean neighborhood? While some shoppers will go to all lengths to get the products and/or services they need, others will not venture into stores and/or locales they deem unsafe. Even though you may not be able to do much about the location you are in (other than keep it as nice as possible, plus complain to city or town officials), you do have control over the inside of your business. Always do your best to make the inside of the store welcoming, meaning bright lighting, clean floor, well-stocked shelves (see more below) and more;
- Shelves – When patrons enter your place of business, they expect your shelves to be plentiful. Sure, there may be some days due to major weather issues etc. where the shelves are quite frankly on the thin side. Most customers will understand that some circumstances are out of your immediate control. For the majority of the rest of time, however, there are no excuses for half-stocked shelves. It is also important to make sure that your aisles are neatly aligned, the shelves accessible, and no potential hazard areas where a patron or patrons could injure themselves. By using M Fried Store Fixtures or similar offerings, you can be sure your store will get nice reviews from customers;
- Displays – Having the room for displays in your store is a bonus too. If you have certain items that are on sale, display them separately from regular products. This will allow the cheaper merchandise to stand out from the rest of your goods. If you have room in the front of your store or even outside, items for sale will catch the eyes of most shoppers passing by or entering the business. The one thing to always avoid is stuffing the sale items in some corner in the back, an area where they will get little or no exposure;
- Socialize – Another important piece of the puzzle is making sure you promote your store on social media as often as possible. One of the ways to go about this is by utilizing YouTube. Showing a short video about your store, highlighting the goods and services you offer, is sure to gain the interest of some consumers. It doesn’t hurt to have some of your employees in the video/s too. Viewers like seeing other people (especially happy employees) in such videos. Show the interior of your store, what you have to offer, and why shoppers love coming there;
- Service – Lastly, demonstrate the high level of customer service that your employees offer anyone setting foot in the store. Yes, some businesses go overboard with service, but they are typically few and far between. Others will actually be lacking in the service department at times, leaving shoppers to wander around aimlessly looking for what they need. When you provide the right amount of service, your business and your customers stand to be the prime beneficiaries.
Running a store takes lots of time and effort.
That said having a store that is both cosmetically appealing and offers the best in products and services is all but a proven winner.
If your store needs some fixing moving forward, don’t put those plans on the shelf.
Start working today to make more sales tomorrow.
About the Author: Dave Thomas covers small business topics on the web.