Five Steps to Improve the Image of Your Store

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A passerby's first impression of your store is an important part of increasing foot traffic to your business. 

If you are in need of a few ideas to help you improve the image of your business and to make your storefront really stand out, take a look at the five steps below. 

Freshen Things Up

Take a notepad, and walk into the parking lot of your store, looking at it as if you have never seen it before. With fresh eyes, imagine you are a new customer seeing it for the first time. Write down any items you notice can be improved. See if the sidewalk is cracked, if any paint is chipping, if lights are burnt out, if your awning and signs are in good condition and if it is truly a good representation of your brand. Also consider if there are any renovations you can make to the exterior of your stores, such as replacing broken windows, adding siding, pressure washing or repainting.

Invest In Signage

If your store is in a complex, you may have restrictions on the type of signage you are allowed to post. 

Some cities even have restrictions about the types of signage they allow businesses to hang. Check with your complex and/or city to learn what you are allowed, and invest in outdoor signage that will alert more people to your products and services. This could be done by replacing your current signs, adding lighted window signs, sidewalk signs, posters or banners.

Make a Daily, Weekly and Monthly Checklist

To keep the interior and exterior of your store looking fresh, new and inviting, make a checklist of items that need to be taken care of on a daily basis. This could be anything from sweeping in front of your store to picking up trash, maintaining trash receptacles, wiping down windows, detailing door jams and cleaning all surfaces inside your store from top to bottom. By creating a checklist of these items, you can tackle tasks in bite-sized portions, instead of waiting until they have spiraled out of control.

Add a Pop of Color

Even if your store in fairly mainstream or conservative, find ways to add pops of color that will make your storefront stand out. To make a color pop, you do not have to make color choices that are bright and bold. Instead, opt for color choices that are on opposite sides of the color wheel, such as black and white or blue and yellow. You could even consider redoing your store logo or changing the colors in your logo so they stand out more.

Window Displays

If your storefront has room to create a window display, use the items in your windows to attract customers. If setting up window displays is not your strong suit, hire a professional interior designer or window designer to switch out your window displays ever four-to-six weeks. You want to keep your windows fresh and new, so keep your display materials but find ways to remix them to create new displays. If you do not have room to create a window display, install indoor banners, signs or window decals to attract more attention to your store.

As a store owner or manager, it is easy to miss the opportunities to improve your storefront, because you get so accustomed to looking at it each day. You can use the ideas above to freshen up your appearance and call attention to your store to entice more walk-ins and foot traffic.

*by andreascy*

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