How to Add Curb Appeal to Your Small Business

When you operate a physical store, much of your marketing focuses on bringing new customers into your location. If you’re in a busy shopping area, this means you need to find new ways to stand out from the crowd. To do this, you need to get a little creative.

Adding curb appeal to your small business can attract your audience’s attention and convince them to come in to shop around. However, if you go overboard, you may cause your small business to look tacky or even annoying, pushing your ideal customer further away.

Here are seven ways you can improve the outside of your store to attract new business and keep your list of happy customers growing:

1. Keep Your Storefront Clean

While this may not be a marketing tactic, it’s one of the most important steps in encouraging shoppers to come into your store. If you're not cleaning your storefront, you're giving the impression you don't care about your company. If buyers believe you don't care about your business, they're not going to believe you care about them. Instead of purchasing from you, they'll head right to a competitor.

Keeping your storefront clean requires simple tasks like washing your windows, sweeping away any dirt and debris and giving the building a fresh coat of paint when it needs it. Certain items, like garbage and cigarette butts, should be immediately removed if you spot them outside your storefront. Cleaning during the day when shoppers are out shows them you're committed to keeping your business looking sharp, which can improve their perceptions of you.

2. Display Your Branding

Whether your business is big or small, branding is important  to your identity and the connection you establish with your customers and clients. Your logo, colors, signage and other materials are what represent you as a company and help your customers recognize you.

Make sure your outside signage clearly represents your brand. Whether you have your logo in a storefront window or on a sign hanging above your doorway, it should be easy for customers to recognize you. Keep your branding consistent, so your customers know exactly where your storefront is.

3. Purchase a Window Wrap

You want your window space to attract as much attention as possible. However, unless you're an artist able to paint on a captivating design, you may have a hard time creating an image for your window that attracts attention. That’s where a window wrap or window graphic can come into play.

Window graphics are high-quality images that are like giant stickers you place on your window. These decorations are long-lasting but easy to switch out. Whether you choose an image that will stay long-term or one that’s temporary to promote a particular event, window graphics can make shoppers stop and take notice . When they slow down and look at your store, there’s a greater chance they'll step inside.

4. Set Up a Giveaway Table

Everyone loves free stuff. When there’s an opportunity to win something, shoppers all around will stop to see what you're offering. With the right promotion, you can attract new attention and keep customers coming back for more.

Setting up a giveaway table outside your business will make people stop when shopping on your street. However, you want to consider what you're going to give away. While something free can help you attract new business in the short-term, it may not translate into long-term customers. To keep people coming back for more, you want to give away something that will differentiate the freebie-seekers from those who are genuinely interested in your business.

5. Create an Exciting Window Display

Your window is the first thing a shopper will notice about your physical business, which means they'll walk right on by if your window display isn't enticing enough. While you can't expect every customer to stop and look at your display, you at least want the members of your target audience to give it a second glance. That’s why you need to get creative about what you put in your window.

For some stores, putting their most popular products in the window display makes the most sense. This tactic, however, isn't particularly interesting. While this classic approach can still get some results, a bit of creativity will go a long way. If you put something in your window display that grabs people's attention, it will make shoppers want to come in to see what else you have to offer.

6. Make Memorable In-Store Experiences

In-store shopping has changed over the past few years. While many shoppers are getting online to purchase products, they’re looking for something more enticing to bring them into a store. That’s why you need to create a memorable in-store experience to grab their attention and pull them in off the street.

Technology makes it easy for you to create unique in-store experiences for your customers and clients. Try using technology to do everything from sending customers close to your store push notifications to automating the sales process with in-store technology. Consider what your customer may enjoy, then provide them with a unique feature that grabs their attention.

7. Digitize Your Display

When customers are walking down the street, they’re used to seeing display windows filled with things like clothes, products or other items you may sell in the store. While this may be enough to attract some attention, you need a bit more to stand out from the crowd. In that case, you may want to consider digitizing your display.

Adding tech elements to your display window can make your store stand out even more. Include things like TV screens, digital signs and more to bring your store display into this day and age.

For small businesses, the area outside the store is incredibly important. If you're not able to grab the attention of your target audience and convince them to step inside, you won't be able to make new sales.

Consider what your target audience may be looking for when they're out shopping. Knowing what attracts their attention is essential for adding curb appeal to your business. With the right marketing, an inviting exterior and the incorporation of technology, you can continue to draw customers in to check out what products or services you're offering.