You’ve designed your storefront to make it more enticing. When people pass by your brick-and-mortar shop, they are tempted to walk into your store and check out what’s inside. You’ve done half of your job when it comes to boosting traffic to your store. The other half will depend on how you’ve designed your shop’s interior.
Remember that while the storefront is your come-on, your shop’s interior is your please stay. And you want your customers to stay as long as possible. Or at least stay until they’ve decided to purchase something. Otherwise, the number of people you effectively tempted to check out your wares won’t matter. They should leave your shop carrying a bag with your brand. That’s customer conversion for you.
Update product display
You need your products to shine. They won’t if you have ugly display cases in your guns store, for instance. Your display apparatus should complement what you’re selling. And it’s not all about aesthetics too. Your display cases should also allow easy access for when you’re staff needs to pull out something from it. You cannot keep your customers waiting longer than necessary.
Display as needed
The magic number when it comes to how much product you should put on display is still up in the air. And the subject can be a little confusing too. Too much product on display is believed to increase sales. Meanwhile, reducing the products on display increases customer satisfaction. This is where your knowledge about your customer base comes in. Know what your customers prefer and adjust accordingly.
Layout with right side rule in mind
When people walk into a shop, they typically go to the right side first. This is why the right-side rule should inform your store layout. You can use it to strategically display your products. You can place products on sale or clearance along the right side area of your shop to ensure that customers see them first. However, this should not limit your floor plan strategy. Explore layouts at your disposal including straight floor plan, loop plan, angular floor plan, and geometric floor plan.
Clean as you go
In restaurants, staff members follow the clean-as-you-go rule. This is something you can implement even if you’re not serving food. The minute a group of customers walks out of your shop, your staff should retrace those customers’ steps and fix what needs fixing. This way cleanliness becomes part of your shop’s culture.
Light it up
Customers don’t want to walk into a shop that makes them feel like they’re in a horror movie. Unless you’re a horror-themed shop. Light up your store appropriately. Do not settle with the usual bulbs. Spice it up with hanging lighting fixtures and floor lamps. Your options run the gamut.
Repaint
This is probably the cheapest makeover you can do for your shop. Afterward, your interior will look completely different. Make sure you choose a color that matches your branding. You do not want to confuse your customers, especially your most loyal client base.
Declutter
You want your customers to be able to move freely inside your shop. If they feel constricted in some way, they might run to the exit before seeing your interesting offers. So remove everything of no practical value and take them to the back lot. For example, outdated marketing collateral. Or shelves that are no longer used. Or better yet, donate them to charity.
Mind the temp
Your shop should be cool, figuratively and literally. For the latter, keeping the temp precise is important. The ideal store temp is between 68 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit (ca. 24 °C). That’s neither hot nor cold. Your customers will more likely enjoy browsing through your product displays. If you have nice music playing in the background, that’ll add to the shop’s feel-good ambiance too. So get yourself an excellent playlist as well. Spotify has ready-made playlists for you.
Your customers should feel comfortable in your shop. If they feel ill at ease, they won’t stay. Yes, that is even if you have the nicest stuff on display. Consider your shop’s interior as your brand’s home and you want your guests to feel welcome. Once they feel welcome enough, they’ll want to take something from your home for when they leave.
Improving your shop’s interior does not have to cost an arm and a leg. You can do it by doing minor adjustments that result in major outcomes. Consider the recommendations on this list. They won’t require too much capital, but they’ll go a long way in terms of upgrading your space.
