Key Takeaways:
Your storefront is a deciding factor as to whether a customer will walk in or continue past the store.
Upgrades can improve curb appeal without needing a full renovation.
Elements like signage and exterior designs build trust and influence purchasing decisions.
Presentation is a powerful branding tool for solo founders, family-owned businesses, and side hustlers.
Although e-commerce has been growing rapidly for years, shoppers still enjoy going to brick-and-mortar businesses. They appreciate talking to people face-to-face, browsing the racks, and actually doing business in-store rather than online. However, physical shops can still do more to entice customers.
If you own a brick-and-mortar store, you should know that customers’ first impressions of your business have a significant impact. The first impression has a direct effect on customer trust, foot traffic, and your ability to be successful long-term. See below for tips on how to improve people’s first impression of your store.
The psychology behind first impressions
First impressions are created very quickly (i.e., within seconds). A first impression of a business, product, or service happens almost instantly. Generally, the way people reach their first impression is through their eyes and emotions, which are then developed using one basic thought: is this worth the time and money?
The amount of time it takes for a person to decide how trustworthy something appears can be in milliseconds. In other words, customers will evaluate aspects of a business (e.g. professionalism, cleanliness, detail orientation) before they even walk into a store.
Various types of initial assessment cues will impact what customers see when evaluating a storefront:
Color and lighting of the exterior
Cleanliness of the exterior and landscaping
Signs and display windows
The layout and design of the storefront
The exterior of a small business can cause hesitation for potential customers, even if the best products and services are offered. If a business owner is competing with well-established brands to get into a market that already has tough competition, the cost of the hesitation will have an impact on the bottom line over time.
Why curb appeal matters more than ever
Retailers today often use the exterior of their buildings as their first introduction to potential customers, before reviews, social media, or word-of-mouth marketing.
Customers in busy downtowns, mixed-use neighborhoods, or revitalized main streets are regularly making decisions about whether to go into a store. Having a welcoming exterior can ultimately lead to someone deciding to enter instead of passing by.
To compete with larger companies, many brick-and-mortar retailers are placing an increased importance on curb appeal as part of their overall business plan, not because it’s a fad, but because it works.
What effective storefronts have in common
Successful storefronts tend to share practical traits. Elements work together to communicate clarity, care, and professionalism before a customer ever steps inside.
Easy-to-read signage
Signs need to be easily understood at a distance and match the appearance of your business. Faded, cluttered, or illegible signs may leave nearby pedestrians confused and feeling like they are in an uncared-for location.
Exterior decoration
Items such as benches, welcome mats, and plants can add visual warmth to an area. In addition to improving the aesthetics of a space, thoughtfully-placed exterior decoration helps direct pedestrian traffic and make the outside of your store appear to be intentionally planned rather than lacking in purpose or design.
Inviting lighting
Using warmer lighting in appropriate sites will create a more inviting atmosphere as well to create a safer location for people who are out early or late. Energy-efficient LED and solar lighting make this easy to accomplish on a budget.
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/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */
Sign Up for The Start Newsletter
(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=’EMAIL’;ftypes[0]=’email’;fnames[1]=’FNAME’;ftypes[1]=’text’;fnames[2]=’LNAME’;ftypes[2]=’text’;fnames[3]=’ADDRESS’;ftypes[3]=’address’;fnames[4]=’PHONE’;ftypes[4]=’phone’;fnames[5]=’MMERGE5′;ftypes[5]=’text’;}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);
// SMS Phone Multi-Country Functionality
if(!window.MC) {
window.MC = {};
}
window.MC.smsPhoneData = {
defaultCountryCode: ‘US’,
programs: [],
smsProgramDataCountryNames: []
};
function getCountryUnicodeFlag(countryCode) {
return countryCode.toUpperCase().replace(/./g, (char) => String.fromCodePoint(char.charCodeAt(0) + 127397))
};
// HTML sanitization function to prevent XSS
function sanitizeHtml(str) {
if (typeof str !== ‘string’) return ”;
return str
.replace(/&/g, ‘&’)
.replace(//g, ‘>’)
.replace(/”/g, ‘"’)
.replace(/’/g, ‘'’)
.replace(/\//g, ‘/’);
}
// URL sanitization function to prevent javascript: and data: URLs
function sanitizeUrl(url) {
if (typeof url !== ‘string’) return ”;
const trimmedUrl = url.trim().toLowerCase();
if (trimmedUrl.startsWith(‘javascript:’) || trimmedUrl.startsWith(‘data:’) || trimmedUrl.startsWith(‘vbscript:’)) {
return ‘#’;
}
return url;
}
const getBrowserLanguage = () => {
if (!window?.navigator?.language?.split(‘-‘)[1]) {
return window?.navigator?.language?.toUpperCase();
}
return window?.navigator?.language?.split(‘-‘)[1];
};
function getDefaultCountryProgram(defaultCountryCode, smsProgramData) {
if (!smsProgramData || smsProgramData.length === 0) {
return null;
}
const browserLanguage = getBrowserLanguage();
if (browserLanguage) {
const foundProgram = smsProgramData.find(
(program) => program?.countryCode === browserLanguage,
);
if (foundProgram) {
return foundProgram;
}
}
if (defaultCountryCode) {
const foundProgram = smsProgramData.find(
(program) => program?.countryCode === defaultCountryCode,
);
if (foundProgram) {
return foundProgram;
}
}
return smsProgramData[0];
}
function updateSmsLegalText(countryCode, fieldName) {
if (!countryCode || !fieldName) {
return;
}
const programs = window?.MC?.smsPhoneData?.programs;
if (!programs || !Array.isArray(programs)) {
return;
}
const program = programs.find(program => program?.countryCode === countryCode);
if (!program || !program.requiredTemplate) {
return;
}
const legalTextElement = document.querySelector(‘#legal-text-‘ + fieldName);
if (!legalTextElement) {
return;
}
// Remove HTML tags and clean up the text
const divRegex = new RegExp(‘]*>’, ‘gi’);
const fullAnchorRegex = new RegExp(‘<a.*?', 'g');
const anchorRegex = new RegExp('(.*?)’);
const template = program.requiredTemplate.replace(divRegex, ”);
legalTextElement.textContent=””;
const parts = template.split(/(.*?)/g);
parts.forEach(function(part) {
if (!part) {
return;
}
const anchorMatch = part.match(/(.*?)/);
if (anchorMatch) {
const linkElement = document.createElement(‘a’);
linkElement.href = sanitizeUrl(anchorMatch[1]);
linkElement.target = sanitizeHtml(anchorMatch[2]);
linkElement.textContent = sanitizeHtml(anchorMatch[3]);
legalTextElement.appendChild(linkElement);
} else {
legalTextElement.appendChild(document.createTextNode(part));
}
});
}
function generateDropdownOptions(smsProgramData) {
if (!smsProgramData || smsProgramData.length === 0) {
return ”;
}
return smsProgramData.map(program => {
const flag = getCountryUnicodeFlag(program.countryCode);
const countryName = getCountryName(program.countryCode);
const callingCode = program.countryCallingCode || ”;
// Sanitize all values to prevent XSS
const sanitizedCountryCode = sanitizeHtml(program.countryCode || ”);
const sanitizedCountryName = sanitizeHtml(countryName || ”);
const sanitizedCallingCode = sanitizeHtml(callingCode || ”);
return ” + sanitizedCountryName + ‘ ‘ + sanitizedCallingCode + ”;
}).join(”);
}
function getCountryName(countryCode) {
if (window.MC?.smsPhoneData?.smsProgramDataCountryNames && Array.isArray(window.MC.smsPhoneData.smsProgramDataCountryNames)) {
for (let i = 0; i < window.MC.smsPhoneData.smsProgramDataCountryNames.length; i++) {
if (window.MC.smsPhoneData.smsProgramDataCountryNames[i].code === countryCode) {
return window.MC.smsPhoneData.smsProgramDataCountryNames[i].name;
}
}
}
return countryCode;
}
function getDefaultPlaceholder(countryCode) {
if (!countryCode || typeof countryCode !== 'string') {
return '+1 000 000 0000'; // Default US placeholder
}
var mockPlaceholders = [
{
countryCode: 'US',
placeholder: '+1 000 000 0000',
helpText: 'Include the US country code +1 before the phone number',
},
{
countryCode: 'GB',
placeholder: '+44 0000 000000',
helpText: 'Include the GB country code +44 before the phone number',
},
{
countryCode: 'CA',
placeholder: '+1 000 000 0000',
helpText: 'Include the CA country code +1 before the phone number',
},
{
countryCode: 'AU',
placeholder: '+61 000 000 000',
helpText: 'Include the AU country code +61 before the phone number',
},
{
countryCode: 'DE',
placeholder: '+49 000 0000000',
helpText: 'Fügen Sie vor der Telefonnummer die DE-Ländervorwahl +49 ein',
},
{
countryCode: 'FR',
placeholder: '+33 0 00 00 00 00',
helpText: 'Incluez le code pays FR +33 avant le numéro de téléphone',
},
{
countryCode: 'ES',
placeholder: '+34 000 000 000',
helpText: 'Incluya el código de país ES +34 antes del número de teléfono',
},
{
countryCode: 'NL',
placeholder: '+31 0 00000000',
helpText: 'Voeg de NL-landcode +31 toe vóór het telefoonnummer',
},
{
countryCode: 'BE',
placeholder: '+32 000 00 00 00',
helpText: 'Incluez le code pays BE +32 avant le numéro de téléphone',
},
{
countryCode: 'CH',
placeholder: '+41 00 000 00 00',
helpText: 'Fügen Sie vor der Telefonnummer die CH-Ländervorwahl +41 ein',
},
{
countryCode: 'AT',
placeholder: '+43 000 000 0000',
helpText: 'Fügen Sie vor der Telefonnummer die AT-Ländervorwahl +43 ein',
},
{
countryCode: 'IE',
placeholder: '+353 00 000 0000',
helpText: 'Include the IE country code +353 before the phone number',
},
{
countryCode: 'IT',
placeholder: '+39 000 000 0000',
helpText: 'Includere il prefisso internazionale IT +39 prima del numero di telefono',
},
];
const selectedPlaceholder = mockPlaceholders.find(function(item) {
return item && item.countryCode === countryCode;
});
return selectedPlaceholder ? selectedPlaceholder.placeholder : mockPlaceholders[0].placeholder;
}
function updatePlaceholder(countryCode, fieldName) {
if (!countryCode || !fieldName) {
return;
}
const phoneInput = document.querySelector('#mce-' + fieldName);
if (!phoneInput) {
return;
}
const placeholder = getDefaultPlaceholder(countryCode);
if (placeholder) {
phoneInput.placeholder = placeholder;
}
}
function updateCountryCodeInstruction(countryCode, fieldName) {
updatePlaceholder(countryCode, fieldName);
}
function getDefaultHelpText(countryCode) {
var mockPlaceholders = [
{
countryCode: 'US',
placeholder: '+1 000 000 0000',
helpText: 'Include the US country code +1 before the phone number',
},
{
countryCode: 'GB',
placeholder: '+44 0000 000000',
helpText: 'Include the GB country code +44 before the phone number',
},
{
countryCode: 'CA',
placeholder: '+1 000 000 0000',
helpText: 'Include the CA country code +1 before the phone number',
},
{
countryCode: 'AU',
placeholder: '+61 000 000 000',
helpText: 'Include the AU country code +61 before the phone number',
},
{
countryCode: 'DE',
placeholder: '+49 000 0000000',
helpText: 'Fügen Sie vor der Telefonnummer die DE-Ländervorwahl +49 ein',
},
{
countryCode: 'FR',
placeholder: '+33 0 00 00 00 00',
helpText: 'Incluez le code pays FR +33 avant le numéro de téléphone',
},
{
countryCode: 'ES',
placeholder: '+34 000 000 000',
helpText: 'Incluya el código de país ES +34 antes del número de teléfono',
},
{
countryCode: 'NL',
placeholder: '+31 0 00000000',
helpText: 'Voeg de NL-landcode +31 toe vóór het telefoonnummer',
},
{
countryCode: 'BE',
placeholder: '+32 000 00 00 00',
helpText: 'Incluez le code pays BE +32 avant le numéro de téléphone',
},
{
countryCode: 'CH',
placeholder: '+41 00 000 00 00',
helpText: 'Fügen Sie vor der Telefonnummer die CH-Ländervorwahl +41 ein',
},
{
countryCode: 'AT',
placeholder: '+43 000 000 0000',
helpText: 'Fügen Sie vor der Telefonnummer die AT-Ländervorwahl +43 ein',
},
{
countryCode: 'IE',
placeholder: '+353 00 000 0000',
helpText: 'Include the IE country code +353 before the phone number',
},
{
countryCode: 'IT',
placeholder: '+39 000 000 0000',
helpText: 'Includere il prefisso internazionale IT +39 prima del numero di telefono',
},
];
if (!countryCode || typeof countryCode !== 'string') {
return mockPlaceholders[0].helpText;
}
const selectedHelpText = mockPlaceholders.find(function(item) {
return item && item.countryCode === countryCode;
});
return selectedHelpText ? selectedHelpText.helpText : mockPlaceholders[0].helpText;
}
function setDefaultHelpText(countryCode) {
const helpTextSpan = document.querySelector('#help-text');
if (!helpTextSpan) {
return;
}
}
function updateHelpTextCountryCode(countryCode, fieldName) {
if (!countryCode || !fieldName) {
return;
}
setDefaultHelpText(countryCode);
}
function initializeSmsPhoneDropdown(fieldName) {
if (!fieldName || typeof fieldName !== 'string') {
return;
}
const dropdown = document.querySelector('#country-select-' + fieldName);
const displayFlag = document.querySelector('#flag-display-' + fieldName);
if (!dropdown || !displayFlag) {
return;
}
const smsPhoneData = window.MC?.smsPhoneData;
if (smsPhoneData && smsPhoneData.programs && Array.isArray(smsPhoneData.programs)) {
dropdown.innerHTML = generateDropdownOptions(smsPhoneData.programs);
}
const defaultProgram = getDefaultCountryProgram(smsPhoneData?.defaultCountryCode, smsPhoneData?.programs);
if (defaultProgram && defaultProgram.countryCode) {
dropdown.value = defaultProgram.countryCode;
const flagSpan = displayFlag?.querySelector('#flag-emoji-' + fieldName);
if (flagSpan) {
flagSpan.textContent = getCountryUnicodeFlag(defaultProgram.countryCode);
flagSpan.setAttribute('aria-label', sanitizeHtml(defaultProgram.countryCode) + ' flag');
}
updateSmsLegalText(defaultProgram.countryCode, fieldName);
updatePlaceholder(defaultProgram.countryCode, fieldName);
updateCountryCodeInstruction(defaultProgram.countryCode, fieldName);
}
var smsNotRequiredRemoveCountryCodeEnabled = true;
var smsField = Object.values({"EMAIL":{"name":"EMAIL","label":"Email Address","helper_text":"","type":"email","required":true,"audience_field_name":"Email Address","merge_id":0,"help_text_enabled":false,"enabled":true,"order":"0","field_type":"merge"},"FNAME":{"name":"FNAME","label":"First Name","helper_text":"","type":"text","required":false,"audience_field_name":"First Name","enabled":false,"order":null,"field_type":"merge","merge_id":1},"LNAME":{"name":"LNAME","label":"Last Name","helper_text":"","type":"text","required":false,"audience_field_name":"Last 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Barbuda","176":"Anguilla","178":"American Samoa","179":"Aruba","180":"Brunei Darussalam","181":"Bouvet Island","183":"Cook Islands","185":"Christmas Island","187":"Dominican Republic","188":"Western Sahara","189":"Falkland Islands","191":"Faroe Islands","192":"Grenada","193":"French Guiana","194":"Gibraltar","195":"Greenland","196":"Guadeloupe","198":"Guatemala","200":"Haiti","202":"Jamaica","203":"Kiribati","204":"Comoros","205":"Saint Kitts and Nevis","206":"Saint Lucia","207":"Marshall Islands","208":"Macau","210":"Martinique","212":"Mauritius","213":"New Caledonia","214":"Norfolk Island","215":"Nauru","217":"Niue","219":"Papua New Guinea","221":"Pitcairn","222":"Palau","223":"Solomon Islands","225":"Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands","227":"San Marino","232":"Tonga","233":"Timor-Leste","234":"Trinidad and Tobago","235":"Tuvalu","237":"Saint Vincent and the Grenadines","238":"Virgin Islands (U.S.)","239":"Vanuatu","241":"Mayotte","242":"Myanmar","255":"Sao Tome and 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Pitch","helper_text":"","type":"text","required":false,"audience_field_name":"Contributor Pitch","enabled":false,"order":null,"field_type":"merge","merge_id":5}}).find(function(f) { return f.name === fieldName && f.type === 'smsphone'; });
var isRequired = smsField ? smsField.required : false;
var shouldAppendCountryCode = smsNotRequiredRemoveCountryCodeEnabled ? isRequired : true;
var phoneInput = document.querySelector('#mce-' + fieldName);
if (phoneInput && defaultProgram.countryCallingCode && shouldAppendCountryCode) {
phoneInput.value = defaultProgram.countryCallingCode;
}
displayFlag?.addEventListener('click', function(e) {
dropdown.focus();
});
dropdown?.addEventListener('change', function() {
const selectedCountry = this.value;
if (!selectedCountry || typeof selectedCountry !== 'string') {
return;
}
const flagSpan = displayFlag?.querySelector('#flag-emoji-' + fieldName);
if (flagSpan) {
flagSpan.textContent = getCountryUnicodeFlag(selectedCountry);
flagSpan.setAttribute('aria-label', sanitizeHtml(selectedCountry) + ' flag');
}
const selectedProgram = window.MC?.smsPhoneData?.programs.find(function(program) {
return program && program.countryCode === selectedCountry;
});
var smsNotRequiredRemoveCountryCodeEnabled = true;
var smsField = Object.values({"EMAIL":{"name":"EMAIL","label":"Email Address","helper_text":"","type":"email","required":true,"audience_field_name":"Email Address","merge_id":0,"help_text_enabled":false,"enabled":true,"order":"0","field_type":"merge"},"FNAME":{"name":"FNAME","label":"First Name","helper_text":"","type":"text","required":false,"audience_field_name":"First Name","enabled":false,"order":null,"field_type":"merge","merge_id":1},"LNAME":{"name":"LNAME","label":"Last Name","helper_text":"","type":"text","required":false,"audience_field_name":"Last Name","enabled":false,"order":null,"field_type":"merge","merge_id":2},"ADDRESS":{"name":"ADDRESS","label":"Address","helper_text":"","type":"address","required":false,"audience_field_name":"Address","enabled":false,"order":null,"field_type":"merge","merge_id":3,"countries":{"2":"Albania","3":"Algeria","4":"Andorra","5":"Angola","6":"Argentina","7":"Armenia","8":"Australia","9":"Austria","10":"Azerbaijan","11":"Bahamas","12":"Bahrain","13":"Bangladesh","14":"Barbados","15":"Belarus","16":"Belgium","17":"Belize","18":"Benin","19":"Bermuda","20":"Bhutan","21":"Bolivia","22":"Bosnia and Herzegovina","23":"Botswana","24":"Brazil","25":"Bulgaria","26":"Burkina Faso","27":"Burundi","28":"Cambodia","29":"Cameroon","30":"Canada","31":"Cape Verde","32":"Cayman Islands","33":"Central African Republic","34":"Chad","35":"Chile","36":"China","37":"Colombia","38":"Congo","40":"Croatia","41":"Cyprus","42":"Czech Republic","43":"Denmark","44":"Djibouti","45":"Ecuador","46":"Egypt","47":"El Salvador","48":"Equatorial Guinea","49":"Eritrea","50":"Estonia","51":"Ethiopia","52":"Fiji","53":"Finland","54":"France","56":"Gabon","57":"Gambia","58":"Georgia","59":"Germany","60":"Ghana","61":"Greece","62":"Guam","63":"Guinea","64":"Guinea-Bissau","65":"Guyana","66":"Honduras","67":"Hong Kong","68":"Hungary","69":"Iceland","70":"India","71":"Indonesia","74":"Ireland","75":"Israel","76":"Italy","78":"Japan","79":"Jordan","80":"Kazakhstan","81":"Kenya","82":"Kuwait","83":"Kyrgyzstan","84":"Lao People's Democratic Republic","85":"Latvia","86":"Lebanon","87":"Lesotho","88":"Liberia","90":"Liechtenstein","91":"Lithuania","92":"Luxembourg","93":"Macedonia","94":"Madagascar","95":"Malawi","96":"Malaysia","97":"Maldives","98":"Mali","99":"Malta","100":"Mauritania","101":"Mexico","102":"Moldova","103":"Monaco","104":"Mongolia","105":"Morocco","106":"Mozambique","107":"Namibia","108":"Nepal","109":"Netherlands","110":"Netherlands Antilles","111":"New Zealand","112":"Nicaragua","113":"Niger","114":"Nigeria","116":"Norway","117":"Oman","118":"Pakistan","119":"Panama","120":"Paraguay","121":"Peru","122":"Philippines","123":"Poland","124":"Portugal","126":"Qatar","127":"Reunion","128":"Romania","129":"Russia","130":"Rwanda","132":"Samoa (Independent)","133":"Saudi Arabia","134":"Senegal","135":"Seychelles","136":"Sierra Leone","137":"Singapore","138":"Slovakia","139":"Slovenia","140":"Somalia","141":"South Africa","142":"South Korea","143":"Spain","144":"Sri Lanka","146":"Suriname","147":"Swaziland","148":"Sweden","149":"Switzerland","152":"Taiwan","153":"Tanzania","154":"Thailand","155":"Togo","156":"Tunisia","157":"Turkiye","158":"Turkmenistan","159":"Uganda","161":"Ukraine","162":"United Arab Emirates","163":"Uruguay","164":"USA","165":"Uzbekistan","166":"Vatican City State (Holy See)","167":"Venezuela","168":"Vietnam","169":"Virgin Islands (British)","170":"Yemen","173":"Zambia","174":"Zimbabwe","175":"Antigua And Barbuda","176":"Anguilla","178":"American Samoa","179":"Aruba","180":"Brunei Darussalam","181":"Bouvet Island","183":"Cook Islands","185":"Christmas Island","187":"Dominican Republic","188":"Western Sahara","189":"Falkland Islands","191":"Faroe Islands","192":"Grenada","193":"French Guiana","194":"Gibraltar","195":"Greenland","196":"Guadeloupe","198":"Guatemala","200":"Haiti","202":"Jamaica","203":"Kiribati","204":"Comoros","205":"Saint Kitts and Nevis","206":"Saint Lucia","207":"Marshall Islands","208":"Macau","210":"Martinique","212":"Mauritius","213":"New Caledonia","214":"Norfolk Island","215":"Nauru","217":"Niue","219":"Papua New Guinea","221":"Pitcairn","222":"Palau","223":"Solomon Islands","225":"Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands","227":"San Marino","232":"Tonga","233":"Timor-Leste","234":"Trinidad and Tobago","235":"Tuvalu","237":"Saint Vincent and the Grenadines","238":"Virgin Islands (U.S.)","239":"Vanuatu","241":"Mayotte","242":"Myanmar","255":"Sao Tome and Principe","257":"South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands","260":"Tajikistan","262":"United Kingdom","268":"Costa Rica","270":"Guernsey","272":"North Korea","274":"Afghanistan","275":"Cote D'Ivoire","276":"Cuba","277":"French Polynesia","278":"Iran","279":"Iraq","281":"Libya","282":"Palestine","285":"Syria","286":"Aaland Islands","287":"Turks & Caicos Islands","288":"Jersey (Channel Islands)","289":"Dominica","290":"Montenegro","293":"Sudan","294":"Montserrat","298":"Curacao","302":"Sint Maarten","311":"South Sudan","315":"Republic of Kosovo","318":"Congo, Democratic Republic of the","323":"Isle of Man","324":"Saint Martin","325":"Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba","326":"Serbia"},"defaultcountry":164},"PHONE":{"name":"PHONE","label":"Phone Number","helper_text":"","type":"phone","required":false,"audience_field_name":"Phone Number","phoneformat":"","enabled":false,"order":null,"field_type":"merge","merge_id":4},"MMERGE5":{"name":"MMERGE5","label":"Contributor Pitch","helper_text":"","type":"text","required":false,"audience_field_name":"Contributor Pitch","enabled":false,"order":null,"field_type":"merge","merge_id":5}}).find(function(f) { return f.name === fieldName && f.type === 'smsphone'; });
var isRequired = smsField ? smsField.required : false;
var shouldAppendCountryCode = smsNotRequiredRemoveCountryCodeEnabled ? isRequired : true;
var phoneInput = document.querySelector('#mce-' + fieldName);
if (phoneInput && selectedProgram.countryCallingCode && shouldAppendCountryCode) {
phoneInput.value = selectedProgram.countryCallingCode;
}
updateSmsLegalText(selectedCountry, fieldName);
updatePlaceholder(selectedCountry, fieldName);
updateCountryCodeInstruction(selectedCountry, fieldName);
});
}
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
const smsPhoneFields = document.querySelectorAll('[id^="country-select-"]');
smsPhoneFields.forEach(function(dropdown) {
const fieldName = dropdown?.id.replace('country-select-', '');
initializeSmsPhoneDropdown(fieldName);
});
});
Why presentation matters for small business branding
For side hustlers and small businesses with brick-and-mortar stores, making a good first impression is even more important than it is for established businesses. Without years of brand awareness, people will rely heavily on what they see.
Photo by Patrik Michalicka on Unsplash
Consistent visual cues can help you build trust and recognition. When customers see your store, your front door, or windows for the first time, that customer experiences your brand.
That is when your branding starts.
Consider these questions:
What does my storefront say about my brand values?
Would this be appealing to me if I were a new customer?
Is my exterior consistent with the quality of items I offer inside?
When businesses have limited resources, presentation is often perceived as a low priority. However, for many small businesses, presentation is a highly affordable way for you to distinguish yourself from competitors.
Small changes that can make a big difference
These simple upgrades won’t cost a lot of money or time, but will make a huge impact:
A board sign in front of your business to promote daily specials and/or services.
Low-maintenance plants to provide greenery at your front entrance.
New, energy-efficient lighting instead of harsh lights that create a cold atmosphere.
A fresh coat of paint on your front door using a brand-appropriate accent color.
Completing tasks such as decluttering your entrance or making your windows more visible can also greatly enhance how friendly/accessible your business appears to potential shoppers.
For smaller, family-owned businesses and single entrepreneurs, changes such as these are achievable and effective.
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What today’s consumers are looking for
These days, people are likely to be extremely particular when it comes to choosing what they want to purchase. In addition to the convenience factor, they’re also inclined to choose businesses that have:
A safe and clean environment
An image that reflects the personality and values of the community
Made an effort to create a brand that is consistent with who they are.
Proof of how visual branding plays a key role in generating customer-driven buzz can be seen in consumers taking pictures, posting their experiences online, and recommending businesses to their friends once they find an attractive or inviting retail environment. In essence, your storefront can become a form of organic local marketing.
Final thoughts
If you think about how many people have walked past your storefront recently, all of them are potential clients. Your exterior is your first chance to visually demonstrate “trust,” “quality,” and “care” without having to say anything.
With people’s attention spans so short and with so much competition everywhere, brick-and-mortar businesses need to put in extra effort to stand out from the crowd. The good news is that even small, intentional improvements can make a significant difference in a business’ success.
Ultimately, when a business presents itself thoughtfully, customers will notice, and they will not only enter your business, but they’ll return because something in your business resonated with them.
Photo by Tem Rysh on Unsplash
The post Why First Impressions Matter More Than Ever for Brick-and-Mortar Businesses appeared first on StartupNation.
