The Physical Appearance of Your Business
The appearance of a business is important to the perception of quality. Businesses are often highly attentive to detail in advertising, but not in their operational standards, and this creates dissonance between the expectations that have been created and the experiences that customers will ultimately have.
Conforming to Industry Norms
While being "different" is part of a business's value proposition, there are certain industry norms that should be considered. Any deviations from what the customers experience with other businesses in the same category should be carefully planned.
A restaurant should look like a restaurant, and a store like a store. However, it can be more subtle: a store that's "packed" with merchandise is expected to be a discounter, where another where the merchandise is more sparsely displayed is perceived as high end.
Once exception is where customer experience is universally dismal. A laundry that is not shabby, or a dentist whose waiting room is not sterile and unfriendly, may be perceived as a pleasant departure from the expected norm.
The Elements of Quality
Certain elements of quality are discussed: cleanliness, clutter, and aroma. These are more pertinent to the physical world than the online one, so I'll elide them. While visual appearance is important to the Web, oen doesn't have to mop one's Web site often to keep it clean.
Evaluating Your Business's Physical Appearance
The author provides a checklist for businesses to develop a physical appearance that creates trust. It's abbreviated here:
- Outside - signage, display, architecture, and location all create a clear expectation of what's inside
- Inside - Clean and uncluttered, appropriate lighting and aroma, the physical arrangement of merchandise or other effects
- Staff - Well-trained, enthusiastic, and groomed
- Sales materials - Neat, legible, understandable, and complete
- Product - Easy to locate, well marked and labeled