Preparing your business for the tourist season

Summer tourism season is nearly upon us, and just like hopeful teenagers angling for a summer crush, businesses may be thinking about how to increase the chances of attracting the attention of visitors and locals alike. Business managers may be wondering how to present their best business-self to make a good impression. Below are some tips.

• Clean up the proverbial gutters and give everything a good shine. Shining up your business’s physical space will increase the chances it makes a good impression. We’re all judged on our appearances. People make conclusions based on everything they see, hear and smell, both outside and inside your business. Be sure to put a good foot forward! It could be as simple as sweeping the sidewalk and knocking down cobwebs, to more intensive things like repainting, changing furniture, adding ambiance via lighting or putting out flower planters.

• The key to catching the attention of visitors is to be authentic and help your business shine as the best version of itself. For example, if an office supply store has pillars in front, they might overlay images of giant paperclips on the pillars and match the space where one can see through the paperclips to the wall material behind the pillar, so it looks like giant paperclips are holding up the entryway. Be sure to check on local ordinances before getting too far along.

• Clear signage – Make sure what your business does is clear to someone who’s never been to it before. A storefront labeled “Seeds” could be lots of things – bird seeds, local sprouted seeds, garden seeds, a café or restaurant. Announce what you do to take the guesswork out of the process so it’s easy for potential customers to be interested. They’re less likely to come in if they don’t know what you do.

• Window displays and banners – Make them interesting and appealing, and use them as an opportunity to let your business’s products and personality shine.

• Sandwich boards – These are an easy and affordable way to show off your business. Are you having a sale? Say it on the sandwich board. Are you a lifestyle business and want to put up inspirational quotes? Put them on the sandwich board. Do you like the idea of having a joke of the day or week? Sandwich board. Decorate it (or don’t!) any way you’d like. This is a little flag that gives visitors a taste of what your store is like.

• Customer service – People talk. They really like to share when they have a bad experience or when they find something great. Have you touched base with staff to make sure the type of experience you want guests to have when they come in the business is clear? Do staff understand how to facilitate that? It’s powerful to have positive words spread about your business. It’s the best advertising and it’s free! I often call this, ‘How do you ‘Wow’?’ What do you offer that ‘wows’ guests in a way they just have to share with friends and family?

• While we’ve been focusing on brick and mortar, let’s not neglect the internet. When people are looking at visiting an area, or are trying to figure out what to do while they’re in town, often the first place they’ll look is online. This means that if you’re not giving enough attention to your website (and social media if appropriate for the business), then you may be making a less than ideal first impression. A web presence doesn’t have to be a huge investment of time or energy. A little bit can go a long way.

Just like hopeful teens looking to make a good impression on a summer crush, businesses can use these tips to make a good impression on tourists and locals alike.

Asche Rider represents the Small Business Development Center at Western Washington University