When designing an office space, your mind will probably head in the direction of increasing productivity and creating an ergonomic workspace. What about the clients and customers that walk through your doors every single day? It’s important to take note of how your design will affect them as well. You want to create a welcoming environment that a client will want to return to, as well as make your company look as professional and welcoming as possible. The good news is that it doesn’t take a lot of effort to achieve this kind of look. A few décor changes here and there are all that’s necessary to overhaul the look of your office positively.

Start with a greeting

There are few things as awkward as walking into an office and then wandering about, looking for someone to talk to. Not having anyone to talk to customers as they enter is a big mistake that many businesses make. It leaves customers feeling awkward or too forward with their requests, and it makes the company look unprofessional.

Someone should be ready to welcome customers as they step inside the office. If you have a dedicated worker or secretary that is assigned to this job, make sure that they are located close to the entrance. This way, customers won’t feel lost when they enter the establishment, and they’ll be able to quickly find out any crucial information that they need.

Offer basic commodities

Giving customers a place to sit is the bare minimum of hospitality that you can provide, and it’s not nearly enough to impress people. Going the extra mile to increase a customer’s comfort while they wait for a meeting or appointment will improve their opinion of your business significantly. This is especially important if a meeting lasts a long while, and the customer can expect to wait sometime.

Some things you should offer customers include fresh water and a fresh cup of coffee. Coupled with comfortable seating, you can make it easier for them to get through a long appointment. Both employees and clients would also enjoy having a TV in the waiting room.

If you often work with clients that have kids, like if you run a pediatrician’s office, you might want to set up some entertainment for the children while their parents are busy. This way, you can help keep the office a bit less noisy and also make it more convenient for clients to come in with their kids.

Bring a little nature inside

One of the best ways to improve the overall feel of your office is to introduce some natural elements, such as greenery. A few plants here and there can make your workspace much livelier and more comfortable, especially for clients and customers. Looking at the natural hues of plants relaxes and soothes people.

Plants are also known for reducing stress levels, which is a fact that can benefit both employees and clients if you add a few plants around the office. Snake plants and succulents are considered good choices for many office spaces. They don’t require a lot of maintenance, especially if we’re talking about succulents. You can water them sparsely and they’ll stay just as gorgeous and healthy. Plus, clients love seeing green office spaces that are filled with gorgeous, succulent plants.

Improve your branding

While advertising your brand may not seem like it’s relevant to welcoming clients, you’d be surprised at how well it’s received by customers. People have a subconscious attraction to good branding, especially when it involves a business that they like. A cohesive branding strategy helps establish your business, which makes it easier for customers to trust your work.

Some small touches can make all the difference when building client trust. If you use branded pens, notebooks, and lighters, you can leave a good subconscious impression on a client when you give them a complimentary promotional item. Every time they use them, they’ll think of the quality service that you provide, which will motivate them to come back a bit more.

You should also consider using your office space as a background for some good old-fashioned advertising in some cases. Branded banners and media walls have become the go-to choice for businesses that want to stand out. They can be used to enrich the overall design of your office or create an interesting exhibition at a trade show or meeting. Fabric logo walls have long been a staple of well-designed branding, and clients react well to them.

Keep things tidy

It should go without saying that your office has to be clean for your clients. There’s nothing more unprofessional than leaving your workplace in a perpetual messy state. It’s something that clients hate to see, and they’re much less likely to return to your business if this is the case.

Many businesses only take care of the visible spots where clients spend most of their time, even though that’s not an effective way to keep up appearances. What if a client or business partner runs into areas of your office that aren’t kept clean regularly? They won’t take into account the clean spaces that, as they’ll only remember the mess they’ve seen.  It’s going to look incredibly unprofessional.

It’s recommended that you hire an individual to organize and take care of the cleaning regularly. They can take the time to figure out a thorough cleaning plan and how to maintain the office’s cleanliness.

Conclusion

There are plenty of ways to upgrade your office and make the design more customer-friendly. If you set up some banner walls, add a comfortable chair or two, and hand out a few cups of coffee, you can pretty much guarantee that customers will have a better opinion of your brand and business. More importantly, they’ll be more willing to purchase products and enlist your services whenever they need them instead of turning to competitors. You can use this opportunity to introduce changes that will create a strong sense of branding in your business and attract prospective customers with relative ease. Apply some of the above principles and you’ll find that it isn’t that difficult of a task.