At least once a week or so I love getting out to work at a local hometown coffee shop. It really is a beautiful setting. The shop is right on the lake with a porch for working right in nature on sunny days. It’s nicely designed with every detail from coffee art on the walls, a fancy magazine rack on the wall, comfy chairs next to little fireplaces, marble tops and modern chairs in the table and chair section. They also have great coffee, drinks and delicious treats!
All that in itself is impressive but I think I’ve become accustomed to it. Today I was even more impressed when I went to the ladies room and found this:
It’s just the prettiest little washroom I’ve ever seen at a local business. The picture doesn’t really do it justice, it’s very cute and very clean. To me it shows that the owners take care in the little details. The creativity needed to put this together this didn’t come from someone with short-term profits in mind – it came from a long-term investment in their business and branding.
Ok, are you now wondering – “Yea, great Angela, nice washroom! Who cares?!”
Well I do. The customer. I like a business who things about things that I may or may not see, about the overall and complete customer experience.
How can you do this in online business? How can you pretty up your washroom online? Well here are just a few ideas:
- Pretty up your emails – Whether you use HTML or text emails you can take care in crafting a message that is easy to read and is also infused with personality. You can use *** or ^^ or
or any combinations you like to spruce things up a little. - 404 Error Pages – I’m totally guilty of this one. Sometimes people won’t find what they’re looking for on your site and they’ll end up at an ugly 404 error page. Have your website designer or DIY if you know how and create a warm, inviting reception for those who’ve lost their way!
- Shopping Cart Consistency – Is your shopping cart a messy jumble? Make sure there is a smooth transition from prospect to customer.
- Product Delivery – Are you still showing you care after they pay? Take a look at your product deliver and ask yourself how smooth it is. Is it super-simple for the customer to get what they’ve purchased? Have a few people do test sales for you if you are unsure.
I just think it’s a wonderful lesson in how much it shows when you take care and put the love into your business!
p.s. Now I couldn’t leave this post without telling you where to find this awesome little coffee shop. It’s called Black River Coffee and it’s located on High Street in Sutton, Ontario. Be sure to check them out and if you do tell them you found them via my blog And if you’ve got to go to the ladies room you know it’s all good (men – I’m sure the men’s washroom is just as cool)
As always, a brilliant analogy and demonstration of how attention to detail is always part of a great marketing strategy!
Way to go with the insights and sharing.
.-= Patrysha´s last blog ..Episode Four Script for Coffee Time Marketing =-.
Twitter: AngelaWills
says:
Thanks Patrysha, I was so impressed with that washroom I just had to tell someone – lol.
I also like the analogy Angela.
And here’s the flip side. If the bathroom is really scuzzy and gross at a coffee shop, I’m less likely to visit that coffee shop. If there’s some aspect of your website or business that turns potential customers off, you’ll lose sales.
Starbucks usually has clean bathrooms…
.-= John Soares´s last blog ..DoFollow Blog Comments: Google’s Matt Cutts Explains… =-.
Twitter: AngelaWills
says:
Yes that’s so true. There are definitely restaurants I would never go to again because their washrooms are gross.
I remember finding a site one time that was all about the nicest restaurant wathrooms and listed restaurants by the quality of their washrooms. It’s just that important.
And like you said with online business too – if the backend area is a disaster then customers are not likely to return. The goal here is to get AND keep customers. That’s why it’s also really important for affiliate marketers to also BUY the products they promote – so they can see what the customer sees.
Reminds me of a coffee shop in my hometown (which sadly I don’t get to visit much even when I’m home). It’s washroom is nice, but the main feature is that on the wall facing the toilet they’ve painted the words “Carpe Diem! Seize the Day!” I always loved that.
But anyway. I think that shopping carts and checkout systems are hugely underrated in terms of their importance to the sales process. High percentages of people who leave items in a shopping cart without buying or don’t finish the checkout are often symptoms of a confusing or frustrating process. Don’t lose a sale by confusing your prospect!
.-= Marek´s last blog ..Does Your Blog Have a BIG Idea? =-.