Is Curb Appeal for Your Business Important?

Catching the eyes of passersby can make a big difference over the lifetime of your business. Appearance isn’t everything, but it certainly creates first impressions. Exterior wall lights or outdoor pendant lighting can help craft a welcoming ambiance and draw customers in from the curb. Let’s take a look at the huge difference curb appeal can make and how you can increase the curb appeal of your establishment. 

What is curb appeal? 

Curb appeal is a shorthand way of describing the attractiveness of a business, store or home’s exterior when viewed from the street or curb. It’s the first impression someone gets as they walk or drive by, the feeling of welcome or the recoil that they instantaneously sense. Curb appeal includes common-sense items like accessibility and cleanliness, but also extends to taste and aesthetic.  

This curb appeal can make a massive difference in the number of people drawn to your business. If more people feel welcomed, more people will probably make it through the doors. If your business doesn’t catch the eyes of passersby, they might not even know it exists. 

Curb appeal isn’t a black-and-white binary topic, however. A business isn’t appealing or unappealing. When crafting your curb appeal, it’s critical to appeal most to your target audience. Do you run a bar frequented by 20-somethings? Or do you run a spa in a neighborhood filled with retirees? Are you on a busy street and trying to stand out? These are all crucial questions to consider. 

Curb appeal sets the tone for you and your customers

Curb appeal determines who is drawn to your business. It sets the tone for your business, your customers, your interactions and, ultimately, your sales. 

Before you decide to change the entire outdoor look of your business, consider where you’re located. If you’re on a busy street, are your primary hours of operation during daylight, or are they at night? Do you want to set the tone with eye-catching exterior wall lights that light up the street, or are you looking for outdoor pendant lighting that makes a daytime patio much more appealing? 

The appeal of exterior wall lights 

Exterior wall lights can boost the curb appeal of a variety of business establishments, from an office to a spa, restaurant to a cafe. While they’re more necessary for places that do more of their business at night, having the lights on—and having beautiful lights on—signals to passersby that you’re open and welcoming customers. 

Let’s look at different types of exterior wall lights and how they might help boost the curb appeal of your business. 

• For a post-modern, trendy or professional vibe, choose a sleek, simple light fixture. Opt for black, silver or a neutral color. This is useful for a business or an upscale nightclub or bar. 
• For a romantic atmosphere, choose nostalgic light fixtures with a more transitional or European aesthetic. This is perfect for a restaurant that targets couples and dates but is also useful for spas and daytime lunch date spots. 

If you’re looking for a wall light to illuminate a menu or hours of operation, choose especially carefully. Since it will be lighting up one of the most important components of exterior advertising, it contributes to the first impression your business creates. 

Landscape lighting: crafting your environment

Do you have a porch area or an outdoor portion of your restaurant or business? If so, landscape lighting can help you build your own beautiful world. As another type of exterior light, they can add a sense of welcome to your business. Lighting the steps leading up to your business doors or flanking your entryway with post lights can attract some positive attention. Here are some more ideas. 

Outdoor post lights

Give your building a taste of old-world class. Choose your base, post and light fixture individually to craft your unique look or go a little more traditional. Either way, outdoor post lights help your business look and feel incredibly welcoming. Situate your wall lights near signs to draw more attention to branding. 

Step lights

Step lights not only help keep your customers and employees safe by lighting their way, but they turn an everyday architectural feature into an eye-catching pathway. 

Path lights

Gently light up a path or walkway in your patio seating area to draw attention away from the sidewalk and towards your business.

Remember, wall lights are not your only option. You can also make your business more appealing by lighting up the surrounding landscape or by illuminating the patios or paths in the area. 

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Outdoor pendant lighting

Say you’ve already installed wall lights and landscaping step lights, but you feel your business still lacks a bit of character? 

Consider the number of options posed by outdoor pendant lighting. Outdoor pendant lighting comes in several forms and different kinds of aesthetics. It adds some three-dimensional depth to your business by interrupting the simple opposition of foreground and background, with lighting usually coming from above or behind, and offers new light sources from different angles. This creates a strong element of unique visual interest. 

These chain-hung pendants come in different lengths, sizes and styles. Stainless steel light fixtures can add a modern-industrial vibe, whereas pendant lights with a mix of iron, copper elements and beautifully imperfect glass lends more of an idyllic, old-world feel to your building. 

Whichever style you choose, outdoor pendant lighting can help fill in empty spaces and turn an everyday item—lighting—into an artistic statement that draws eyes, welcomes customers and leaves a mark in the minds of the people who visited. 

Signs

Signs are important. They tell people who you are. Up your branding game by making sure you have beautiful, unique signs that let people read your logo and address clearly and easily. Make sure they’re in well-lit areas and are easy to read. 

Also, make any parking clear. Parking is sometimes a challenge, especially in busy cities, and having clear parking directions helps your customers instantly feel welcomed and taken care of. Mark your parking spots with signs and, as always, light the way. If you have a path from the parking lot to your main building, this might be the place to install some landscaping lights. 

Displays

Whether you’re thinking about window displays or outside displays, put effort into situating your products or your menu. Use windows as ways to catch people’s eyes and draw them into your beautiful products or the atmosphere of your inviting restaurant. 

Landscaping

Consider investing in landscaping. Establishing and taking care of a beautiful garden or even a few planters shows your customers that you’re invested in taking care of them, too, and that you care about the little details. Keeping up with the changing seasons can help your business continue to look fresh, up-to-date and in stride with the seasons. 

It’s not just about the looks

It’s also about the weather. Do you run a business in a place that gets really hot summers or really cold winters? If you’re running a restaurant, do you have an outdoor seating area that you would like to make more appealing for more of the year? 

If your business is in an area that gets a lot of hot weather, having fans for the patio can make it feel much more welcoming. Even if you don’t have an outdoor seating area for your business, installing a fan or a heat lamp can help potential guests linger a little longer as they look at your business and make a decision about whether or not they’ll come inside. 

Best fans for your business

If you’re looking for outdoor fans, you want to make sure you’re buying from the best in the business. Depending on your climate, your fans might have to put up with a lot. They might have to stand up to rain, wind, snow, sleet and ice. 

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The Donaire weatherproof stainless-steel outdoor ceiling fan is an excellent option for businesses that get hot summers, rain and cold winters. With 316 marine-grade steel for their blades, they can take a salty sea breeze better than most. The integrated blade design stands up to windy days. The fan comes with a 3-speed remote control with reverse function and a dimmer for the light which is ideal for a restaurant patio close to the beach or a lake that wants to draw passersby inside.       

If you’re looking for a cheaper option in a milder environment, but still want a sleek, professional vibe, consider the Fanimation Custom Wrap ceiling fan. With its unique design and energy efficiency, this is a wonderful option. 

But if you’re looking for a fan with a little bit more of a romantic, old-fashioned, rustic aesthetic, consider the Quorum 72’’ Windmill Fan. Its windmill look gives it a unique character all its own and it’s available in indoor and outdoor models. Additionally, you can customize your windmill fan and choose to add dimmable lights if you so desire. 

Whether you want to keep potential customers cool or simply keep the bugs away, an outdoor fan can make an excellent addition to your store front, café patio or business entrance. At Hansen Wholesale, we love to talk about the benefits of our ceiling fans and are happy to help you choose the best fan for your business.      

How fireplaces can boost your curb appeal

Being cold is uncomfortable, and people are drawn to comfort. If your business experiences cold nights, brutal winters or even just chilly evenings, a fireplace can add character as well as draw people towards your establishment for their own comfort. 

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You might consider an outdoor gas log if you’re in an exceptionally cold environment or if you want to make your outdoor seating more palatable for more months out of the year. Gas logs on a street side patio can boost your curb appeal and also provide warmth and comfort without the fuss and bother of a wood-burning stove or a fire pit. They’re more easily controlled, simple to turn on and off and still provide that perennial fireside appeal. 

If you have a patio on the front or to the side of your business, a fireplace can certainly boost your curb appeal. Fireplaces have a way of drawing people in, and passersby will likely be drawn to the warm light of the fire. Hansen Wholesale offers many kinds of gas logs and fireplace options. Whatever your business aesthetic or target audience, there’s an option for you. 

Creating your own powerful curb appeal

Just choosing fixtures isn’t going to be enough, especially if you’re competing for attention along a busy street. You have to think about making your own curb appeal stand out. What’s going to catch the eyes of passersby? What’s going to be the most visually appealing? 

Think about your street. Is it mostly homes and offices? If so, you probably don’t need to do too much to make your business stand out. A few tasteful, well-placed pieces that blend respectfully with the surrounding aesthetic will probably go a long way and draw in plenty of interested customers. 

However, if your street is full of restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs, then you will probably have to work a little harder. What fixtures or a mix of fixtures will stand out to passersby? Will a windmill fan, modern wall lights and beautiful copper-and-iron pendant lights hanging from chains draw a crowd? Or will crafting a romantic atmosphere stand out powerfully against the backdrop of bars and pubs in your area?

Choose quality 

Above all, when you’re investing in products to boost your unique aesthetic and your curb appeal, invest in quality. Hansen Wholesale works with business owners to help you get the exact aesthetic and function you want out of your purchase. We know that you are busy running your own venture, and we’re here to help you boost your curb appeal without breaking the bank. 

Whether you’re looking for fire logs, fans or lights, Hansen Wholesale is dedicated to providing you with knowledgeable answers, courteous customer service and excellent products. Complete our online contact form or call us at 1-800-201-1193 for assistance.