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The Benefits of Maintaining Your Business’s Parking Lot

Let’s get one thing straight; if your business or store has a parking lot then there’s a good chance that you’re fairly successful in your endeavors. Most businesses in the country don’t have access to a parking lot and if they do, the most it’s going to involve is a few open spaces on the side of the road or a small enclosed area. After all, most businesses don’t really need a parking lot, especially if they’re already in a busy area.

But if you are fortunate enough to have a space that can be converted into a parking lot or already have one, then there are a couple of great benefits that you can expect to take advantage of if you maintain it correctly. So in this post, we’re going to discuss some of the ways that you can spruce up your parking lot and maintain it correctly to draw in more customers and improve your reputation.

Improve first impressions

First impressions are a huge deal in the world of business and your physical store is no different. While many people will focus on the look of the store itself, you need to keep in mind that your parking lot is often the very first thing that your customers will see, especially if they’re driving to your location. By creating a solid first impression, you’ll have a much easier time drawing in customers and holding their attention.

To create a good first impression, it’s important to focus on the crucial elements of a functional parking lot. For example, you should consider everything from using high-strength materials such as concrete to adding a pre-sloped channel drain to help get rid of rain and make cleaning easier. You should also focus on aspects such as lighting which can be important when there isn’t much natural light in your parking lot, and also to improve overall security. Depending on your store and the type of parking lot you have, you may also want to include security barriers to help give your customers more peace of mind.

Creating a good first impression is important in business and your parking lot can often set the tone for the type of store that you have.

Enhance curb appeal

Another great reason to maintain your car parking lot is to enhance curb appeal. Maintaining your parking lot creates great first impressions, but it also needs to continuously impress customers and be both functional and clean so that they’re more willing to come back to your business in the future.

With help from commercial cleaning services and some of your own dedication, you can greatly enhance the look and feel of your parking lot which also enhances the business itself. So what are some of the things you can do to improve your business parking lot for curb appeal?

Make sure you deal with any pests as soon as possible. If you notice rats or rodents, get rid of them as quickly as you can with the help of a pest control service. Any pests will be a stain on the appearance of your parking lot and they could start affecting the business itself.
Do what you can to avoid potential lawsuits. These usually come from situations like falls, collisions, and slips. This means dealing with any potential potholes or slippery surfaces so that people are less likely to injure themselves.
Renovate your parking lot with brighter colors, restripe parking spaces and focus on making things look brand new. This will greatly enhance the curb appeal of your parking lot and draw more customers in.
Ensure that there are no rodent, bee, or bug problems in the parking lot area. This can turn people away. If there are current issues, contact professionals like https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/local/florida/.

The overall goal of these strategies is to make your parking lot a lot more usable, to increase its lifespan, and also to make it more attractive to your customers.

Parking lots can enhance security

When people use your parking lot, they want to feel safe knowing that their vehicle is going to be in good hands when they’re in your store. But in order to achieve this, you’re going to need to focus on parking lot security. This typically involves a number of different elements, such as:

Have security cameras around the parking lot so that you can clearly see what’s going on. You may need more cameras depending on how many walls and other obstructive elements there are.
Maintenance is also important, especially if you have many security cameras. You should also consider restriping the parking lot to ensure that nobody parks in the wrong place, and that you have clear signs showing the ideal flow of traffic.
Security can also mean protecting from harsh weather conditions. For instance, the risk of slips and falls is usually increased during the winter. This means you should look into removing ice and slippery patches with the right materials, or ensuring that your parking lot is sufficiently protected from snow, hail, and other harsh conditions.
Sufficient lighting is also a good idea to ensure that there are no shadows that criminals can use to hide or move around in. Make sure you have plenty of light in your parking lot and ensure that you have lights that point outside of the parking lot as well to keep the entire area well-lit for both people and security cameras to see.
Lastly, you may want to consider having emergency phones in your parking lot. These are usually emergency phones that are also used on university campuses and other public facilities. These can be helpful if you’ve got a large parking space.

Parking lots benefit both your team and your customers

We’ve talked a lot about how parking lots can benefit customers, but we should also mention that they’re a great asset to your team as well. If you have a relatively large business or store then you’ve undoubtedly got a couple of staff members that come in from far away. To make things easier for people that drive to work, you should definitely reserve some parking spaces for your staff so that they have peace of mind knowing their car is protected.

Staff parking spaces are one of the most desirable employee benefits. A large percentage of workers are more likely to remain with their current company if benefits like this are considered. If your staff has been asking you about parking spaces and improving the parking lot, then you should listen to them and take on their feedback.

Other ways to maintain and enhance your parking lot

Let’s conclude by covering a number of other enhancements and tips to help you maintain your parking lot. Since parking lots are very flexible and can be changed around with little work and investment, it’s worth reconsidering just how much space you need and how you can decorate the parking lot so that it looks a lot nicer and serves more functions.

Consider adding electric vehicle charging stations. With more and more people driving electric vehicles, it’s almost expected that a parking lot will have some parking spaces for electric vehicles that are close to charging stations. While this can be a huge investment on your part, it’s also a great way to make your business look and feels more modern and environmentally conscious.
Add more greenery to your parking lot. Greenery is a fantastic way to add a bit of color to your parking lot. You can try planting trees, bushes, and even flowers. Trees also serve an extra purpose; to add shade to your parking lot. This can create more comfortable parking spaces during the summer and your customers and staff will appreciate it.
Don’t be afraid to add more signage. Parking lots are prime locations for large fancy signage. This can help you attract more customers that are just driving past, and they can also be used to showcase the latest deals and discounts in your store. Adding large signage can be expensive since you’ll need to design it and also power it if you’re thinking of adding lights or a large screen. However, it’s well worth the investment and can enhance the look and feel of your parking lot. Signage can also be used to direct the flow of traffic and inform customers about parking etiquette.
Be more environmentally conscious. If your brand is focused on becoming more environmentally conscious then it’s a good idea to consider solar-powered lighting. Since parking lots are usually open, installing a couple of solar panels shouldn’t be too difficult and they can often make back their investment in a few years. Since you’re only powering lights, solar panels are usually enough assuming they are hooked up to some kind of battery so that they can power the lights at night as well.

Hopefully, this article has shown you how maintaining your business's parking lot can be beneficial to your company. While it does take a bit of investment for what seems like a relatively small gain, you’d be surprised at how effective your parking lot can be at creating good first impressions and drastically improving curb appeal.