Almost everyone has a secret “shopper” side to them that loves to spend cash on things that they don’t really need. Supermarkets have been utilising retail tricks to feed on these spending instincts for a long time. For example, shopping carts and baskets have slowly been getting larger over time, and the produce department is usually always at the front entrance of a store because the bright colours are said to lift your mood and make you happy to spend more.
However, you might not want to become one of those businesses that uses every psychological trick in the book just to get more customers—and that’s completely understandable. You might own a small niche store that sells very specific products, so you can’t exactly apply those supermarket store tricks to your business. In contrast, you might own a restaurant which is an industry that doesn’t have many psychological tricks up its sleeve because, at the end of the day, your quality speaks from your food.
But whether you own a retail store or a fast food restaurant, there are plenty of ways you can improve the customer experience without feeling like you’re cheating them.
Decor and design are important
If you’ve ever eaten at a fancy restaurant then you’ll know how it feels to be surrounded by lush decor and extravagant furniture. Even if the food itself isn’t as great as you expected, the restaurant sells you the experience as a package, and there’s no doubt that the decor helped you settle in and appreciate the atmosphere.
You can apply these types of rules for any kind of business by furnishing it with high-quality and appropriate items. General items, such as acrylic worktops, shelves and chairs can have a huge psychological impact on how a customer perceives your premises. If you have large windows, clean surfaces and strive for minimalism, consumers will associate your business with modern decor trends and you’re more likely to attract hip and trendy individuals.
Don’t overwhelm your customers
Perhaps you’ve walked into a store lately that sold way too many products. Maybe you even got confused at all the different brands, types and variations of a product. Computers, for example, have a ridiculous amount of parts and accessories that combine to make the entire computer. If you’re selling computers to paying customers, then chances are unless they know a thing or two about what they want, then they aren’t going to have a clue about all the specs.
This is why stores like Apple only sell their latest products. This isn’t because they don’t want to give their customers choice, it’s because they don’t want to give their customers too many decisions to make. The latest iPhones only have a couple of models. There are different colours, but you might also want an iPhone with more built-in storage space. Whatever the case, it’s a good idea to limit the amount of choice you have (if possible) and make it easier for your customers to decide what they want to buy.