You can probably remember the last time you had a lousy parking experience. Maybe the lot was filled with potholes, the parking spaces weren’t well-marked, or it was difficult to tell how much the lot (actually) cost to park per hour. And let us guess—it left a bad taste in your mouth before you even stepped into the business, right?
When a customer arrives at your establishment, the parking lot is your business’s “first impression” and “final goodbye.” The condition of your parking lot significantly impacts a customer’s impression of your business and, therefore, your bottom line.
Benefits of a Well-Maintained Parking Lot for Your Business
Ensuring your parking lot is safe, accessible, convenient, and attractive is crucial to attracting customers—and keeping them! You’ll enjoy these benefits when you invest in maintaining your parking lot:
Customer Trust
Did you know keeping your parking lot clean, accessible, and well-maintained can impact how likely and how often customers visit your store or business?
Think of it this way. If you were to visit someone’s house for the first time, what would you think if the house was spotless on the outside, but the lawn was overgrown, the walkway to the front door was cracked, and weeds were sprouting out of their driveway? It would probably impact your opinion of the homeowner and their ability to care for their house, right?
Well, the same goes for your business. You may have a beautiful, clean storefront, but if your parking lot isn’t well-maintained, it will impact the customer’s decision about your store before they step inside. It’s essential to keep your parking lot in tip-top shape to make a positive first impression on customers and to foster their trust in your company.
Higher Preference
Customers crave convenient parking experiences. Whether the parking is paid or free, the experience should be hassle-free from start to finish. This can include seamless parking technology, well-marked walkways, and pavement symbols to indicate directions, restrictions, crosswalks, and other important information.
If your parking lot is too confusing or difficult to navigate, the customer will likely become frustrated with your business before even stepping inside. Even worse, if your parking lot is too much of a hassle, the customer may leave your business and find another store or service with a better parking situation.
You should also have plenty of parking spaces for all kinds of cars and customers. For example, you should include ADA-compliant spaces and may also want to include expectant mother spaces, electric car charging stations, motorcycle parking, oversized vehicle parking, and more. When you cater to the unique needs of different people in your parking lot—you’ll attract them to your business too!
Foot Traffic
Whether you own a financial firm, high-end restaurant, or clothing store—the way your building looks, including your parking lot, matters.
Parking lots that have potholes, cracks, uneven surfaces, and faded lines give the impression that the business either can’t afford parking lot maintenance or doesn’t care about the safety of its customers or employees. They also may assume that because your parking lot isn’t in good shape, the quality of your products and services will be subpar too.
All these assumptions, though untrue, are enough to deter any customer from doing business with your company. When you have a business that relies on foot traffic, like a restaurant or shopping center, it’s crucial to keep your parking lot in great shape. You may be turning away more business than you realize by failing to maintain your parking lot.
In-Store Sales
When your parking lot is well-maintained, you’ll likely also see an increase of in-store sales. Of course, this is mainly due to the above reasons, like increased foot traffic, convenience, accessibility, and customer trust. However, there is also another important reason a well-maintained parking lot can increase your sales—safety.
Have you ever felt rushed to leave an establishment because you were worried about the parking situation? Maybe you were afraid you would be towed, or you were nervous about how much you’d be paying in parking bills since the price of the lot wasn’t clearly listed.
When customers think your parking lot is unsafe, they’ll be worried about their car while they’re inside your store, which may cause them to rush out without buying anything. However, when your customers know their vehicle is safe, secure, and protected in your parking lot, they will be more likely to stay longer, which may lead to them spending more on your products or services.
Ensure Your Parking Lot Is Always in Tip-Top Shape with EverLine Coatings and Services
It’s easy to see why keeping your parking lot in great shape is an excellent investment for your business. However, with so many other tasks to juggle, we understand pavement maintenance likely isn’t on the forefront of your mind or to-do list.
That’s where we can help! EverLine Coatings and Services helps businesses across the United States keep their parking lots safe and appealing with pavement maintenance services. Learn more about our Preventative Pavement Maintenance Program to discover how you can regularly receive essential services, like asphalt repair and parking lot striping, to keep customers satisfied with the safety, appearance, and convenience of your parking lot.
