Some of the coolest offices to work at are also those with the most cutting-edge designs. Think Bark (with its train-inspired design – employees can lie on bunk beds while working on their laptops), Gusto (which celebrates the beauty of industry through a highly industrialized design style), or Mind valley (inspired by the stained glass windows of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia). Despite their disparate influences, all these offices have one thing in common: they are clean, uncluttered, and ultra-tidy. Creativity and innovation are present in different measures, but one thing stands true: first impressions are vital in business and if yours is dirty, messy, or cluttered, your digital presence is inadequate, or your employees are inappropriately dressed, your prospective clients could soon be converted into lost leads.
First Impressions Form Quickly Online
If you have a digital presence, ensure you have invested a due amount in branding and marketing with a big focus on your website and social media channels. A study by the Missouri University of Science and Technology has found that users take less than two-tenths of a second to form a first impression. As stated by lead researchers, H Sheng, “As more people use the Internet to search for information, a user’s first impressions of a website can determine whether that user forms a favorable or unfavorable view of that organization.” Your website should not only present information in a clear, user-friendly fashion, but also be mobile-compatible, display cutting-edge design features (such as animations and video if appropriate), and reflect your brand’s spirit and ethos.
Keeping Your Physical Space Tidy and Clean
Beautifully designed offices have the ability to take companies into a league of their own, marking them as standard bearers and groundbreakers in their respective industries. Of course, the extent to which creative design matters depends greatly on the type of business you are running. For art, architecture, media, marketing and the like, offices whose design stands out from the norm can be a key part of branding. For other industries, a simple but efficient office space that is tidy, easy to move through, and impeccably clean, will often suffice. Cleaning should be left to professionals. Your office should be a haven for employees and clients alike, meaning that hygiene should prevail and regular cleaning schedules should be respected. Germs in offices can be present in frequently touched surfaces such as mouses, keyboards, doorknobs, faucets, and more, and clients should not face health risks from germs when visiting your premises. Clean office spaces boost employee productivity, so think of this aspect from the perspective of your internal client as well.
The Importance of Professional Dress
Dress codes vary greatly across industries so from the start, it is important to decide on a code that can be easily followed by employees. For professional services, a suit and tie may be the order of the day, while for creative professionals, smart casual may be much more in tune with client expectations. Your code should be fair, non-discriminatory, and reasonable bearing in mind aspects such as work hours, comfort, and current industry standards. Investing in a body language course may also be useful for employees and management alike, since so much of what human beings communicate depends on non-verbal language.
Check This Out: Tips to Create a Positive and Productive Office Environment
First impressions count in business and they begin with aspects such as your website, office exteriors, and initial contact with staff. Cleanliness and tidiness are also key and indeed, these qualities are universal, regardless of the industry you operate in. Ensure that your premises, staff, and digital presence accurately reflect your core values and your passion for providing professional, quality products or services to your clients.
