If you feel like your business isn’t thriving in the way you imagined, a makeover can add increased value and set a new foundation for your company's growth. A refresh not only brings new energy to your business but also helps it maintain relevance in the marketplace and gain the attention of new customers.
Here are a few signs your business could benefit from a makeover.
1. Your branding is inconsistent or outdated
Branding informs and influences how customers perceive your business. If your logo, color schemes, and voice differ at every customer touchpoint, you may want to consider a refresh to create uniformity and avoid confusion.
When AlphaGraphics did the makeover for the Shrine of St. Anne School, the team first addressed the school’s inconsistent branding. AlphaGraphics established a new visual identity — including a logo, color palette, and designated fonts — to keep the school’s designs looking visually consistent.
2. You’re working toward a business goal
Setting short and long-term goals for your business is the first step to success. Whether it's increasing your brand awareness, customer base, or revenue, establishing goals is a best practice to ensure your business is moving in the right direction.
The primary goal for the Shrine of St. Anne School makeover was to increase the school’s enrollment by making a better first impression on prospective families. The makeover targeted areas that would make the biggest impact, including the front entrance, hallway, and classroom that were shown on school tours. By the end of the first month of enrollment, St. Anne’s saw a noticeable increase in the number of applications coming in.
3. You need to grow your customer base
Business sales and leads decreasing is a sign that it's time to take action to bring in new customers. Doing a business makeover and determining new ways of marketing your brand will help attract new customers and create lasting loyalty.
The owner of Tio Chilo’s Mexican Grill entered AlphaGraphics’ Make It Happen Business Makeover contest for just this reason. While the restaurant always enjoyed a loyal following in the community, it struggled to grow without bringing in new customers. A makeover supported Tio Chilo’s growth goals in two ways: by creating a more welcoming environment for patrons, and by launching a website allowing Tio Chilo’s to extend its reach online.
4. You have little or no digital presence
Customers rely on online research before making purchases. A lack of digital presence, such as a website or social media accounts, is a giant missing piece to gaining brand awareness and growing your customer base.
Before the makeover, Tio Chilo’s did not have a website, which meant the restaurant had little visibility outside of the local community. The AlphaGraphics team built Tio Chilo’s a brand new, search-engine-optimized website and blog. The new website paired with a digital advertising campaign has already brought a fresh wave of customers to the business.
5. Your space could use a wow factor
If your business environment feels stale and uninspiring, or if it doesn’t leave a positive impression on your customers and employees, you’re probably lacking that “wow factor.” Exterior signage and window, wall, and floor graphics are cost-effective visual solutions that transform spaces and leave a lasting impression.
For the Tio Chilo’s makeover, the AlphaGraphics team created an unforgettable wall graphic — a custom 32-foot mural featuring imagery of the owner’s family, Mexican heritage, and local landmarks. This graphic now sets the tone for the restaurant, letting all who enter know that Tio Chilo’s is family-oriented, authentically Mexican, and undeniably one-of-a-kind.
6. You need a competitive edge
If you feel that you’re not stacking up against your competition, it means your business needs an improved value proposition. From the price point to the quality of your product or service, you should analyze what sets your brand apart from your competitors, then refresh your branding to reflect those differentiators.
The second winner of AlphaGraphics’ Make It Happen contest, Dance Workshop, is located in an area saturated with other dance studios. But one thing that sets Dance Workshop apart is its nonprofit, Dancing for a Difference, which donates money to children’s hospitals. AlphaGraphics made sure to call attention to Dancing for a Difference in the studio’s makeover with a large wall graphic prominently placed in Dance Workshop’s lobby.
7. You want your customers to have a positive experience
Everything your business does adds or takes away from the way customers think and feel about your brand. Quality service, generating emotion, and creating comfort are just a few of the experiences that should be considered when thinking about how you want customers to respond when working with your business.
Dance Workshop had a specific experience in mind for its makeover. The owner wanted to create a space that energized, inspired, and felt like a second home for dancers and instructors. To achieve this vision, AlphaGraphics first established a vibrant new color palette for the brand. These colors were applied as bold accents on the studio walls, which were then topped off with wall graphics featuring inspirational quotes.
8. You need extra help recovering from the impact of the pandemic
Many businesses were impacted by the forced closures, lack of demand for their products and services, or supply and staff shortages that resulted from the pandemic. If you need a rebuilding strategy, consider the opportunity that a refresh could bring to your business. Just like it did for our Make It Happen contest winners, a business makeover can expedite your recovery.
Whether your business could use a refresh or a total transformation, get in touch with AlphaGraphics Pittsburgh today to discover the possibilities!