Is Your Business Exterior Part of the Customer Experience?

2026-8th

May 26

Well, the short answer here is “probably yes”. But in general, though, when it comes to working on the customer experience and even improving the customer experience, your average business rarely ever thinks about the exterior; they only care and think about the interior.

But no, really, it’s true here because a business can spend a ridiculous amount of time thinking about what happens inside the building, the lighting, the service, the music, the front desk, the menu, the displays, the lobby, the whole thing, and then the outside gets treated like it’s just there to hold the roof up. Which, okay, technically yes, but also no.

Think about it for a sec here, the exterior is already talking to customers before anyone walks through the door, and sometimes it’s saying things the owner probably didn’t mean for it to say. A hotel entrance that feels confusing, a restaurant front that looks a bit forgotten, a shop that doesn’t look open even when it is, none of that is neutral. Customers notice. Maybe not in a super judgmental way, but yeah, they’ll notice, alright. So, maybe it’s time to make some adjustments here.

That First Impressions Start Before the Door Opens

Hopefully, you already knew that, but people make little decisions fast. Is this place easy to enter? Does it look professional? Does it feel safe? Is there shade, cover, lighting, signage, some kind of clear “yes, this is where you go” moment?

It’s all relevant, and that matters even more for customer-facing businesses. So, you’ve got hotels, restaurants, salons, shops, offices, clinics, and venues, all of which rely on people feeling comfortable enough to walk in. That entrance means everything, like it really can’t be awkward, exposed, dark, dated, or just weirdly unfinished. The customer experience starts with hesitation, and that’s not exactly ideal. That’s going to make you and your business look bad.

Sure, sometimes that whole “hole in the wall” restaurant or shop can be nice, and the charm is the fact that it’s all scruffy, but that’s rare cases though.

Yes, the Entrance Should Feel Intentional

Should an entrance be overdone? Well, no, but it does need to look like someone thought about it. It’s the basics, some of which were just mentioned above, and that can include good lighting, clear signage, clean materials, weather protection, and a layout that doesn’t make visitors pause and wonder where they’re meant to go, which can make a building feel much more polished.

As the front entrance should be it, rather than using the side entrance, having architectural canopies (especially if you’re in hospitality) can be a pretty big deal (and it helps people know that's the main entrance too), even some greenery can be nice too.

Weather Protection is Part of Hospitality Too

Hands down, this one can’t be stressed enough, but nobody wants to stand in the rain trying to find the entrance. Nobody wants to wait outside a restaurant with the sun burning directly into their soul while pretending they’re fine. Nobody wants to pull luggage out of a car at a hotel while getting soaked before check-in. It makes you look so bad; it makes your business look inconsiderate.

You will instantly have very angry guests/ customers, you don’t want that. Plus, it sends a message that you don’t care. Some hospitality businesses will have rain covers/ awnings, and sometimes even heaters blasting outside if it’s winter, or interior fans if it’s summer.