Just as a foyer tells you much about the hotel you plan to stay in, so does a business’ lobby. The care taken there is critical to the impression you make. The touches you put into the lobby, from the way the furniture is arranged, to the color scheme selected, to the signage design and placement, to the personnel that greet visitors, each plays a part in the overall impression made on customers as they wait to be assisted. A business’ quality can be judged in a manner of seconds by the composition of elements that come together in their lobby. With this in mind, the following tips are offered to help maximize the positives and minimize the negatives in an office lobby.

Creating an inviting and stylish space, that is welcoming and relaxing, can be achieved through carefully chosen furnishings, which help set the tone your business seeks to create (Source).

Optimal Furniture Arrangement for the Lobby

How do people enter your business? In groups, pairs, or individually? Your furnishing arrangement should accommodate the natural flow of traffic to your business – for example, if people tend to arrive singly, there should be ample individual chairs or divided seating. And, in terms of accessories, show you care about what your clientele cares about and provide magazines that speak to their interests.

For customers that travel in bunches, indoor benches that allow them to huddle and collect their notes before meetings, or debrief afterwards, should be plentiful. Small groupings create an attractive space which invites conversation, by allowing small groups to huddle and have distance from others, should they wish. If your business tends to attract clients that want to arrive early and powwow over coffee, bistro tables will speak volumes about your business savvy.

Accessories and Signage in the Lobby

Before the meeting or the appointment, clients will gravitate to any visible signage.  Bold shapes (octagons, rectangles, and arrows) should help customers find their designated office or meeting room, readily. Free standing signs, preferably directional ones, should be clearly visible from the moment people enter the lobby. Directory signage can relay the most critical information to clients and should be well designed and crafted; as it is the first ambassador your customers will meet (Source). Additionally, it improves office security for your business and others, if signage reduces the number of people wandering around your corridors.

Keeping your office lobby neat, in addition to proper signage, and carefully selected furnishings, are ways to make the very best impression on new and returning clients and customers. And by investing in durable and high-quality fixtures that clean easily, you can extend the return on your lobby investment many times over.