Landscaping your commercial property has many benefits. The initial cost may seem significant, but you get to enjoy a much-improved premises and professional landscape design can help to attract customers and clients. Making the most of the outside your business premises has is a no-brainer, it can add value to your business and there are plenty of commercial landscaping ideas that could work for your business and make sure it truly stands out.
Whether you want to invite customers in with a floral welcome or prefer a contemporary hardscaped entrance, let’s explore some of the most effective commercial landscaping ideas to beautify your business. First, let’s look at the benefits of investing in commercial landscaping for your business.
Four Key Benefits of Commercial Landscaping
There is plenty of evidence to support claims that commercial landscaping has many benefits for your business, here are the top four:
1. Boost the productivity and concentration of your workforce
A survey conducted by Plantsatwork found that plants can help to relieve stress and enhance production levels. Your employees’ concentration and productivity can be positively influenced, with the research showing concentration levels may increase by up to 23%.
While you can have indoor plants and gardens, it makes much more sense to embrace the outdoor space your business has available and make this as green and inviting as possible too.
2. Entice and appeal to even more customers
Research published by the Urban Forestry/Urban Greening department at The University of Washington found that shoppers claimed they would spend 9-12% more on products and services in central business districts where there is a quality tree canopy. This is further supported by The National Association of Landscape Professionals findings which show workplaces with higher standards of landscaping have rental rates of up to 7% higher.
With an inviting, open and green space as part of your business premises, you’re creating a more welcoming atmosphere and a more attractive place for customers to spend their time. Strategically planned and properly maintained commercial landscaping creates a positive impression of your business, encouraging people to spend and spend more.
3. Increase property value
While you may have no plans to sell or move on from your property, adding to its value can only be a positive thing. Making upgrades to your property helps to add instant value to your home and if it’s consistent throughout the area, property prices generally can rise too. A well-designed landscape improves and matures over time, becoming more valuable as the years pass.
4. Improve your business reputation
Customers like to return to businesses that are well-kept, well-managed and appealing to visit. Customers’ attitudes towards your business are influenced by their impressions, both of your premises and your people. Well-maintained commercial landscapes tell people that you care about your business, As your outdoor space may be the first thing your customers see, the better it looks the better the first impression they will have.
Nine Commercial Landscape Ideas Guaranteed to Beautify Your Business
There are many ways you can spruce up your exterior but sticking to the most effective approaches helps to ensure you create a space that is welcoming and creates that instant and long-lasting first impression you want. These nine ideas are suitable for all kinds of business and property:
1. Build an enticing entrance
We’ve already discussed how important first impressions are and the entrance to your business is the epitome of this. Clever landscaping can help draw attention and navigate people towards your entrance effectively. Your entrance space should be appealing, welcoming and importantly easy and clear to find.
Landscaping your entranceway effectively requires clarity and accessibility. The most effective ways to create this include:
- Bright florals or colored pots to mark and signpost the entryway
- Lay a clear path from the sidewalk or parking lot to your main door, with any number of choices from pavers to tiles to ornate bricks available
- Create symmetrical planters or pots on either side of the walkway to direct visitors easily
A bright and appealing welcome is the perfect beginning to a positive visit to your business premises.
2. Experiment with landscape lighting
If your business is open in the early mornings or evenings, then lighting your customer’s way is also a good idea. Taking advantage of landscape lighting can help to boost your business’ footfall in the colder, darker months and also later into the day. There are two main types of lighting you could consider for your premises:
- Accent lighting: accent lighting can be effective for directing visitors in a certain way or drawing their attention to certain aspects of your property. You may use it to light up a sign or create emphasis on certain elements of your new outdoor features.
- Pathway lighting: as the name suggests, pathway lighting is a navigational tool and can help guide visitors along the sidewalk and paths to your business’ entrance. Pathway lighting also makes your property safer and more accessible, especially for those visiting outside of standard business hours.
3. Create an eco-friendly space
Consumers are more preoccupied with the environment than ever before, and they expect the same from businesses. One study revealed that 80% of people are more likely to choose a brand with a positive approach to environmental sustainability, so making changes with the environment in mind is what your customers want.
When considering landscaping there are many ways you could make things more sustainable and eco-friendlier. Opting for low-maintenance shrubs and plants such as perennials to minimize upkeep and cut back on your use of fertilizers and replanting.
You can also look at more sustainable and recycled materials for hardscaping and additional features such as fencing, bamboo for example is much more sustainable than many types of timber. Solar lighting is also a good alternative to electrically powered lights.
If your business is based in a busy urban environment, then trees can be a fantastic way of adding some much-needed greenery to the area. Tall trees can also reduce noise, create shade and block wind, which can make your building more energy efficient with lower heating and cooling costs. If you want to satisfy your customers’ eco-friendly expectations, you can begin with your outdoor space.
4. Don’t neglect your hardscaping
Hardscaping is vital for almost all commercial landscaping projects and can form the frame for your plants and other features. Depending on your aims for your outdoor space the hardscaping element may be simple or complex. It could be simply a walkway leading to the entrance or it could be a large, ornate courtyard for visitors to enjoy.
If you want a hardscaping design that wows and engages your visitors then consider unique features such as a pergola, sculpture or eye-catching pond or water feature. Your hardscaping features can enhance and improve the appearance of your property generally and will add to its value. Hardscaped features do not require as much maintenance as landscaped elements but can also get expensive so making the right decisions is vital.
5. Add color and character
The bountiful world of flowers and plants means you can get creative and colorful with your choices. A bright and vibrant flower garden or bold flowering trees might be the perfect way to epitomize your brand through commercial landscaping, you may even be able to theme your choice of plants with your company’s brand.
Floral gardens are eye-catching, and appealing and can be a really powerful branding tool. You could have your company’s logo or name spelt out in flowering plants, ensuring they instantly capture attention and also put your business’ name in the minds of passers-by.
You can creatively use raised flower bed and other hardscaping features to make your colorful flowers stand out from the grass and greenery or gray pathways and buildings.
6. Highlight your building’s architecture
You can use landscaping and lighting to help show off the finest and most interesting elements of your building’s architecture. While not every business property is an architectural masterpiece if you do have features you want to show off then well-designed commercial landscaping can help.
Uplighting or spotlights can highlight key elements of your building’s exterior or you could consider adding a living wall, another great idea for urban spaces where green features are in high demand. A living wall is an eye-catching vertical garden installed on the exterior of your property. It adds lush greenery in areas where it may be hard to come by and can become a real talking point.
7. Create spaces that encourage interaction and communication
Whether your outdoor space is for customers or your employees, if you have the room for outdoor meeting and break spaces, make the most of it. Outdoor space can be extremely effective as a meeting space with clients in the warmer months and you could even use it to inspire your employees. Outdoor workspaces are becoming more common and are easily built into your landscaping design with features such as a pavilion, benches and tables. These areas are ideal as breakout spaces from the regular office and provide a fun and interesting alternative to the average board room when presenting to clients.
8. Keep it native
Indigenous and local plants are born to thrive in your area so make the most of them. There have been trends to plant showy shrubs and trees such as palms miles away from where they naturally grow and while it might look impressive, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Utilizing native plants help reinforce the local identity of your business and identify it as part of your community. The native plants that best grow in your region are hardy and fully acclimatized to your climate, meaning they require less care to thrive and naturally look great.
Furthermore, if someone visits your premises and recognizes plants that look like they belong, it will help subtly build their sense of security and assurance in your business.
9. Drive home your brand image
We’ve already discussed company names spelled out in flowers and colors chosen as they match your branding but your outdoor space really is a powerful tool for branding and marketing. You can use your brand colors cleverly throughout your landscape design, from planters and pots to lighting, choice of flowers and sidewalk furniture.
Businesses looking to attract more customers need to make the most of every aspect of the premises, including their outside space. Potential customers are much more likely to be drawn to your business and products or services if you have a well-designed and enticing outdoor space with proper branding.
Brighter business futures with stand-out commercial landscaping
We don’t want to dwell on the negatives, but bricks-and-mortar businesses have suffered in the last decade. Online and digital business growth means people are visiting their local stores and services less and to stand out and retain your customers, as well as attract new ones, you need to maximize the potential of every aspect of your business. Investing in commercial landscaping ensures you have a welcoming and enticing entrance for everyone who visits your business. It will impress customers before they even step through the doors and your people will be proud to come to work each day.