Office Improvements to Make for Your Internet Marketing Company
When you’re thinking about the best ways to improve your internet marketing company’s office, it’s crucial to focus on changes that will keep people productive and potentially save time and money for your business. Here are eight beneficial possibilities for your office improvements:
Improve the Lighting
Poor lighting can cause eyestrain, and it may make your internet marketing company’s utility bill higher than necessary. In contrast, adequate lighting helps people work productively, and energy-saving options decrease costs.
Spending money on better lighting could also help people have better first impressions, such as if they’re new employees or clients. Seeing a dimly lit space can cause individuals to perceive your office as bleak and depressing, remembering it for all the wrong reasons.
Browse for energy-efficient options that suit how your marketing teams work. For example, some lights offer adjustable brightness settings. There are also lamps designed for people who spend most of their workdays reading screens. Remembering your employees’ needs will help them achieve their best output.
Office Improvements: Add Measures to Keep People Safe
The COVID-19 pandemic made the world drastically rethink safety protocols. Perhaps your marketing team has worked like many others and primarily completed assignments from home. If so, coming back to the office will be a readjustment — but one you can influence to help people feel comfortable.
For example, you might create more space between employees with barriers or new seating arrangements. Using floor decals in communal areas like near the time clock or the break room can give people visual reminders of how to keep safe distances.
Even with vaccines now available, scientists are still determining how long these last and whether they stop people from transmitting the novel coronavirus. That means people need to keep following safety precautions for the foreseeable future. If workers perceive the office as a safe environment, they’ll have higher morale and recognize that their employer takes their health seriously.
Replace the Flooring
The flooring can have a major impact on your office’s aesthetics. Maybe it’s currently a heavily worn, light-colored carpet. Such an option is hard to keep clean. Plus, if it’s already stained, the carpeting could give people the idea that the company has not stayed on top of maintenance.
Vinyl flooring is a popular choice for offices due to its durable, low-maintenance characteristics. You may also find that wood or tile flooring suits some areas of your marketing company. Moreover, if you’re tearing up the carpet to improve the flooring, that doesn’t mean you need to rule out using a soft flooring option altogether. You may decide on a low-pile carpet that hides dirt.
If you go with a type of hard flooring, consider how area rugs can brighten up a space and give it a warm, inviting look. You may also select rugs featuring specific colors or patterns to help designate areas of an office for various purposes.
Soundproof Your Conference and Video Rooms
Productive gatherings could make the difference between your marketing company landing a new client and missing out on an opportunity. Now that so many meetings occur remotely, it’s essential to look at ways to ensure your environment is as quiet as possible to avoid distractions. If a person can hear people talking and laughing during a meeting, they’ll find it difficult to concentrate on what you say.
Of course, quiet environments make it easier for people to pay attention during in-person meetings or events like video shoots. It’s well worth looking at how you could improve those places by soundproofing them.
Getting the job done is easier than you might think. Numerous options exist. For example, acoustic panels are no-fuss ways to soundproof a room. You can strategically place them around the space, using specialized adhesive to mount each one to a wall or door. Some panels even have fabric wrapping or art printed onto them, giving a stylish look.
Fill the Space With Hints of Nature
Taking inspiration from nature can be a fantastic way to make your office more appealing to everyone who spends time in it. Spending time inside all day during a workday can seem a bit draining. Bringing nature to employees can help them stay motivated, even when there’s no choice but to buckle down and stay inside. For example, a potted plant is an easy and eye-catching way to make a bare corner look more attractive, even if you opt for something artificial.
Remember that cacti are some of the most widely available and affordable succulents. Many garden centers stock them, and you may even find a few near your grocery store’s selection of fresh flowers. The nice thing about succulents is that they store water in their leaves. That aspect makes them tolerant and easy to care for, even if someone forgets to keep them hydrated regularly.
A tabletop fountain could also help people think of nature, especially if placed in an area everyone uses, such as an entryway. The sound of water gently flowing over stones in a fountain provides a stress-relieving ambiance, too.
Invest in More Comfortable Furniture
Furniture can directly impact how people feel about their workplaces. Research indicates those who say they have bad office furniture are three times more likely to consider their space less productive. They’re also twice as likely to think their offices are depressing.
Keeping workers comfortable goes beyond plush cushions and ergonomic desk chairs. Those things can help, but you should also consider that a person is most comfortable when their furniture suits their tasks. For example, maybe an existing desk does not offer enough space for a person to use two monitors. That’s likely not an issue for some employees, but others may find that having two screens prevents them from slowing down their workflow by switching between tabs.
Purchasing various types of furniture can keep people comfortable too, because it supports different preferences. For example, if there’s a lounge where workers take their breaks, you might fill it with a mixture of beanbag chairs, couches, and armchairs. Getting feedback from your team before making purchases is the best way to ensure you buy furniture they genuinely want and will use.
Office Improvements: Provide Employees With Personal Storage Space
Some people prefer messy desks. Even if those spaces look disorganized, the workers who use them often have a system of keeping things so that only they understand. On the other hand, some employees hate having anything other than ultra-tidy desks.
You can help everyone by giving each worker options for storing their belongings. Whether a person prefers a messy desk or a clean one, they’ll appreciate having a dedicated place to stash their messenger bags or purses, hang their jackets, or stash their snacks until break time. Storage spaces can also promote productivity by minimizing distractions. If a person places their smartphone into a locked under-desk cabinet, they’ll be less likely to think about it while tackling tasks.
Another benefit of personal storage spaces is that they help people keep track of things. If a person has a marketing guide they only refer to occasionally, having the shelf space to store it lets them grab the title as needed instead of putting it in a random place around the office and forgetting its location.
Create a Quiet Room or Area
Almost everyone occasionally needs to separate themselves from the usual activities of an office to boost their concentration. Perhaps they’re working on a client project and facing a tight deadline. Maybe they have a headache and want to go somewhere secluded until their painkillers take effect.
If your office has space, consider making a dedicated room where people can go and enjoy a quiet environment. If you took that approach, it might even be the same place you’ve soundproofed. Alternatively, companies sell products that look like phone booths designed for people who need quiet time. They’re often used in open-office plans and typically only accommodate one person at once.
You could also consider developing an online booking system to reserve space in a quiet place. That could work exceptionally well for people who have upcoming projects to finish and know they work best in nearly silent settings. When workers can access environments that fit their preferences, they’ll be more likely to produce high-quality work on time and specifications.
Office Improvements: Revamp Your Office to Reap the Rewards
Making office improvements can impress your clients and help employees love where they work. Try these tips as starting points and realize that even seemingly minor changes can offer ongoing payoffs.
Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.
