The squeeze is on for laundry owners. 

There are more laundry businesses than ever before, which means your competition is higher than you may like. 

So how do you stand out from the crowd?

We could write a few books worth on that question (and quite a few more blog posts…), but we want to focus on some ideas that can really make an impact quickly. 

And even though you might enjoy laundry yourself, you’re never going to make laundry fun for your customers. 

The least you can do is make the time customers pass at your business more enjoyable. 

With that in mind, these tips are less geared toward innovative marketing techniques, so much as ways you can refresh your image, increase comfort, and build a sense of community around your business. Let’s dive in/ 

#1: Basic Site Renovations

We’ll start with some easier, but more elbow-grease-intensive ideas that can freshen up your marketing. 

Simple renovations around your laundry can make a bigger difference than you realize. It’s easy to put rose-colored glasses on and assume that everything looks and feels good, but an honest conversation with your customers may highlight a few opportunities close at hand. 

For instance, you could try:

• A fresh paint job on the walls, signs, and in your parking lot. 
• Adding comfortable seating (and lots of it!)
• Updating signage (I’ve seen signs made from label makers on coin machines… really!)
• And as always, be quick on the uptake with repairs

These are basic renovations — and we could go further. But that’s up to your budget, time, and willingness to get your hands dirty. 

The idea here is that you can create a fresh look with some simple changes. A few strokes of the brush can help create a more homey, inviting atmosphere that plays better on your website and social media. It’s worth a shot!

#2: Simple Amenities

Next up is amenities, which are somewhat of a divisive topic for some. But really, you need to consider the entire customer experience, and how your customers spend their time at your business makes a huge impact on whether they’ll return. 

With that in mind, consider some amenities you can add:

• Free, secure wifi
• Snacks and Drinks (even a vending machine helps)
• Kids areas
• TV’s (Netflix is cheap, but cable has sports)
• Friendly on-site staff

Again, some of these are cheaper than others, but you’d be surprised what kind of extra revenue these added expenses can generate. And at the very least, you’ll have a more competitive stance against the laundromat down the street that may not offer everything you do.

#3: Contactless (and Coinless) Payment

This one’s a bit trickier, but it’s worth mentioning. 

It’s just hard to deny the convenience of contactless payments (especially because of Covid-19), and it’s even harder to deny the joy of dealing with fewer quarters. Your back’s not getting any better after all!

But contactless payments have come a long way over the last few years, and more companies are realizing that the laundry industry is a hotbed for this type of technology. 

Think about all the benefits that contactless payments have:

• Less time rolling quarters
• Better customer and revenue tracking
• Accurate payments 100% of the time (which means no more quarters in your customer’s cup holder)
• More flexibility running promotions and sales

And that’s just scratching the surface. 

You’ll obviously have to decide whether it works for your business, but it’s becoming easier to imagine a world with no more coin operated laundromats. People see said the payphone would never die, but when’s the last time you saw one of those?

Remember: Laundry Isn’t About Clothes

It’s about people! 

Think about how you can create a better all-around experience at your business, and you’ll likely see your profits trend upward. 

And don’t forget the power of marketing your business. Spynr is always ready to help you find new customers in your area with effective digital marketing techniques — so call us today!