What to Do When You Have a Good Product… But People Still Aren’t Coming

🧼 Spoiler: The answer is probably not “better soap.”

If you’ve ever stood in the doorway of your boutique motel, spa, wine tasting room, [insert your passion-fueled business here], and thought:“We’re amazing. Why aren’t we busier?” This post is your wake-up call—with a friendly slap of truth and a little glitter.

🧠 The Hard Truth: Great Products Alone Aren’t Enough

You can have the fluffiest towels, the most curated wine flight, or the best sleep-on-me-and-never-wake-up-again mattresses, but if your space doesn’t make people feel something, they won’t come. Or worse—they’ll come once and forget you existed before they even step out your door looking for the next thing to light them up inside.

We live in a world where we can buy literally anything we want from the couch. (Looking at you, 3 a.m. impulse purchasers.) So when we do go out, we want to be moved. Surprised. Inspired. Immersed. We want the moment to feel worth it.

Design can do that. In fact, design should do that.

📉 Let’s Talk About Why You’re Not Getting the Foot Traffic

Here’s what the data tells us:

According to a 2023 consumer behavior study by Think With Google, 78% of millennials and Gen Z prioritize "experiential value" over price when choosing where to spend money.

And another study by Eventbrite found that people now spend 4x more on experiences than on things. (Yes, even the things they already love.)

So, what happens if your place has a good product but no one’s buzzing about it?

💥 You're missing the “experience” piece of the puzzle.💥 You’re not getting tagged on Instagram.💥 You’re not sparking word-of-mouth. You're not getting the glowing Google Reviews.

Let’s fix that.

🧚‍♀️ Design That Creates Word of Mouth (AKA the Magic Sauce)

I create spaces that feel like a “you had to be there” moment. Not just photo-worthy, but photo-demanding. Think:

• A wall of surrealist taxidermy butterflies with hidden lighting that glows at dusk. You don’t just check in—you step into a dream.

• A vinyl-listening room with Rat Pack vibes and velvet everything. Think “Dean Martin would’ve crashed here on purpose.”

• A hallway of walking sticks and hummingbird identification guides leading you to... a door that leads... outside to a "hummingbird hike" and a secret pop-up juice bar in the middle of the forest because why not blend wanderlust with whimsy?

This is how you get people talking. Not just posting—but raving. Suprise and Delight. And that, dear business owner, is the secret to being fully booked.

🧲 But Is This Worth the Investment?

Short answer: YES. Long answer:

The Harvard Business Review found that emotionally connected customers are more than twice as valuable as highly satisfied customers.

And nothing connects emotionally like an immersive, delightfully unexpected space. It's not about how much you spend—it's about the experience you create. Nothing is more powerful than a guest, a customer or client being SUPRISED AND DELIGHTED.

🔥 Let’s Turn Browsers Into Bookers

If you're still reading, it’s because you know your business deserves more attention. So, here’s your friendly nudge to do something about it.

Here’s how we can start:

• Let’s talk. Book a quick call and tell me about your space. I’ll tell you where we can add the WOW.

• Send me pics. I’ll give you a free, no-strings-attached idea to make one corner more Instagrammable than a latte in Paris.

• Download my Destination Design Checklist [insert lead magnet] to get five tips you can implement this week.

Design is no longer just “decor.” It’s a marketing strategy—one that works while you sleep.

---

✨ Final Truth Bomb

Your product is amazing. But people need to...

1. see it and feel it in order to ...

2. show up to experience it and then...

3. talk about it or share it online.

We want: "You MUST come. It's like nothing I've ever experienced." They need to walk in and say, “Whoa.”

I design the "whoa."