Almost all businesses count on data obtained from the foot traffic of customers and visitors to grow and increase revenue. Yet when we think of door traffic, we tend to think of traditional brick-and-mortar retailers rather than offices or facilities. The demand for various types of offices and workplaces is as high as ever—leading office managers, owners and developers to seek ways of expanding or otherwise increasing occupancy rates as efficiently as possible.
When we consider these facts, it’s safe to say that offices and facilities get heaps of foot traffic on a daily basis. By tracking door traffic, such businesses can gain incredibly valuable data and insights on occupancy, allowing them to engineer their workplace design in a way that maximises profits as well as results.
Since offices are getting busier now, foot traffic is becoming more and more relevant now more than ever. Hot desks have become a key facilitator of office foot traffic. Since the first lockdown, the booking of flexible desks has increased by 472%. According to the report, hot desk bookings have increased by 62% compared to the pre-pandemic period. The percentage of hot desk bookings now represents 8% of all bookings of bookable resources. Before the pandemic, the maximum it reached was 3%.
Whether your business is a traditional office or a trendy co-working space, tracking and studying foot traffic trends is an excellent way to conduct occupancy analytics, which allows you to see which areas draw a lot of foot traffic and which areas do not. This, in turn, will help you make smarter decisions about managing your business and optimizing your space, whether that means investing in more desks or creating additional meeting rooms. In addition to that, people counting solutions can also be used for property management use cases.
By knowing occupancy levels, real estate and property management companies can make data-informed decisions about lease renewals, subleasing and when it’s right time to expand. Now that we’ve established why offices and facilities should be tracking foot traffic, let’s dive into the how.
Once you’ve got a handle on your foot traffic data, you can use it to inform the following:
Sales strategies – If you’re aware of the peak footfall periods, you can tailor your sales strategy to try and get members and users in during quieter periods.
Growth opportunities – Are you considering opening a second or third location? You can use the data you collect to help inform any expansion plans.
Marketing strategies – You can use foot traffic data to measure the success of your social media campaigns for upcoming events.
Until now, when an office or workplace wanted to measure foot traffic and understand how their workspace was being used, they applied manual methods such as counting employee badge swipes to track entries, exits and lunch hours; sending surveys for employees to share details on how they use the workspace; and relying on employee headcount.
But with the rise of people counting solutions and devices, workplaces no longer have to rely on manual operations to accurately estimate space utilization. If your company already embraces hybrid work, consider hot desking software to make the most efficient use of your space.
Whether your office is buzzing with employees or experiencing a quieter summer lull, you can ensure that everyone has the space they need to be productive in the office. And with data and insights into how employees use your space, you can make smarter decisions on how to optimize your workplace.
The above private office is located at 231 Oak Park Blvd. in Oakville
At ZEMLAR Offices, professional offices spaces are designed with your comfort and productivity in mind. All of our offices include premium amenities, flexible contracts, and highly competitive prices. We believe that deep, meaningful work comes from uninterrupted focus and clarity. That’s why all of ZEMLAR Offices’ units are private by design and created specifically for focused work.
As a result, you can spend all your energy on growing, without any of the unnecessary distractions that come with regular open-floor workspaces.
