Unlike online stores, a brick-and-mortar shop comes with way more operational costs. Lease, water and electric bills, heating and cooling, and your employees’ salary are only some of the expenses you have to be on top of; with these in mind, you have to give your all and make your physical store generate profit. Promotion is easier done with online shops since they can count on ads and earned media tools to spread the word about their products, but appearance is all it takes to entice customers to enter their premises with physical shops.
Enhancing foot traffic is crucial for physical stores because only when your possible clients enter your establishment can you get the chance to make a sale. You can use many gimmicks to get passersby to notice your shop, and below are some of them.
Appeal Through Your Shop Window
Aside from new marketing tools, using traditional ones and available resources gives you a chance to promote your products right onsite. With a good design and theme in mind, you can make your shop window work for you by showcasing your items in a way that can captivate a passerby’s attention. You can make this something customers can look forward to by frequently changing your window designs according to seasons or trends.
Give Free Samples
To make a sale, you must be willing to give an inch so you can earn a mile, and in business, you can do this by enticing your clients with a little something. If you’re a food business, you can display a platter of your new products and best-sellers in front of your store and let people try your delicacies. While giving out free samples, you can also discuss limited-time sales and make our items seem more appealing and exclusive.
Offer Your Rest Room
When thinking about things that can help you market your products better, you must also factor in the customers’ needs and capitalize on them. Not every establishment allows customers to use their comfort rooms, but if you want to try every means possible to increase your shop’s foot traffic, the best you can do is offer your lavatory. Though this may be inconvenient, considering the additional cleaning you have to do, this can boost sales. By strategically lining up some of your products on the way to your restroom, clients can take a quick look at them and think about making a purchase.
Install Seats
As discussed above, you must consider your customer’s needs when thinking about effective promotional strategies. Shopping can be exhausting when you think about the endless walking and going in and out of stores. To appeal to your customers, you can break away from the line of shops by offering passersby a place to rest. You can cleverly place benches in front or beside your shelves, especially ones containing your items on sale so that customers can window-shop while catching their breaths. Catering to their pet’s needs will also give you more leverage. For this, you can place doggy bowls filled with water and make customers naturally stop in front of your establishment.
Make Your Entrance Accessible
Accommodating all customers should be one of your goals when collecting ideas to improve your sales. When your shop is challenging to enter, especially for differently-abled individuals, your chance of gaining a customer will vanish. Instead, before you officially start operations, specifically during your renovation or building phase, you must make your entrance easily accessible. You can do this by installing a ramp beside your stairs, as well as braille marks on your flooring.
Celebrate New Product Launches
Celebrations are one of the classic tools you can use to get the attention of potential customers. Given that the launch of your venture is indeed a cause for celebration, you can use this rare and one-time event to make your brand known, but you can also do this for the new items joining your product line. Passersby aren’t the only ones you should target during these events; you’ll also want to tap into modern and traditional mediums by inviting the press and drafting advertising deals with famous endorsers. During these events, you must not forget to give out gifts containing some of your products and those from partner businesses. For this, you can employ the services of a curated gift box business to have your gifts personalized.
Hire Accommodating Staff
To have a friendly and welcoming atmosphere is what you want for your shop. Sure, customers mainly drop by your store to look at your products or request your services, but your staff can also contribute to your shop’s appeal. Apart from skills, you must look at an applicant’s attitude during your hiring process to see if they can hold themselves well in front of various clients. Creating a team full of good-natured and friendly people is a diamond in the rough. Still, it would be best if you also searched for professionals who remain respectful without losing their ground, especially when faced with rude and angry customers.
Amid the rise of e-commerce, modern marketing strategies work alongside technological development. Still, traditional marketing is the basis of any strategy, keeping retail store foot traffic relevant. With product upgrades, store revamps, and good customer service, you can keep your physical store up and running and increase your customer base.
