9 Strategies For Getting More Foot Traffic In Your Store
For any brick and mortar retail business, the most important thing is always going to be getting people in the front door of that store. If you can do that, then your products and deals can do all the work of tempting people towards the point of purchase. If you never get them inside to begin with, however, then you can it much harder to get them interested in the first place. So, what are some of the strategies you can use to get them in and around your store in the first place?
Make sure that people know you are there
One of the big mistakes in retail is how many stores fail to capitalize on the space that they occupy in the first place. If you’re not able to stand out on your street or wherever you might be situated, then you may have trouble attracting any attention in the first place. The flat store banner sign is the easiest to ignore. Invest in high-quality signage for your store, whether it’s 3D signage, signs that come out from the walls, backlit signs, or otherwise. If you’re off the main road, then consider having a sign that directs drivers towards your business rather than just having a sign on the very front of your store, too.
Use the digital world to hype up the physical location
Digital marketing isn’t something that should be used simply to drive sales online. It’s just as effective when it comes to marketing physical products and locations, as well. You can use social media to generate a lot of FOMO in your customers, for instance. You can also use notifications on your follower’s phones so that, when they approach your location, their phone will ping with deals that are available at your location. If you can make them sound extra limited, that’s even more likely to drive those customers towards you so that they don’t miss out.
Make use of FOMO
As mentioned above, FOMO, or the Fear Of Missing Out, can be a very effective tool in marketing and you should use your physical location to make good use of it. For instance, if you run a business that is both offline and online, then your store and other online presence should advertise any in-store specials that may attract a crowd that is usually content to do all of their shopping with a click. Similarly, consider running more lotteries, content, or other promotional events that might happen in store and take the time to advertise them both with flyers for local use as well as online with social media.
Invest in the design of the store
If the space is well-designed and well-branded, then it’s naturally going to attract more attention. You don’t want your store to look barebones, nor do you want it to look like every other store in the area or in your industry. For that reason, you should consider investing in a retail fit-out, using the expert advice of interior decorators to help you design a space that communicates what you want it to while providing a good shopping experience for those who do take the step inside. Even minor changes in positioning your products, lighting the store, and adding a little more branding through imagery can make a big difference, making your store feel like much more of a curated, high-quality experience.
Put your best foot forward
As well as the signage or any such additions that are used to bring attention to the existence of the store in the first place, you should make sure that your displays in your windows and near your doorway are positioned and organized to gain the attention of the passerby as best as possible. Considering working with a visual merchandising service that can make sure that you are putting your most aesthetically pleasing and tempting products first and foremost and arranging them in a way that entices would-be shoppers to take a closer look. Visual merchandising works throughout the entire store, of course, with additions such as displays able to add some excitement or novelty to your products.
Create shareable experiences in store
Marketing has largely evolved around the idea of what is “shareable.” How we communicate our identity as individuals has changed and, in large part, social media stirs that change. Customers are not just consumers, they are the product that they market and their social media feeds are the tools they use to market their life. You can get them to market your store at the same time by creating shareable experiences. The best example of this is the in-store social media experience, such as the selfie wall with a backdrop that encourages customers to take a picture. You can even offer a slight discount for those that tag the store when they post these photos online to increase their desire to share even future.
Give them more reasons to come inside
Believe it or not, you don’t always need to be upfront about the intention of getting them in the store. If you can get a person in the store for another reason, then you might be able to capitalize on the situation and convert a customer who may have previously had no notion of buying anything. For instance, you can look at an ATM machine for sale. A lot of people use ATMs on a daily basis, or at least a couple of times a week and, if you have the only one that’s in the area, they’re more likely to come into the store to use it.
Make it a more pleasant place to spend time
People are often going to peek inside a store before they make the decision as to whether they’re going to stop and go inside. You can make sure that, when they do peek, they see a place that they want to be. For instance, you can make sure you have a welcome and visible seating area. Certain stores may benefit from having a coffee or tea machine that they allow customers to use, as well. Speak to all of their senses, as well. Consider using an aroma diffuser to make sure that the store stays fresh with a pleasing scent that will encourage customers to linger for a little longer than they might otherwise plan to.
Be seasonal
One of the benefits of inhabiting a physical space is that you get to do a lot more to adjust to the mood and aesthetics of the season. Your products are likely to change with each season but how you decorate the store should, as well. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is getting festive with holiday decorations as the end of the year approaches. However, changes in decor and even the scent of the store with the hotter warmer or with other seasonal events are going to help draw a little more attention to the store. This is even truer if it comes with a seasonal sale, of course. You should be taking advantage of any opportunity to make it feel like there is a limited-time special event in the store.
Of course, getting them inside isn’t a guarantee. Having the right product displays, the quality of store experience, and the customer service to close the deal is important, too. But before that, you need to find a way of bringing your customers into the shop in the first place. Hopefully, the tips above have helped give you some ideas on how to do that.