Ten Tips To Increase Foot Traffic To Your Local Store

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Foot traffic: not just the pedestrian equivalent of rush hour, but the presence of customers in and around your business.  Having customers physically in your store is, obviously, key to the success of your business.  Higher foot traffic usually means higher sales.  But what if your business seems to keep getting passed by?  Here are some helpful suggestions to increase foot traffic in your store.

Traditional Signage Still Stands Out

 

We’re not saying you should go out and hire a sign spinning expert and get your name and image out that way. Although, now that we think about it some of those guys have serious moves. But in all seriousness you need to put up signage that really stands out. While standing out on the corner does get noticed, half the time it’s hard for the consumer to read what the sign says and what the company is selling , especially with awesome dancing as a distraction.

 

When creating signage, you want to make sure your customer can do three things: See it,

Read it, Do it.

 

See it: In order for your signage to do any good it needs to stand out. Look for obvious placement and bright colors.

 

Read it: Your sign needs to be large and legible enough to read in a matter of seconds while driving by. Use easy-to-read fonts and avoid using too many words.

 

Do it: Your message needs to be convincing enough to get those people to turn their cars into your parking lot and walk into your store. Or at the very least, remember you for next time.

 

Follow these steps and your signage should help bring people in and give you a chance to bring in additional revenue.

 

Do Something That Will Attract The News

 

If you really want to see results in your traffic you need the press to be on your side. This means you have to do something that will pique their interest and get them curious or excited about your business. Here’s a small list of ideas to get your brainstorming what your store can do to get some needed attention:

 

– Grand Re-Opening

– Interactive Contests

– The Store Is a Game

– Conferences/Workshops in-store

 

Grand Re-Openings Make a Big Impression

 

While it may sound wild and crazy there’s no better way to set up a new image and give a good impression on the community than re-opening your store. You’re sure to get an article or two written up about your store if you do, especially if you give the article writers plenty of notice. Go big and get yourself back on the map and in people’s minds.

 

Contest to Entice Customers to Create Eye-Catching Displays

 

What’s the first thing people see when they park in their parking lot? Your window displays! Sprucing them up can go a long way in bringing more consumers into your store. With the opportunity to create your window signage they will focus more on your store and what brings them in and what will bring future customers in as well. Customers feel more included and special if they can interact with your business somehow. Why not have them help you do your marketing?

 

Make Being in the Store a Game

 

Have you ever played monopoly at McDonald’s? It’s a little bit addicting when you get a piece for a winning fry, drink, burger, etc. Why not make your store more exciting by adding elements of a game similar to monopoly? When customers purchase an item in a certain price range they get a game piece. Game pieces either have free merchandise, gift cards or the possibility of combining pieces for even greater prizes. These are only a few ideas but as you can see, the press coverage and excitement this would bring could be huge.

 

Hold a Workshop or Conference

 

Let’s be honest. Your store isn’t just a place to put all your merchandise and hope people buy it. It’s a center where people come to decide what they want to wear and how they want to present themselves to the world. Why not use your real estate to its full potential and bring in speakers for conferences? People will come in to listen to the message and stay to purchase a few things they realized they needed while they were in the store.

 

Optimize Your Online Presence

 

You’re probably wondering how being online is going to help foot traffic. The answer is simple: people search online for retailers before they get in their car and make purchases.

Boosting your online presence will increase sales. Hiring an online marketing agency will give you the greatest chance for success.  However, here are a few quick tips to help you get started.

 

– Make your site user-friendly with clear, concise information.

– Focus on specific keywords and phrases you hope potential customers will use when searching online to find you.

– Use those focused keywords throughout your site to boost your relevance and ranking in applicable searches.

– Earn good customer reviews.  People take reviews to heart so invite customers to leave reviews and let others know about their positive experience with your business.

– Utilize local citations (such as Yellow Pages, Citysearch, etc.).  Having your business indexed in these various sites will help you rank higher in search engines.

 

If You Offer Deals and Discounts They Will Come

 

Another important tip to note, especially in terms of digital marketing, is offering deals and discounts.  It is no secret that customers want to get the most for their money and utilizing digital tools is a great way to advertise your specials.  It is common practice for individuals to “follow” companies on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, mainly for deals and discounts. Using social media is a great way to continually remind them what you offer, what’s on sale, and any special events you may be holding. With immediate access to your customer base, you have the ability to generate foot traffic with a few clicks.  For example, say it’s a slow day and foot traffic is low.  By offering a deal through your social channels, you can get a quick influx and increase the foot traffic.

 

Contact Your Contacts

 

With all the data you store on your computers and you gain from customers signing up for membership cards and online discounts you’ve got a great start on a mailing list of people to hit up during the slow times. They’ve bought from you once and are obviously interested in the types of products you sell. Take advantage of this list and make those people feel special and your traffic should increase because of it.

 

Incentives for Referrals

 

Lastly, show those in your store you value their opinion and treasure the business they are bringing you. Offer them incentives to give you referrals of friends and family who would also love to check out your store and your products. This way you’ll continually be getting new names and contacts and will have more opportunities to make money in different areas. Like the saying goes: “Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket” if you follow this advice with your retail store you’re more likely to succeed.

 

We know this is only a short list of simple ideas but we hope they will help to bring in more people to your store and money in your pocket!

 

If there are other things that have worked for you in the past, feel free to share them below.

 

Sources:

http://www.microsoftbusinesshub.com/News_and_Updates/7_ways_to_get_foot_traffic_to_your_retail_store

http://www.pbsmartessentials.com/get-customers/increase-foot-traffic-to-your-retail-store/


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