How Can New Technology Boost and Modernize Your Music Store?

Running a retail business in the current climate is a difficult endeavor. Online shopping monopolies can potentially cut into a small business’s market share or undercut prices. However, music stores are in a unique position to withstand the age of digital shopping. Only a portion of your customer base is comfortable purchasing an instrument on brand reputation or technical specs, alone. Many customers, especially those interested in expensive high-end instruments, insist on hearing any potential purchases firsthand. Superb customer service and a smooth shopping experience can keep a music store humming, and new business technology can help with both.

How Can Emerging Technology Help Your Music Store?

Business owners should constantly have one ear open for new and useful technology. Here are a few innovations that can bring your music store business to a serious crescendo in the coming year.

Invest in a Specialized Point of Sale System for Music Stores

If you’re using a general point of sale system, now is the time to upgrade to a specially designed music store POS software solution. New software can address and streamline the unique challenges of your store, such as managing rare inventory so you never double sell instruments. Special orders have their designated place in the system, and coordinating a repair shop is easy with software built for the task. Intuitive software design makes it so your employees and managers won’t struggle to learn the new system. Data collection and marketing tools make it easier for you to run the business, as well.

Use Data To Optimize Store and Website Layout

After updating your POS system, think about how long your store has gone since its last redesign. This should apply to your business’s website as well. Music store customers frequently have a strong idea of what category of purchase they have in mind, so a thoughtfully designed store layout is a must to provide the best shopping experience.

You can use customer data to guide your choices when it comes to store layout. The most popular purchase categories absolutely need their own designated section of your store or website.

According to recent estimates, the most frequently purchased musical instrument around the world is, surprisingly, the harmonica! These instruments are inexpensive and fairly easy to learn, so it’s a good idea to offer some popular brands in a prominent section of your store and website.

However, the most popular big-ticket items for music stores are generally guitars, guitar accessories and violins. Use retail psychology strategies to best organize each of these major categories. Don’t simply sort options by economy, mid-line and luxury categories or by brand. Instead, mix a few expensive options in with the middle options to make these options seem cheaper by comparison.

In a physical store, it’s easier to steer the customer towards a nicer option than the one they may have chosen shopping online. Not only will this help the store’s bottom line, but the customer will also likely be happier with their choice and its sound quality. Even if an economy option sells well, give it a less prominent place in the display to draw attention to the more expensive “upgrades.” Make sure your sales staff knows in detail why the best options in your store cost more and why they’re a good value.

Roll Out Digital Marketing Strategies

Digital marketing is a must in the current sales and retail climate. Email lists are a great place to start. Use advanced sales software to identify your best customers and be sure to notify them of upcoming sales with enticing email notifications.

What makes for a good digital advertisement? Follow these quick pointers:

• Make your subject line clear and be sure to name your business.
• Highlight new products in popular categories.
• Use vibrant, cleanly designed images to provide visual appeal.
• Offer exclusive coupons and discounts to email subscribers.
• Send emails about twice a month to keep your brand in customers’ minds without overwhelming them.

Of course, email marketing isn’t the only digital marketing option available these days. Keep an updated Facebook page for your business using the same graphics from your newsletter. Highlight new products and especially beautiful instruments on a company’s Instagram. Boosting brand recognition can be as easy as creating a social media post every week or two.

Music stores are important parts of community culture and share the joy of music and creativity. Use a few smart technology strategies to improve your music store business in the coming year.