There’s nothing quite like the joy of running your own business. You get to be your own boss, call the shots, and chart the course of your future without the outside control of anyone else. There’s a lot to like, which is why small business owners are often considered to be some of the most satisfied people in the country.
However, there are a lot of challenges a small business owner must work to overcome as well. Prime among them, of course, is the effort required to actually bring new customers into their store.
If you’re trying to determine how to get more customers into your retail store, you’re certainly not alone. There are many different strategies you might be able to employ to bring in new people and sell your products or services.
Ready to learn more? Read on and we’ll walk you through what you need to know.
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Embrace Online Dominance
We might not like to admit it, but the battle against the convenience and ease of the internet has pretty much been lost by brick-and-mortar sellers. Despite the many benefits of in-person shopping, a large majority of consumers do a large majority of their purchasing these days online.
This doesn’t have to be all bad, and there are still many ways to use the powers of the web to get people to walk in physically through your front door.
One such way would be to utilize the online ordering but in-person pickup options that have become all the rage over the past two years.
Many customers will happily come to visit your store to avoid having to pay the cost of shipping. Embracing store pickup options for your online orders can help to give them a way out of these costs. It also allows customers an opportunity to see a product in person and adjust their expectations if need be.
Of course, the real bonus of having this option is that gets new customers in your front door. Once they’ve actually stepped foot into your store, they’ve made their relationship with your shop real and physical.
That means they’ll be more likely to return in the future. They might also feel the temptation to purchase more of your products once they’re actually standing in your store.
Send SMS Coupons and Discounts
The most direct connection you can make with a potential customer, the better. If you’ve attracted the attention of a potential customer in the past, all they might need to become a true customer is a little push.
SMS marketing and other direct marketing efforts can provide that exact kind of push. You simply, for example, send a 20% discount to those on your SMS mailing list.
Unlike e-mails, social media ads, and other forms of digital marketing, a text message is likely to be read and engaged with. It’s the exact kind of precise and direct form of communication that a retail business requires to get results.
You want to make sure not to overdo this form of customer acquisition, as sending coupons out to people’s phones too frequently could get annoying. However, offering savings every so often can be enough to help get someone through the door.
Optimize Your Online Website
Today, most consumers find out about new small businesses to support via the internet. Online research leads most people to find new stores to support outside of the major brands.
If you’re relying on consumers to find you without the aid of an official website, you might not be bringing too much new foot traffic into your business.
It needs to be important to you as a business owner to operate an efficient and informative website. You can look at the Ultimate Mats website at https://ultimatemats.com/ to see an excellent example of a great business website.
It should also be important to you to ensure that you land as high on the search results as possible. You might need to enlist the help of an SEO service or learn about SEO on your own to ensure you’re showing up towards the top of people’s search queries.
If you can, getting word of your business out online through other outlets can only help to expand your reach. See if there local blogs that might cover your store or if local press might be interested in doing a story.
Make sure you have a profile on Google and Yelp and you keep an eye out for the information that is being presented there. The last thing you want is to provide inaccurate information to a potential customer who is looking you up!
Host Events
Yes, most people go shopping to get products they need and head home. However, one excellent way to expand your reach in the community is to make yourself a more central part of it.
Hosting events can be a great way to do this. What kind of event you should hold will depend on what kinds of products or services you provide. If you run a pet shop, for example, you could potentially host a day where animal lovers bring their pets to play.
Whatever you do, giving people a reason to gather and enjoy themselves can help them learn about and endear themselves to your business. That means more customers later on down the road.
Understanding How to Get More Customers
If you’re concerned about increasing foot traffic to your business, the above strategies and opportunities can help. It can be difficult to determine how to get more customers in your store, but with a little determination and effort, you can expand your reach.
Need more advice and ideas for your business? Keep scrolling our blog for more.
Infographic provided by Riveron Consulting, a provider of finance operations consulting
