If you have a brick and mortar store, then you likely wonder on a regular basis just how you can increase your foot traffic and visitor numbers. More visitors to your store will mean a natural increase in sales, which can lead to a better bottom line for your business.
But, when you’re nestled amongst a row of shops or even just a standalone store, how exactly do you increase footfall to your store and attract more visitors? Here are 3 ways to increase retail footfall and improve your overall retail marketing strategy.
Adapt To The Seasons
If you can, try to adapt your store to the seasons. You want to give people new and relevant reasons to keep coming back to your store. For example, if you offer products that would be good for back-to-school, then let your customers know about this. Or, if a season such as Autumn is in full swing, try to incorporate this into your shop window displays.
You want to make your store as appealing as possible to potential customers, however this doesn’t just need to be how your store looks. If your store gets particularly warm in the summer, then look at having fans dotted around the store to keep customers comfortable.
During autumn, when the weather is particularly bleak and miserable, ensure there are umbrella holders, foot mats on entry and that the shop is warm and welcoming. People will remember how your store made them feel and, if that was comfortable, they will very likely return.
Make Your Shop Front More Appealing
If your shop front doesn’t look attractive, then this will deter customers from visiting your shop. Taking time to pay attention to your exterior might not seem like much at the time, but it can transform your business and visitor numbers. De-weed your shop front, sweep away debris and clean your windows and door for an instant transformation, but if you have additional spaces, such as car parking, paying attention to these areas is important also.
If you have an unkempt car park, then this will give visitors a bad first impression of your business, so take some time to make the space tidier, so remove any weeds and rubbish and, if you can, give the space a sweep. If the space is large enough, you could even repaint the lines and place some potted plants or flowers to brighten the space.
If the front of your store or business is looking tired and dated, you could look at repainting the building and invest in new signage. If you do consider repainting your shop front, there are some steps to take prior to this in order to make the paintwork last longer. Depending on the material used for your building, regular pressure washing may be too harsh and cause damage to the materials. DOFF cleaning is a gentler way of cleaning stone and brickwork and, by removing the layer of dirt and grime, paint is likely to last longer.
Use Google My Business
There are plenty of free marketing tools you can use to attract more customers to your business. Google My Business is perhaps the most useful tool you can use to promote your business to local customers and visitors and even better, is that it’s free! You can update your business location, opening hours, phone number and services/products you offer so that when people are searching for stores in the area, your business will be visible on Google Maps and search results.
As well as updating your business information, visitors and customers can leave reviews about your business, which can further encourage people to visit your store based on the reviews alone! Getting positive reviews is really important for your business and it’s good to encourage visitors and customers to leave reviews for your store once they leave. You could offer incentives for leaving a review, such as a little freebie or 10% off their next purchase, which encourages customers to do so.
Conclusion
There are many different ways that you can encourage customers and visitors to come to your store or business, you just need to find the right ones for your individual business. Making your business more attractive is one of the best ways to do this and not only will your sales and revenue improve, but your business will get a revamp and refresh. From thought out and strategic marketing strategies to a quick sweep and wipe down, there are plenty of ways you can make your business more appealing to potential customers that take little time and money to do.