If you’re a small business owner, getting people through your doors is your money-maker. You already know this, of course. You’re probably thinking that if you could will people to come to your shop, you would. Since the power of telepathy doesn’t work, we’ve put together a list of simple, actionable ways to increase foot traffic in your shop.
Four Simple Ways to Get Customers Through Your Doors
- Make your first impression the highest priority.
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but that’s exactly what your target market is going to do. You want every single aspect of the first impression that your potential customers get to be nothing but professional. You might think you have an artsy flare and can design your own store signage. Nope. Your future customers will be able to tell that it isn’t professional. They’ll assume if you cut corners with your store sign, your entire product or service is probably low quality.
Spend the money to do it right so that your target customers get a great first impression. Use a professional graphic designer to develop professional display signs. Make sure the exterior of your shop is well-maintained and clean. Before you open your doors for the day, take a broom and sweep up the parking lot and the walkway. You don’t want potential customers to see litter on the ground and assume that you take the same level of care with the level of service you offer. Care about the details. Build it and they will come. - Invest in the right indoor sign stands.
You might be scratching your head and thinking, “What in tarnation do indoor sign stands have to do with getting people through my doors?” Hear us out:
As you know, there is a certain online retailer that has shaken the way brick-and-mortar retailers do business. One such brick-and-mortar retailer who has particularly had to rethink the way they do business is Wal-Mart. One thing they changed about their stores is the indoor sign stands. They’ve made their display stands at the front of the store lower, and taller display racks towards the back, with wider aisles along the sides, so that a customer can walk through their doors and see all of the indoor sign stands from the entrance. This makes the customers feel less overwhelmed by the store. Finding the products they need is as simple as referencing the free standing signs or the floor sign holders, much like typing your query in a search field on Amazon. Your target market is used to having instant solutions, thanks to the World Wide Web. Treating your store like it’s its own version of a Google search bar will get customers through your doors. - Develop an irresistible hook.
What do you have to offer that makes it worthwhile for your customers to leave the comfort of their home and come visit you? If you don’t give them any reason why your product or service is superior to your competitors, they’re going to look for exactly what you sell online, and choose “Free Two Day Shipping” instead of coming to you for it.Take a good look at your business and ask yourself why anyone should come to you for your product rather than looking online or going to your competitor. Take the answer you give yourself, and make it shine. If your product has better quality than your competitors, make sure you advertise that. If you have provide the best customer service in town, get active on social media, so that your target market gets a whiff of your customer service before they walk through the doors. If you can’t think of a reason anyone should come to your business rather than going elsewhere, then you should rethink your business plan.
- Look to the World Wide Web.
Even if you don’t sell a single thing online, it is critical that you can be found online. There is a 90% chance that your customers are going to research your product online before they spend a penny. If you made your website in the mid-nighties and treat it like a digital billboard and nothing more, your customers are going to find your competitors who are active online and walk through their doors instead.
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