If you think doomsday is nearing for retail stores, you are wrong. More people across the globe still rely on offline and brick-and-mortar stores. Online businesses have indeed taken over a massive chunk of the market. You may not know this yet; the market gurus seem hiding from you.
Various goods are best bought from the store. You should physically check such things and weigh the pros and cons. Online can never give that deal. You can never judge how soft and comfortable a garment is online. You mostly have to rely on reviews and testimonials. It is the in-store experience that counts. Many consumers still rely on the touch-and-feel aspect. Thus, you can gain more business from your store today by providing solutions to problems online sales have no answer to.
You will learn the top ways to attract new customers to your store and keep them.
Try to Match Online Prices
It would be best if you tried to offer prices that customers see online. The customer will leave and buy online if the product is more expensive at your store. It can sometimes be impossible to match the Giant sellers’ competitive rates. It could eat up all your margins. However, you can offer other incentives. You can provide discount coupons on the next purchase, a free warranty, and a money-back guarantee. Whatever you decide, you must remember that it will affect your target consumer’s buying behavior.
Improve the Store’s Appeal
This is one of the easiest things to do for retail stores. You should already have a template based on your store’s design. Now, you have to work on it a bit. You will mostly get walk-ins. These customers see the shop window, get attracted by what they see, and enter the shop to explore. Locals always shop at neighborhood stores. So you should learn a thing or two about visual merchandising. This should be on and above what you are already doing. Ensure that the signage is always on and visible from a distance. Additionally, your store should be well-decorated. Have well-lit interiors with proper temperature control facilities.
Business leaders might not admit it, but many customers will enter your store to cool in humid weather. The temperature, lighting, and visual appeal add to the intangible crowd pullers. Since your store will run at least 10 hours daily, always keep an air conditioner repair personnel’s number on speed dial. That is one person whom you can fall back on in the case of emergencies.
Give Buy Online, Pick Offline Offers
Many customers hate paying for shipping. So, you can be a solution to this pain point. This is your ample opportunity to lure customers to your store for a pickup and cross-sell other items.
This is one huge factor that will help you compete closely with online businesses that o not have a physical address. You can also coax customers into impulsive buys. They are less likely to go online, as customers already know what they want. Moreover, customers can access carts to save goods. In the case of offline, they have to buy it straight away.
You can also offer instant discounts to customers and make the sale. Customers love discounts and savings. Moreover, if they are unannounced, they are all the better.
Optimize Your Site
It would be best to always look at various optimization options for your website. Most local customers search online and then visit the store. Such customers love the tangible aspect of the whole buying process. So, post about your business on authoritative sites and free directories. Classified sites are also huge draws today. They mostly have optimized sites that various companies can utilize. You can try their free ads services. Once you start getting footfalls, get a package.
The sites have SEO optimization guidelines to help you gain a steady stream of business inquiries, which you can convert to footfalls. When you are thinking about the locals, do consider word-of-mouth publicity. You can have more people coming in than you thought. Many locals will also stroll into your store with peers who have no intention of buying. However, they, too, buy, given you have the best quality and competitive pricing. You have to enlist your business on Google Business as well. That is where all the traffic is today.
These are a few ways to attract new customers to your retail store. However, it would be best to remember that retaining a customer can bring more benefits. To attract and control, with a great attitude and friendly behavior.
