Try These Tips for Getting More People to Come to Your Retail Store
With all the talk of online marketing, it is easy to forget that many businesses still rely on a retail location to make money. We have gotten so used to talking about SEO, local SEO, pay-per-click, social media marketing, link audits, and the like, that companies with storefronts are left to fend for themselves in this brave, new world. If you do business the old-fashioned way, you might find yourself googling for business insights, only to discover that your kind of business is getting very little love these days.
Fear not. Your brand of business has not been forgotten. It is good to be reminded that many companies that start out completely online end up moving to brick and mortar. Those online mattress companies like Purple and Casper have retail stores in high-end malls all over the country. They are also getting floor space in other mattress stores. The most successful online businesses in the world cannot maintain that success without appeal to retail spaces. In the same way, online businesses are constantly making their appeal through the mediums of TV and radio. You are not doing anything wrong by operating primarily in the retail space. Here is how to get more people to enter those spaces.
Smart Lockers
You know what’s smarter than storage lockers? Smart lockers. And if you don’t have them in your business, you are missing out on one of the biggest and easiest win-wins in retail business. They are affordable, secure, hassle-free, and much beloved by customers. Best of all, you are giving people who don’t normally shop at your store a reason to discover and fall in love with it.
Smart lockers solve a problem for almost everyone in your community. In Alabama, porch pirate theft is at an all-time high. That is what it is called when someone steals a package from a porch that was delivered when no one was home. People cruise the neighborhoods searching for those easy grab and go opportunities. No one wants packages to be delivered to their unsecured porch. At the same time, no one can be home all the time. You can’t just skip work so you can stay home and wait for your new Mac Studio to be delivered. Many people would rather pay for a delivery box than fret with the hassle of package delivery. They would love to find a location in their community. Not only is it good business to have smart lockers, you will become a hero to many in the community.
Festivals
Everybody loves a good festival. LooseFest is just one of many great festivals coming to a town near you. Everyone loves music and dancing and food and drink and games and rides and… You get the idea. The only thing they don’t love is the indigestion from eating too much popcorn and cotton candy.
To make the most out of festivals, rent a booth and establish a presence. Become a sponsor and reap even more benefits. If you have a food service, give out free samples. Get a permit to have a food truck at the festival. There are dozens of ways to be present at a festival and get your business some exposure. You only need convert a small number of impressions to paying customers for it to be worth it for your business.
Host Worthy Causes
Many businesses used a part of their property to allow authorized agencies to give COVID tests and vaccinations. Today, many popular pharmacies provide these services. But you can still find tents and kiosks outside of coffee shops, apartment complexes, and even cellular providers. These businesses have found a way to do something good for the community that also benefits themselves. It is yet another win-win. You don’t have to be perfectly altruistic to have done a good thing. Altruism can align with business priorities. The Red Cross will be happy to come out and do a blood drive if your facility meets their requirements. Look for opportunities like that to give people a reason to notice your business.
There are still a lot of effective things retail owners can do to bring people into the store. Start by bringing in smart lockers, attending festivals, and hosting worthy causes.