The pandemic and long-lasting lockdowns gave a huge boost to the e-commerce industry. Ordering items through the internet is more convenient than going to a brick-and-mortar store – and, more importantly, safer – especially when you have to limit your time outside or even self-isolate.
But as the pandemic is slowly fading away, people are now keener on going back to the world. And with that, they’re more likely to enjoy their time shopping in actual stores instead of through their mobile phones. And that means more potential customers for your retail business. But the question is how to attract them effectively?
Following the sanitary regulations is an obvious and necessary step, so to stand out and attract new clients, you should go the extra mile and focus on marketing, e.g., hosting small events, running inviting sales, and expanding your web presence. Below, you will find more details about attracting clients to your retail business!
Run Contests and Promotions to Build Awareness
As one of the best ways to generate interest in your brand, running contests, giveaways, and promotions is a must. This will not only build awareness of your brand but also help you gather more information about your customers. Develop a strategy and create a buzz around your business.
To achieve that, you may need to put in some effort. First, identify the contest’s objective, e.g., to promote a particular product or service. Then, think about its target market – who are your potential customers for that? And what kind of contest should you run? You need to come up with a catchy theme, give away attractive prizes, and post on social media, as well as include details in your regular newsletters. Using promotional materials, such as coffee sleeves for retail marketing, can also be a great idea to make your business stand out.
Host Small Events to Build Trust
Hosting events can be a great way to bring people together and get them to know you. Small events, such as a pop-up shop, are not only a great way to show off your products and services but also build trust with your customers.
Although current regulations may not allow organizing huge events, you can still find a way to bring people in. For example, you can organize a book drive with the purpose of donating the books to an orphanage. This can be a great way to showcase your business’s social responsibility.
Run Inviting Sales to Attract New Clients
Sales are a great way to entice new customers to try your business and make them come back for more. So don’t shy away from the idea of offering discounts. However, be careful not to overdo; you can easily attract people who only want to buy certain products for cheap with no intention of coming back to pay regular prices later.
So if you sell books, check which are trending at the moment and use that to your advantage. For example, if there’s a new TV series based on a set of fantasy books, they should be at the top of your sales list. Or else, you can schedule a regular sale every week or month to entice people to come back regularly.
Use Social Media to Promote Your Store
Social media is a powerful tool that can help you promote your business and attract new clients. It’s also a great way to communicate with your existing clientele and get more information about them.
To market your business through social media, you can create a Facebook page and use it to post relevant content. For example, if you’re running a bookstore, you may write about the latest books that interest your target audience. You can also use the platform to collect information about your customers in order to create targeted ads and make your sales more effective.
Build Your Online Presence
Online presence is an excellent way to make your business visible and accessible. First of all, you need to focus on improving visibility. You will need a proper website, an easy-to-remember name, and a recognizable logo.
Besides that, you need to create a Google My Business page, which will allow you to show up in the maps section of your target customers. You can also get reviews on other websites and social media platforms, and attract more visitors through dedicated blogs and newsletters.
Make Your Storefront Stand Out
Your storefront is the first thing that catches the eyes of potential customers, so you should use it to your advantage. Make sure that it looks inviting and clean. Throwing up some decorations can catch people’s eye, but be sure not to overdo it as you can easily end up making your storefront look messy.
Furthermore, you can add some discount offers or freebies around your storefront. For example, if you’re selling books, you can keep a few boxes of books on your storefront and offer those as a part of your book-crossing program.
To Sum Up
E-commerce is expanding rapidly, which means that brick-and-mortar businesses will have to compete with it. To stand out and attract new clients, you need to focus on marketing, run small events, host inviting sales, and build your online presence. Make sure that you have a proper website and logo, greatly improve your store’s visibility, and make the store attractive to potential customers.
As you can see, there are a lot of things you can do for your retail business. However, it takes some effort and time to come up with a strategy and put it into practice. But it will be worth it!
