Even though many people shop online and big retailers are struggling, you can keep your store profitable by focusing your marketing efforts where they make a difference. In the end, most business for local stores is generated through word of mouth. While you can certainly use advertising to attract new customers, your best returns on investment will most likely be found in signage and customer service. Here we’ll give you actionable tips on increasing your sales today.
Invest in Proper Signage
Unless your store has been in business for more than a decade, there are probably quite a few people in the area who don’t know that you exist. Fortunately, this can easily be fixed by installing proper signage. There are different ways to alert potential customers to your business.
If your retail store located near a major highway where cars are driving by fast, your best option is to install a tall sign that can be seen from afar. Conversely, if you’re in a downtown area, you’ll want to have a monument sign on the ground that’s easily visible to pedestrians. Additionally, you’ll need bold lettering at the top of your store. If the letters can be lit when it’s dark, that will also increase people’s awareness of your store.
Another thing you must do is get your store onto Google and Bing maps. This helps your customers find you easily, but it also lets people discover your store when they’re in the area. Most people consult their phone for directions when they’re going somewhere, and they’ll discover your store if they’re going to another place in the area – as long as you put it on the map.
Make It Personal
One of the reasons your customers are coming to your store is to get personalized attention. While they could have ordered the same or similar product online, they wanted to go to the store in person. If you want them to remember your store, you have to make their shopping experience personal. Customers should be greeted upon entering your store, and your staff must make every effort to help them find what they’re looking for.
If appropriate, you should strike up a conversation with your customer and get to know them a little bit. People will remember the conversations they’ve had with retail employees. It makes a huge difference to their shopping experience. Everyone craves personal attention, and people will prefer a friendly store atmosphere over a big, impersonal store, all other things being equal.
Train Your Staff
To provide the best customer service, you must train your staff. Every employee should have a good understanding of your product offerings. When you’re selling toys, many customers who come in need guidance. Your staff should be able to direct customers to age-appropriate toys and make suggestions based on some basic information about the child.
Your staff must also know how to make the sale happen. There are many different sales techniques that can be used to encourage people to buy without appearing pushy. When your staff has an understanding of which products work together, it will be easier for them to make the right suggestions. They should also inform potential customers about special offers you have going on right now to encourage them to buy today.
Offer Them a Sweet Deal
Everyone loves discounts and coupons. While many establishments don’t like using coupons because they’re afraid to attract the wrong type of crowd, there’s nothing wrong with using a sales strategy to increase your revenue today. You can do this by offering in-store customers $10 off on a $100 purchase. That’s 10% off, but your customers must spend a decent amount of money in your store. If someone is buying toys for their child’s birthday, they’re quite likely to spend more than that anyway. Otherwise, you could encourage them to knock out the next gift-giving occasion to take advantage of your special offer. How many people wouldn’t love to get their Christmas shopping done in July?
People spend a lot of time picking out the right house or car, but they don’t usually go back and forth on which toy to buy. If they need to purchase a toy for a special occasion, they’ll usually do it on the same day. If they’re browsing your store and leaving without buying anything, you probably won’t get them to come back for a little while. That’s why you need to make them an offer they can’t refuse.