In this era of online shoppers, running a brick-and-mortar store looks challenging and not profitable. The younger generation finds online shopping convenient for the goods delivered at the place where they are.

Brick-and-mortar stores rely on their real-time customers who visit stores for their purchases. Similarly, many customers love in-store shopping rather than doing online shopping. According to a recent study, 71% of customers spend more than 50 dollars in retail stores, but only 54% of shoppers prefer to spend more on online shopping.

Here are the ten tips that will help your brick-and-mortar stores increase foot traffic and earn more revenue.

10 tips to drive more foot traffic to your brick and mortar store

Using search platforms – google/apple maps

According to a survey conducted by GroundTruth, location and convenience are the two factors that influenced shopping at a brick-and-mortar store. Most of the customers who wanted to buy in-store preferred to shop nearby.

It is surprising to note that in 90% of the purchase at stores, 53% of purchase decisions happen after checking online. This confirms that it will be better for retail merchants to use digital technology to share information about their products online on their websites. It will help to increase retail foot traffic to their stores. Retail foot traffic data helps to predict the trend of the day and understand the changing pattern in sales.

To get people to your store, start verifying your store’s location with the help of map applications. Make sure your store is showing at the right place on maps. The verified business list will appear whenever someone searches for your store or your type of retail store. The listing will include information about your business, your location on the Map, reviews, and photos of your store.

Store signage

Brick-and-mortar retail stores mainly rely on signage to display the brand name and prompt customers to do shopping. Signage both outside and inside retail stores in the most attractive way may boost sales with the increased foot traffic.

Usually, signage outside the store hangs above the entrance or displayed on windows. Appealing window displays with the latest products attract passers-by and let them walk inside the store to purchase.

Signage inside the store displays advertisements about the products or directions on how to use the products or standards and procedures followed while using their products. Choosing your signage with focus will increase foot traffic and bring in loyal shoppers to your store.

Well-maintained storefront

A neatly maintained storefront attracts more foot traffic to your retail store. Sparkling clean windows with neatly displayed items encourage window shoppers to check for the latest products.

The enriched appearance of your store must attract window shoppers to walk inside the store and purchase products.  Maintenance of walls, windows, doors, shelves, and tables must be a daily routine.

Installing feather flags at your storefront, a cost-effective way of promoting your brick-and-mortar store attracts more foot traffic. Feather flags with minimum text move with the wind to grab the attention of passersby.

Importance of employee training

With everything in order, it is important to have your employees at the store be warm, polite, and helpful. Poor customer experience can reduce foot traffic and affect your sales to the maximum.

Regular training sessions for your employees on serving customers at your retail store must happen at least once a month. During this session, you can discuss how to interact better with the customers and help them purchase to their likings.

Social media opportunities

In the digital world, online reputation has become a must for every business. Social media platforms provide excellent opportunities to inform your prospective customers about your latest collection of products at your retail store. Nowadays, customers check online about the availability of products before they visit the brick-and-mortar retail stores in person to purchase products of their choice.

To promote more sales of your retail products, you can request customers to submit reviews online on the social media pages about their purchased products and their interaction with your store employees. You can reward them with gift vouchers or points that can be redeemed at your store during their next purchase.

Building community

For customers who visit your brick-and-mortar store, you can create space on your social media page to share their views and opinions. Bringing together your existing customers and potential customers online will provide excellent opportunities to increase retail foot traffic and simultaneously increase sales as well.

Along with online interaction with your customers, face-to-face interaction with them can help you be ahead in sales. Your retail store must provide a space for your customers to hang out and spend extra time in your venue.

Customer loyalty

Making use of your returning customers’ loyalty will help you have more foot traffic. Customers who are members of loyalty programmes promote your brand to a greater extent. They consistently purchase your products and recommend your products to their near and dear. 

Loyalty programmes help brick-and-mortar retailers to cherish their customer relationships and build deeper connections with them. Interaction with customers will help retailers to customise promotions and drive more foot traffic to their stores. For customers enrolled in loyalty programmes, your store can offer a gift or a discount or a special prize for their purchase.  

Working with social media influencers

To encourage in-store promotions, your brick-and-mortar store can interact with social media influencers, who have a specific target audience. Sponsor posts in which social media influencers feature your products and present reviews. It will help to create brand awareness. 

Identifying social influencers for your products will help to strengthen your online presence and indirectly influence the increase in foot traffic to your brick-and-mortar store. Your store can set up referral systems that will reward social influencers for talking about your store. 

Picking-up online purchases

The latest trend is to buy online, pick up in-store. It is an effective way for brick-and-mortar stores to increase the online purchase of products and foot traffic at the local store. It connects the online and offline experiences of existing and potential customers.

In this pandemic era, buy online, pick up in-store has helped to promote a safer way of shopping by minimising the time spent in-store.

Offering shopping deals

Click-and-collect services in your brick-and-mortar stores will bring potential customers to your stores and increase foot traffic.

The customers who choose the click and collect option when purchasing products from the online store and they can visit the store to collect them.

According to a survey, 50% of its respondents preferred in-store pickup, and 45% of its respondents bought additional products while picking up in-store.

Conclusion

At present, customers while looking for new products, first research about them online and read reviews before visiting in-store.

Reviews on social media platforms encourage potential customers to walk in-store and increase foot traffic. It is better to note all possible ways that will increase foot traffic and bring in considerable profit to your store.