How To Attract Customers to Your Store: 9 Ideas That Really Work

“Build it, and they will come.”

This is popular advice for small business owners, but an excellent shopping experience isn’t all it takes to grow a successful retail store.

You need a marketing strategy. Without one, your potential shoppers have no idea where you are, what you sell, or why they should support your business over big-box stores and e-commerce giants.

In this blog, we’ll cover how to attract customers and keep them coming back with nine proven marketing strategies.

Let’s get started!

Building Awareness

First, let’s cover how to increase foot traffic and turn casual browsers into paying customers. Here are three ways to create a welcoming environment and drive sales.

Strategy 1: Improve Your Storefront Appearance and Curb Appeal

Your storefront is the first thing customers see. Like a silent salesperson, it can give them a warm welcome — or it can scare them away.

Let’s look at a few ways to use your storefront to attract passersby:

Refresh your window displays: Give a sneak peek into what your store offers with eye-catching, creative window displays. Highlight bestsellers, seasonal picks, or discounted items. Remember to update your displays as the seasons change!

Upgrade your signage: Is your store’s signage peeling or faded? New signs are worth the investment. Use large, easy-to-read fonts and colors that match your store’s brand identity.

Invest in good lighting: Lighting makes a surprising impact on how customers perceive your store. Ensure your window displays, exterior, and parking lot are well-lit to make them feel safe and comfortable — whether they’re visiting in the morning or at night.

These are just the basics, but here are a few strategies to take your storefront to the next level during peak shopping times:

Create a sample station: Send an employee out on the sidewalk to offer passersby samples of your bestsellers. This is a particularly effective strategy for specialty grocery stores like bakeries and cheese shops.

Use chalkboard art: Invest in an A-frame chalkboard sign to invite customers into your store. Impressive art or funny jokes are a bonus!

Place a sale rack outside: If you have good visibility from inside your store, consider placing a rack of clearance pieces right outside your door with clear “50% off!” signage. Customers will browse through the clothes, then come inside to explore your boutique further.

You don’t have to remodel your entire store — just a few of these tweaks can make a significant difference in your foot traffic.

Strategy 2: Create an Immersive Shopping Environment

Next, let’s talk about the inside of your store.

Today’s customers can easily shop online for anything they need, so it’s critical to provide an in-store experience that they can’t get anywhere else. In other words, you’re selling an experience — not a product.

Here are a few tips:

Set the mood: Use lighting and music to create a comfortable atmosphere — not too bright or loud, but not too dim or quiet either.

Craft smart displays: Use retail merchandising techniques to guide customers through your store. Grocery stores should place high-margin bestsellers at eye level, and boutiques should organize pieces by color or style.

Offer next-level customer service: Greet every customer who walks through your door, share a brief overview of what you have to offer, and make a personalized product recommendation. Don’t hover, but be available to help if needed.

Create a convenient checkout experience: Long lines or clunky checkout processes can push customers away, so make sure your point of sale (POS) system is up for the challenge. Look for lightning-fast barcode scanning, contactless pay, and a user-friendly interface.

These strategies will help you win over customers and drive sales.

Strategy 3: Claim Your Google Business Profile

Looking for another way to increase foot traffic and bring in local customers? A Google Business Profile is a must-have.

Your Google Business Profile is a valuable tool for local search engine optimization (SEO). It makes it easier for potential customers to discover, learn about, and navigate to your business on Google Maps.

Make sure your profile includes critical information like:

Your store’s address
Operating hours
Contact information
A quick description of what you sell
The link to your website
High-quality photos of your exterior and interior

This is an easy but highly effective step for attracting new customers to your store.

Increasing Your Reach

We’ve covered how to attract customers in your immediate area — now, let’s take things to the next level.

To grow your business, you need to reach new customers who wouldn’t otherwise walk around your neighborhood or stop by your store. Here are three ways to accomplish this goal.

Strategy 4: Experiment With E-Commerce

Many small business owners are wary of e-commerce and its impact on brick and mortar sales — but a website can actually increase your in-person foot traffic. That’s because many customers research businesses and products online before visiting a store.

This omnichannel approach can boost your online presence, build awareness for your brand, and even drive sales.

Here are a few best practices for beginner-friendly e-commerce:

Optimize your site for local SEO: Include relevant keywords like “butcher shop in Charlotte NC” or “clothing boutique in downtown Denver.”

Create thorough product descriptions: Add high-quality photos of your products, as well as in-depth descriptions — especially if your products are sourced organically or made in-house.

Start with order pickup: Minimize complexity by offering pickup orders first. You can consider offering delivery or shipping once you’re more confident in your e-commerce strategy.

Remember: You can start a website without becoming an online-first retailer.

Strategy 5: Host In-Store Events and Classes

Create some buzz for your business by planning exciting events! Classes, workshops, and celebrations give potential customers a reason to visit your store and interact with your products.

Here are some ideas to inspire your next in-store event:

DIY workshop: Hardware stores might host demos and tutorials to help customers learn how to use tools safely and tackle common household repairs.

Mixology classes: Liquor stores might offer cocktail classes, or wine shops might host workshops for wine and food pairings around the holidays.

Styling workshops: Boutique owners might share their expertise with potential customers by offering personalized styling tips and recommendations.

Cooking classes: Grocery stores might showcase recipes for healthy eating or holiday celebrations.

You can turn these events into sales opportunities by offering a discount on featured products. For example, mixology class attendees can redeem their ticket for 20% off select spirits and mixers.

Strategy 6: Post on Social Media

Did you know that 42% of customers discover new businesses and products through social media? If you’re not on Instagram or Facebook, you’re missing out on the opportunity to connect with these shoppers.

Here are a few post ideas to get you started:

Product spotlights: Share your bestsellers or personal favorites.

Team member shoutouts: Introduce the friendly faces behind your store’s success.

Interactive posts: Post “this or that” polls to ask followers about their preferences and favorite products.

Educational content: Tell your small business story, and share the value of shopping local.

Instead of trying to go viral, focus on posting engaging content consistently.

Nurturing Customer Loyalty

Attracting customers is only half of an effective marketing strategy. Your next challenge is to keep them.

Let’s explore three of the best ways to nurture loyalty and turn one-time shoppers into lifelong customers.

Strategy 7: Start a Rewards Program

Loyalty programs are an excellent way to reward customers for frequently shopping in your store. They make customers feel appreciated, drive repeat business, and keep your marketing costs low.

Points-based programs are the most popular type. These allow customers to collect rewards points every time they make a purchase, then redeem these for discounts or special perks.

For example, some liquor stores even let customers spend their points on the opportunity to purchase rare and luxury spirits like Pappy Van Winkle.

Launching a loyalty program might sound like a tall order, but the right POS system makes it easy. Simply choose one that includes built-in customer relationship management (CRM) software. This lets you create customer accounts, track purchase history, and handle reward redemption effortlessly.

Strategy 8: Offer Regular Promotions

Promotions are an excellent way to bring customers back to your store — but many business owners avoid them in an effort to safeguard thin profit margins.

Instead, take a different approach to discounts.

Use your POS system’s inventory reports to identify slow-moving or short-dated products. For example, if boxes of Davidoff cigars are gathering dust in the humidor, you might launch a buy one, get one (BOGO) deal to increase turnover and free up space for more popular brands.

Or if you ordered too much chicken in your grocery store’s meat department, you might offer a flash sale to move it before it reaches the sell-by date.

These discounts are a win-win for you and your customers. They get to save money, and you get to increase inventory turnover and protect your bottom line.

Strategy 9: Send Email Newsletters and SMS Updates

Customers can’t take advantage of your promotions or in-store events if they don’t know about them — which is why our final tip is to start an email or SMS newsletter.

Use your POS system’s CRM software to collect contact information from your most loyal shoppers, then rely on marketing integrations to send messages right to their inbox.

Be careful to avoid spam! Only send marketing communications when you have something valuable to announce — like a member-exclusive coupon or new product arrival.

How To Attract Customers to Your Store: Next Steps

Now you have nine ways to attract customers to your store — from sprucing up your storefront to starting an e-commerce website.

Regardless of where you choose to start, you need a powerful POS solution to bring these ideas to life.

POS Nation’s industry experts are here to help you find the perfect system for your store. Whether you sell groceries, liquor, tobacco, clothing, or tools, we’ve got you covered.

Schedule a time to talk with us to learn how a modern POS system can help you save time, attract customers, and achieve higher profits.

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