When it comes to running a successful business, especially bricks and mortar one that relies on foot traffic, you will need to attract customers. You have to make your establishment stand out among the others, and draw potential clients into your business, and away from your competitors.
The question is – how do you do this? There are a number of ways in which you can make your place of business more visible and attractive, and in this article, we will take a look at some of the best marketing ideas to increase the flow of customers into your store, restaurant, or place of business.
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Know your market
As obvious as this may sound, it’s vital that successful bricks and mortar business know their market. Before even starting your business, you would have done some research on the market and location. It would be highly unlikely that you would have opened a fishmonger on a high street that is famous for its clothing and footwear stores.
You need to provide products and services for the people who reside in and visit your location. If you are located in an upmarket district, it’s unlikely that selling cheap trainers will be a successful business to run.
Grab attention through your store sign
The sign that hangs outside of your store is the first thing that people are going to see who may be walking by. The sign is what tells people what your store is about. You’ll want a sign that is clear and concise, as well as being one that is going to draw people’s eyes away from other signs and focus in on yours.
One great way to achieve this is through neon signage. Though neon is seen by many people as retro and a tribute to the past, it’s actually still a very effective type of sign, especially for places of business. There are some fantastic suppliers of neon signs such as Neon Mama, and with a brightly colored sign outside your business, you are certainly going to be the focus of attention for people that are walking down the street.
During the autumn and winter seasons, where the days are shorter, neon lights can be very effective and visible for some distance, unlike an unlit sign which isn’t going to stand out much at all and most likely only clear to read once you are a few meters away from it.
Create interesting and unique window displays
As well as your store sign being of great importance, the next most important thing is your shop display. Your window display is vital to how the public perceives your business, and you’ll want to make a positive impression.
If you are a fashion boutique, you’ll want to have your best pieces of clothing right up front for everyone to see. If you are a toy store, you’ll want to create a wonderful display showcasing a huge selection of toys. You want to have kids pressing their noses on your shop window and gazing at the treasure trove of goodies that are available inside, pulling at their parents’ arms to take them inside.
Many stores will regularly change their window displays with each season, especially during the Christmas period, when most retail stores will do their best business.
Consider getting an air dancer
One way to attract people’s attention is by something moving about. It’s a little tricky for your store window or signs to move around, but one way you can achieve it is with an air dancer.
These are balloon type figures that have air constantly pumped through them, creating a dancing like a figure that is constantly moving around the clock. They are an excellent way to grab the attention of people walking down the street and are not too expensive to hire. Many businesses will use these for the grand openings or if they have any special promotions or sales taking place.
Sandwich board advertising
If an air dancer isn’t your style, then why not go for a simple sandwich board that you can set up outside your place of business. The great thing with these is that you can change the message on them as often as you like.
They are ideal for informing people about any sales or promotions that you currently have going on, or to simply offer a few words of inspiration to passers-by. Gimmicks like this, which can bring a smile to a person’s face, are a great way of creating attention, and you can also find that people are coming back more frequently to see what new messages you have got displayed.
Additionally, you might even want to hire someone to wear a sandwich board outside your store and hand out some flyers promoting your business or giving out special discount vouchers. Things like this can create a quick buzz around your business and are a good way to see a quick boost of foot traffic, and hopefully, some sales to follow.
Offer samples
If you run a restaurant, café, or eatery, it’s a good idea to have a couple of people outside who are offering some free samples of your products. It’s a great way to create attention, and everyone loves a free sample of some cake or a small cup of hot coffee.
If you run a restaurant, it can be a great way to introduce people to the type of food and meals that you have available for your clients. Promotions like this are not too expensive, and a great way to get attention and a few people to step inside and enjoy a full meal or lunch.
Some final thoughts
There are lots of marketing ideas that you can try for your business, with many of them being very easy to implement with very low costs. The aim is to stand out among the other establishments in the high street and make yours the focal point.
If you can achieve that, then there is a great chance that you are going to see an increase in customers and revenue, and if you provide a good enough service or have a great range of products, you’ll be able to turn those new customers into repeat ones.