Attracting Customers to a Brick-and-Mortar

attracting customers

When you have a brick-and-mortar store, it can be easy to feel like you’re left out of modern marketing. We’re constantly hearing that customers don’t shop brick-and-mortar anymore, but is that the case?

Not necessarily.

What is true, is that you have to find creative ways to acquire new customers if you have a brick-and-mortar store, however.

The following are tips to help you attract customers to a brick-and-mortar.

Let People Know You’re There

Sometimes attracting new customers to a brick-and-mortar store is as simple as letting them know you’re there. You can do this in different ways, including by putting signs out or custom-printed feather flags. It is an efficient and effective way to market your business to a wide variety of people, yet it’s an option that’s frequently overlooked.

Sometimes business owners think they need to be using all the most modern marketing techniques to get any attention for their business, and that’s not necessarily true. Consumers tend to trust traditional forms of advertising and marketing more than you might think.

A banner, flag or sign is going to draw attention to your business and every time someone repeatedly drives past it, they’re going to think about your business even if they don’t realize it.

When you’re using signage or traditional forms of advertising and marketing, there are some important things to keep in mind. You want to use headlines and bold wording so you instantly grab people’s attention.

You might also want to think about adding a call-to-action. People are going to give your signs around three to five seconds of their attention, so keep it short, sweet, and to the point.

Have a Strong Online Presence

Just because your business is primarily focused on a brick-and-mortar premise, it doesn’t mean you can’t also have an online presence.

Even if you don’t sell your products or services online, you can still have a good website and let people know who you are and what you offer if they’re searching online.

If you’re only brick and mortar and you want to use your online presence as a way to attract local customers, give yourself a crash course on local search engine optimization, using location-based keywords. These keywords tend to be less competitive, so it’s easier to rank, and it will drive traffic to not only your website but your store.

Along with having a good website and also using social media to your advantage, many brick-and-mortar retailers are offering what’s called a companion app.

A companion app is somewhat like a guide to your store, and it can show information, news and special deals and sales. You can create an app that uses geo-targeting so would-be customers get alerts when they’re close to your location.

Sometimes there is a tendency among brick-and-mortar businesses to think that having a physical location means digital marketing isn’t for them, and it’s just not true.

Emphasize What You Offer That’s Better Than Online Retailers

If you have a store and you want to compete with online retailers, think about what you can offer that they can’t and include this in your advertising and marketing. For example, if someone comes to your store, they can instantly buy something and take it home that day rather than waiting days to receive it.

Use the advantage of instant gratification in all of your marketing and advertising.

Maybe your strength lies in your customer service, so make this a pivotal part of your customer outreach strategy.

Get Involved in the Community

If you’re a brick-and-mortar business, part of your larger marketing strategy should definitely be community involvement. When you’re involved in the community, you’re getting free publicity, and you’re connecting with the people who can shop with you.

When you’re out in the community and supporting things you care about, you’re also building a positive brand image for your business.

Offer Unique In-Store Experiences

The sky is the limit when it comes to how to offer creative and distinctive in-store experiences for your customers. You might focus on creating Instagrammable moments for your customers while they’re shopping, or perhaps you give them a smoother, faster checkout process.

Finally, you can also attract people to your store by having events, some of which might not even have much to do with what your business does or sells. However, just getting people in the door is a good tool for marketing and can let people know you’re there, and what you have to offer.