While many of your customers plan a trip to your store, a high percentage of new customers find a store by “stopping in” while shopping for something else. By increasing the foot traffic into your store, you can raise profits and introduce your brand to a whole new customer base.
Right now, many stores are feeling the pain of the economic downturn. One thing that everyone needs is more customers in their stores. Fewer people are shopping, so you need to attract the attention of the people who are out and about shopping. So how do you increase foot traffic?
Our first suggestion would be to increase the visibility of your store. One way to do this is to feature signs and promotional lighting at the entrance. Sidewalk signs, beacon lights and banners are extremely effective for improving foot traffic.
Another way to get people in your store is through a sale. We have discussed this before, but featuring items outside your store will get people browsing. Put merchandise in a dump bin or on a rolling rack so that it can be easily transported during store hours.
Finally, for the more courageous owner, consider some sort of stunt. Liberty Tax has waving Statue of Liberty costume characters outside their store during tax season. Great Clips often has a dancing shampoo bottle on the sidewalk. While you don’t necessarily need to be that extreme, consider having one of your workers hand out fliers or carry a sign to alert other shoppers about your sale.
By increasing foot traffic into your store, you can then show off your merchandise and entice shoppers to make a purchase. Hopefully they will become frequent shoppers after that first “stop in” to your store.
Tags: foot traffic, Promotions, Sales, sidewalk signs, Signs
You’ve mentioned “… signs and promotional lighting at the entrance. Sidewalk signs, beacon lights and banners are extremely effective for improving foot traffic.” but failed to mention that – before buying then displaying / using any of those methods – one should check with one’s “Sign Police” in their city / town / county / wherever.
Some cities are SO paranoid about business advertising that they’ve even issued local Sign Laws wherein they are governing not only outdoor signage (and other attention-getters) but also what signs (et al) a business can display from the INSIDE of a business’ window(s).
That paranoia is very evident in the city of Cary, NC, and probably other locales, too. “We want retailers, but we’ll severely handcuff a business’ efforts to be visible. Live with it!!”
A poster (on one of the message boards I participate in) even mentioned display window size, and painting windows were regulated in her locale.
To summarize, some words to the wise: Check with your city hall to learn what ‘rights’ you have on signage and other attention-getters, before you spend money for something that is not allowed. If you fail to do so, you may also have to pay stiff fines when the Sign Police come walking in your door.
RIck
I own a Liberty Tax Service and have the Statue of Liberty wavers in front of my office every hour we are open during tax season. They are Liberty’s biggest and best advertising method nationwide. Yes, you should check with the city before you try anything like that but it WORKS! We did a dance-off with the pickle from Mr. Pickle’s sandwich shop and were in the news twice, on TV and on Youtube.
Both Rick and Mark have some really good ideas.
Checking with your city hall for sign ordinances will save you time, money, and frustration. Knowing the regulations will prevent you from picking a sign that breaks the rules.
I’m glad to know that the Statue of Liberty at Liberty Tax really works! It goes to show that sometimes what looks like a “stunt” can really get customers into your store.