Having a traditional store means your dependence on foot traffic is high. A good stream of foot traffic every day means lots of people enter your store. That’s usually the toughest step in securing a sale; once you’ve got people inside your store, there’s a very high chance they’ll purchase something. 

How do you encourage consumers to enter your store? Lots of ideas come to mind, but here are a few additions you should make to your store that will tempt people into popping inside. They’re not crazy or super expensive yet they all yield impressive long-term benefits. Remember, more foot traffic equals more sales – which means you’re making bigger profits! 

Daily Offers in The Shop Window

Individuals will take notice of your store when they see great deals on display in the window. It’s an eye-catching addition to your shop and one that attracts attention from customers of all types. New customers are inclined to pop in if they see a deal that’s attractive to them while loyal ones will keep coming back as you’ve got new deals all the time. 

Moreover, putting daily offers in the shop window gives your store a gimmick of sorts. It’s something unique – and it becomes part of your store’s culture. People start walking passed your store wondering what deal you’ll have today. Think of it like a restaurant with a “specials” menu; everyone flocks to your store to see what today’s specials will be! Having different deals every day also helps you entice more new customers as some deals can cater to other audiences while others are for different people. 

The Latest Tech Integrations

The biggest error in starting a retail store is thinking you should do everything traditionally. There’s a misconception that encouraging people to come to your store means you don’t want to embrace technology. On the contrary, modern tech integrations will enhance any retail store by improving the buying experience for customers. 

One phenomenally beneficial example is to develop a mobile application for your store. It doesn’t have to be a complex thing – simply make an app that displays your current stock levels. Customers can download it and check the app to see if you have things in store. This means they can visit your store without being disappointed. Take it a step further and allow customers to “order” via the app. They click on everything they need and you go out and pick it from the shelves for them. In a way, you’re holding the items until they get there. It means they can pop in and out, making the whole experience more convenient. A fun quirk like this can set your store apart and encourage more foot traffic as people use the app and know you stock what they’re looking for. 

Coffee Machines or ATMs

Drive a new influx of foot traffic to your store by installing features that could attract new consumers. Think of ways to encourage consumers to step inside your store – even if they might not initially be interested in what you’re selling. The goal is to give your store an added value; which can be done with coffee machines or ATMs. 

That sounds weird but wait for a moment. You can find ATMs for sale to be installed inside shops and stores. From here, you slap a sign outside your store telling everyone there’s an ATM inside. Immediately, it’s a reason for some consumers to come in – especially if there aren’t many ATMs nearby. Then, you set a processing fee for every ATM withdrawal, which means you get a small bit of money every time. All the while, you’ve drawn a customer into your store, so there’s a higher chance they’ll buy something as well. 

The same goes for coffee machines – buy a machine that lets people make coffee in a takeaway cup. It’s another product for you to sell, but you also tap into a new consumer market. Busy people on their way to work may pop in to get a quick coffee without needing to spend a fortune at the local Starbucks. You will attract more of the morning crowd this way and the coffee machine adds value to your store. Again, use a sign outside so people know there’s coffee and you’re on to a winner – especially if you have a branded coffee machine from a proper coffee brand. 

Customer Loyalty Deals

Don’t make the error of assuming “foot traffic” refers to new customers or people who’ve never been in your store before. On the contrary, the most successful stores are those with returning foot traffic. You want people to come back to your store after they’ve bought something before. Encourage more repeat purchases with some customer loyalty deals. 

Establish a customer loyalty program that gives previous customers some additional benefits. You could run a program where people have a card they scan and it gives points with every purchase. Make enough points and they can be used to get discounts on future purchases. Or, you could have a simplified edition where you look at a customer’s buying habits and provide special discounts based on what they’ve bought in the past. 

Perhaps the best loyalty program is one where people pay to become a member but constantly receive different benefits. For instance, they pay an annual fee yet get a flat 10 or 20% discount on ALL purchases. Stuff like this encourages customers to sign up and keep coming back for more. 

Start Driving Foot Traffic to Your Store Today

We could also talk about things like local SEO or store signage to draw traffic to your store. However, the ideas above show how you can implement a few new things around your store to drive people in. Don’t forget that your business lives and dies on foot traffic. If nobody enters your shop, no money will be spent. The big advantage a brick-and-mortar store has over its online counterparts is that traffic has a much higher conversion rate. When someone visits an online store, they’re not always likely to buy something. If someone physically enters your store, the chances of them leaving empty-handed are much slimmer.