The Best Ways to Improve Your Business’ Foot Traffic

A business owner with a brick and mortar location can almost feel like an anachronism in this day and age. “You mean you’re not an ecommerce business that does drop shipping? How strange.” While the tech sector would have you believe we’re all plugged in with an ethernet cable all day waiting for everything from clothes to groceries to just appear at our door step after using an app, we all know that isn’t true. People still need and want to go to the stores. The fact that so many stores exist and are continually popping up is proof of that. If anything, competition has never been fiercer when it comes to growing your customer base.

As someone who is currently operating a business, the concept of foot traffic isn’t foreign to you. You understand just how important it is to the continuing success (and survival) of your business to say nothing of your growth strategy. It can take some creativity in order to increase your foot traffic levels, especially if your location is one where more people are driving by than walking by. Many business owners have turned to the use of outdoor LED displays and signs or shopping center signage depending on their location in order to drive more traffic into the store. Can signs really have that kind of impact? Absolutely. If you haven’t invested in your signage, it’s time to. While high quality signage can increase foot traffic, there’s a lot more you can do as well.

If you’re looking for tips on how to get more customers who may not even necessarily be looking for your store specifically to come on in, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some great ways to improve your business’ foot traffic.

Signs, signs signs

Let’s start with signs right off the bat because they have a long history of working. We know that people respond positively to signage. Take Best Buy, for example. The company found that 17% of customers walked in upon seeing the sign despite having no intention of doing so beforehand. Millenial business owners especially see the value in creative signs. Shoppers respond the same way. Signs not only bring in customers that wouldn’t have otherwise stopped by, but it establishes your brand and signals the quality of your business. There are direct correlations in perception between a high quality sign and the opinion that your business is also of high quality. The opposite is true as well. It’s worth making the investment in an eye catching LED sign or shopping center sign that portrays your business in a light you want.

Embrace technology

We live in an increasingly digital world, so it’s wise to leverage that. Location based services can help and they don’t take a rocket scientist to figure out. So, even if you’re not technologically inclined or not all that interested in computer things, there are some easy wins to be had. By leveraging easy to set up services like GroupOn or LivingSocial you can send out deals to customers that live in the area and would be interested in actually going to your business. Customers respond to email deals, so if you’re not currently using them, you should.

Be a host

Hosting events is a tried and true tactic. While the planning and execution can be a bit time consuming and will cost a little money, it’ll be well worth it. Events are a great way to network and make connections with the community. Not only is this a great way to drum up referral business in a B2B setting, but you can also deal with potential customers face to face. If they become familiar with you, your staff, and your business now they are much more likely to return as shoppers in the future.

Smile

This ties into the value of word of mouth. Businesses from the Ritz Carlton to Apple have rigorous standards for their employees regarding friendliness, approachability, and service. By putting on your best face for customers who come into your store, you’ll go a long way to creating a brand identity around excellent customer service. People respond to these things and choose to frequent stores where they know they’ll get great care.

Conclusion

Sometimes you have to great creative if you want the competitive edge on other businesses in the area. While things like outdoor LED displays and signs can be perceived as costly, they are a worthwhile investment. Not only are they a worthwhile investment, but at Signdealz we’re dedicated to providing you with competitive pricing and high quality signage so you can feel good about committing to putting that sign up. If that sounds like a good deal to you, contact us today to learn more. Our team of experts is here to answer your questions and help you come up with a signage solution that makes the most sense for your business.