While much of the world is operating online at the moment due to the coronavirus pandemic, foot traffic is still extremely important for businesses that are mainly based through their physical store. As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure people are safe when entering your store, and once you’ve got that nailed, there’s no reason why your business should lose out on foot traffic! Here are some useful tips to increase foot traffic in your store.
First of all, what is foot traffic? Foot traffic is the number of customers over a specified timeline who visit a brick-and-mortar retail store. If your business is based mainly through your physical store, this number is very important to keep track of.
Make it easy for customers to find you
It’s all well and good having a physical store to enter, but if people can’t find you, then you can’t expect to see much foot traffic. On your website, display a map using a Google Map plugin that will allow people to find your store with ease. You can also reference your location against popular landmarks and roads to make their journey easier and ultimately, worthwhile.
Create stunning visual displays for your products
With pretty much any product you can dream of now available online, you need to give people a reason to visit your store. Using inspiring POP displays and live product demonstrations in store will entice people in. You may want to shout about your amazing product displays on social media, so you’ve got the power of social media as well as word of mouth.
Show inventory levels online
One of the worst things for any customer is arriving in store to realise the product they want isn’t in stock. Showing your inventory levels online will allow customers to check before heading out of their homes, and also prevent disappointment when arriving at your store. You may choose to provide a phone number for customers to call should they wish to reserve the product until they arrive at your store.
Offer a free click and collect service
One of the biggest problems with online shopping is that you’ve got to wait for your product(s) to be delivered. In this situation, you’re at an advantage! You can tie your physical and online store together to create a click and collect service for customers that don’t want to wait around for delivery. This will also encourage customers to browse your store and potentially buy more products.
Put in-store only offers in place
Finally, thanks to the pandemic, many people are hesitant about going into stores. However, giving them a reason to venture out will help increase foot traffic. Put offers in place that are only available to customers who visit you in-store, and you’ll begin to notice more people entering your store! Just remember to maintain social distancing, wear the correct PPE, and place signs for customers to ensure everyone stays as safe as possible.