Being a retailer is more than having a great product at a competitive price. It’s also about acquiring new customers and retaining the ones you already have to grow your retail business. If you have a brick-and-mortar store, the good news is that there are plenty of in-store and digital ways to market your business and pull customers in. Here are some fundamental ways to increase sales at your retail stores whether you are an online retailer or not.

Retail Marketing Strategies From Within the Store

In-store marketing targets customers while they are inside or outside a physical store. The marketing assets you create to support this shopping audience dictates how consumers view and engage with your brand, and compels in-store customers to make purchases. 

1. Interiors that Entice Create an environment that is conducive to shopping, such as free WiFi, ambient music, and uncluttered pathways shoppers can easily navigate. You’ll want to place your best merchandise upfront so it greets customers as soon as they step in the door. 
2. Attention-Getting Window & Sidewalk Displays Have an eye-catching window display that draws the customer in and keeps them talking about it after leaving the store. Confirm if local regulations and if the landlord allows a sidewalk board in front of your store.
3. Informative Signage The strategic use of easy-to-read signage throughout the store is a great opportunity to upsell customers with sales, seasonal products, and product benefits. The more a customer knows about your store, the more empowered they’ll feel to make a purchase.
4. Added Value in Shoppertainment Host in-store events that give the customer an experience and not just an in and out shopping trip. This could include having a local chef cook a meal using a featured product, an informative session with a dietitian, or a sample pairing of complementary products.
5. Approachable Customer Service Friendly, well-trained employees who are eager to help customers with exactly what they need—from finding a product to helping the shopper take their purchases to the car—makes customers feel valued and your store worth the visit.
6. Loyalty-Building Sale Promotions Hand out promotional flyers at the checkout desk or attach coupons to the shopper’s receipt so that you encourage customers to come back at a later date. During checkout, salespeople can extend a verbal invitation for customers to attend an upcoming sale.
7. Use Internal Influencers Ask employees to share in-store events and promotions on their social media accounts. This will help to extend your content to all different groups of people and potential shoppers. 
8. Commit to Stocking Local Carry locally-produced items in your store so it shows your support for neighboring farms and businesses. This will help build respect from the surrounding community. 

Digital Channels for a Well-Rounded Marketing Campaign

Crafting a mix of online marketing tactics—from optimizing your search engine results to emails and social media posts—will pique consumer interest before they even enter your store. When working across multiple digital marketing channels, it is crucial to know your audience and have a strong, unifying message with appealing images that support your store brand.

10. Google My Business With over 3.5 million searches occurring on Google each day, it’s no wonder “googling” is a verb in our everyday vocabulary. People are using this powerful search engine to shop in the world of retail, and for that reason, it is imperative that retailers set up a Google My Business account to be discoverable. Even if you only own a storefront shop, most customers and prospective customers typically start searching for you online. A Google My Business account links your storefront to Google Maps and improves your local SEO so that when someone searches for you, your store shows up on page one versus being buried on page two.
11. Easy-to-Navigate Website Whether you choose to sell online or not, having a beautifully-designed website is a must for any store’s image. Many shop owners use WordPress to build a basic website for free. Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix also offer all-in-one platforms for making a retail storefront transactional. 
12. Email’s that Click A digital mailbox is a great tool for building a relationship with your customers. Once you’ve created or purchased an email list, promote your business by highlighting products, sales, and events, or by telling stories that create an emotional connection.
13. Expand your Social Media Reach Since the average social media user has 8.6 accounts on different social sites, you’ll want to network and market on more than one channel. People who get inspired and shop on Instagram might be interacting on Facebook, Pinterest, Tik Tok, Snapchat, and other social platforms.
14. Invest in Paid Search If you want customers to find the exact products or services you offer, paid search marketing is a smart way to go. The logic works like this: you bid for ad placement in Google or another search engine’s sponsored links for keywords related to your business, and pay the search engine a small fee if a consumer clicks on the ad.

Increasing the visibility of your store, both physically inside and digitally, are key ways to market your business and fuel growth.

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