By Alicia Lawrence
If you listened to all the naysayers, you’d think that the brick-and-mortar store was a dinosaur on its last legs. However, there are plenty of traditional retail stores that have figured out a way to look past the so-called doom and gloom and embrace new ways of getting people off their couches, out from behind their desks, and into shops with real walls.
Does it take a little bit of chutzpa? You bet.
Is it impossible? No way.
Even malls are taking a page from the book of “we aren’t going under just because of the Internet,” and plenty of them are doing surprisingly well. What these large retailers have come to realize is that they have to think differently in order to woo consumers who are bombarded 24/7 with alluring words and images coming at them through their mobile devices, televisions, smartphones, and computers. In other words, they have to get guerilla . . . and smaller retailers are perfectly positioned to make bold decisions aimed at long-term growth.
To be sure, retailers have to be savvy about their strategies in order to get the payoffs they desire. Some of the most successful techniques take some upfront planning, but work brilliantly when executed with precision and creativity. Any brick-and-mortar retail shop owner who wants to seriously compete in a world where the virtual is heralded needs to consider making some innovative moves, like these:
Have a Clean, Easy-to-Follow Website. If this sounds counterintuitive, since we’re talking about getting local people into your local business, it’s not. Since up to 59 percent of consumers are going to look you up on the Web in order to find out where you’re located, what you offer, what your hours are, why you’re in business, etc., you have to be available to them. You don’t have to spend a fortune or set up your site to sell items, but you do have to put some time and thought into it. Oh, and you should always make sure you’re registered with Yahoo! and Google, so any geo-targeted searches send prospects to your site.
Get Thee to Social Media. Facebook pages and Twitter accounts are free, so why isn’t your store on these social media platforms? Not only can you showcase your newest merchandise, but you can also engage directly with customers online. It’s one of the best ways to tell the world about your friendly service, great attitude, and incredible sales. Plus, if you have an active blog, you can link to your relevant content.
Host Events That Actually Draw a Crowd. Want to have an open house? Do it up the right way. Send out flyers and brochures beforehand. Plaster your website with information about the open house. Invite all your Facebook and Twitter followers. Then, make sure you have more than a cheese tray and some boxed wine when your customers arrive. The more excitement you put into your event, the stronger your chances are of being talked about later.
Have a Contest. Yes, it sounds like the oldest trick in the marketing playbook, but it can definitely work to your advantage. Give away a gift certificate or a special item that has some value to it. Make sure you collect the names and emails (if not addresses and phone numbers) of people who enter so you can put them on your mailing lists after the contest is over.
Make the Customer Feel Like a King or Queen. If you have the best customer service in the world, word will get around. Go over and above for everyone who comes to your shop. Treat them to an experience that they’ll want to have again and again. Offer something they can’t get elsewhere, especially online.
Be a Visible Part of the Community. Even in the nameless, faceless Internet era, community and neighborhoods are important. Make sure you’re giving back and supporting organizations such as local sports teams or nonprofits. This type of goodwill that stays in your area is something your online competitors probably won’t try to match.
Host Regular Promotional Events. Get a rhythm going when it comes to promotional events, and customers will begin to get accustomed to attending. For instance, you may want to host a special First Friday discount if your patrons pay cash for certain merchandise. Alternatively, you could have more seasonal promotions in which new items are showcased and offered. Just make sure you keep the momentum going. It can take some patience to introduce regular events to the public, but after they take hold, you should see an upswing in attendance.
Make Use of Marketing Texts. Small businesses can easily gather the mobile phone numbers of their customers in order to send texts several times a month. These texts, when positioned strategically, can encourage people to stop by a local retailer when they might not have planned to do so. It’s one more way to get a sale and make a positive impression.
The key to survival for any business – online and brick-and-mortar ones alike – is to constantly keep up with the times and evolve as customers’ needs change. The more open a store is to working with technology rather than fighting it, the higher the chance that it will become seen as a community anchor.
The post Hold Your Pen! It’s Not Time to Write an Obit for Traditional Retail Stores appeared first on AllBusiness Experts.
