Have trouble attracting traffic to your local business? In-store shopping and the local, small business industry are changing. But these institutions aren’t going away anytime soon. And change certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t generate more revenue through in-store sales. As more and more businesses open each year, though, competition for consumers gets tougher and tougher. So it’s important to stand out from the crowd to earn your share of traffic.
But what if your store is still having trouble attracting traffic? Here are four reasons why you might be having trouble – and how you can change that for your local business.
Your Local Business Doesn’t Stand Out From The Crowd – Literally
Do people notice your business, and what you’re offering when they walk past it? On a busy Saturday morning when the streets are bustling with foot traffic, are folks stopping to come into your store?
If not, consider setting up a sandwich board or creating window paintings that catch the eye and highlight your sales. Maybe even consider putting some product on the sidewalk so it’s immediately visible. Nothing says “we sell bicycles” like a string of bikes on the sidewalk.
Your Target Audience Doesn’t Know About You
You have great products? Great. Your store is beautiful? Even better. Does your audience know about you? Aha! If your audience doesn’t know about your store, they can’t come in and buy from you.
If you have a great understanding of who your ideal clients are, reach out to micro-influencers (influencers that are typically hyper-focused on local). Find ones who have a similar audience, and invite them into your store for an event or collaborate with them for exposure.
Learn more about working with influencers for local businesses here.
Your Google My Business Listing Isn’t Set-Up Properly And/Or Optimized
Google might show your business to people searching for local stores like yours (on Google and on Google Maps). To ensure that they do, make sure your Google My Business (GMB) listing is set up properly. Include your name, address, phone number, hours, and photos of your business to ensure people know exactly what you offer.
Once your business listing is set up and optimized, Google will be more likely to show your listing more often. Add Google posts to your listing, a keyword-optimized description and encourage reviews, and Google will present your listing even more often. The more your listing is exposed, the more visits you’ll get to your store and website, and calls too. Yet another reason it’s so important to have that Google My Business listing up to date!
You Don’t Have Instagrammable Spaces
Want your local business to gain popularity? Create Instagrammable Spaces within your store. This doesn’t mean your entire local business has to look like an influencer’s Instagram page. It means creating a space within your business’s location that people will want to take and share pictures from. Doing so is a fast and easy way to get free exposure via user-generated content.
Examples can be fun, bold printed wallpaper with a neon sign, a bright seating area, even coffee mugs with fun quotes if you’re a cafe, for example. Anything that visitors will want to take a picture of can be an Instagrammable space. And the exposure will be sure to drive traffic to your location.
Stop having trouble attracting traffic to your local business! Small business hasn’t died with online shopping – if you’re able to generate foot traffic to your local business, you can continue to grow year after year. And we’re sure you have some ideas that aren’t on our list. Feel free to share them in the comments below!
If you’re looking for a customized marketing strategy for your business, book a free consultation and let’s chat.