50 Ideas To Boost Foot Traffic For Your Retail Store

Running your small business, especially if you are doing virtually, then boosting foot traffic is one of the most challenging works to do. 

Even though the market is now switched online, brick & mortar retail is one of customers’ favorite choices.  

And today’s market, customers have more than ever options to choose from. So unless you are not offering something different and holding their attention simultaneously, you will naturally lose customers. 

Also, those buyers who stick with e-commerce will need something solid to enter your shop. 

The good news? Well, increasing your foot traffic is not a big deal. But it needs ideas that can cover the new trend and hold its value simultaneously.  

How To Increase Foot Traffic In A Retail Store:

Follow the mentioned tips to get more attention and attract people to your retail store. 

1. Invite Experts To Your Store

There will be someone in your niche which is a well-known and prominent figure. The experts are helpful when it comes to boosting the trust of your audience. 

Team up with the experts from your industry and invite them to your store. You can hold the interviews or general speaking sessions at your store. 

With this, you are not just providing a reason for people to enter your shop. But in return, they are getting something they can’t find i.e. knowledge and experiences. 

For example, if you have a bookstore. You can ask the authors to sign events or book launches. By this, you can tap into the author’s audience and also help other readers know about the field. 

2. Get  A Sandwich Board 

A standalone Sandwich board is one of the old yet effective ways to make your customers stop in their tracks. 

Image source: Dorblog

On top of that, it’s expensive and you can easily set it up in front of your store. You can write whatever you feel that can attract your customers. 

Write witty lines, or update about today’s offer, anything that can hold the attention of others. 

3. Ask An Influencer To Promote 

Influence marketing is not just limited to e-commerce. And it’s not only for promoting the products on social media.

Image source: business2community 

When you use influencer marketing for your retail store, you can also increase the foot traffic to your store.  

Most of the powerful influencers have their audience and they carry lots of attention from different platforms. 

You can use the option to get more exposure for your retail store. Invite the influences to your store and show them around. 

You can offer product samples to try and ask for sharing the photos on their account.  What type of influence you want, it depends on your budget. 

To choose the ideal one, it’s best to reach out to the people who are working in the same niche. The audience has more faith and trust in them since they are from the same market. 

4.List Yourself On Google My Business

Google can help you in driving more foot traffic than you can think of. 

Listening to your store in Google My Business can help your audience to find your result store faster. Also, it can help in inviting more people who are looking for a similar thing. 

According to the industry data,  there are 46% searches that locals did on-site for looking for the stores. 

Image source: lightspeedretail 

Also, Google noted 500% growth in its “near me” searches. The searches include keywords like “ Can I buy”, “ to buy” etc. 

Not just Google My Business makes your store visible on searches but you can attract the attention of locals as well. 

As per search giant data, within a week more than 88% of people who run searches to find local stores near them. 

5. Get Help From Retail Analytics 

Retail analytics is a helpful and guiding tool for small businesses. 

With the help of this, you know the results and overall effect that happened after doing small or big changes in your marketing. 

For example, if you start putting a window display, you can get a record of differences that happened after that. 

With this, you can know what is helping your business and what is doing the reverse. 

You can also track the pattern in your traffic and find the peak hours. Use this for doing the changes in your strategies and planning your next campaigns. 

6. Set Something Eye-Catching Windows Display 

Windows display is more like a teaser about what your store is all about without revealing too much. It’s enough to encourage and develop curiosity. 

Image source: foundiid

That’s why it’s crucial to make your window display as eye-catching as you can. 

Your window display holds the power of whether the audience will enter the store or skip it. 

When you put your display, make sure to remember these points too- 

Update it regularly – Don’t put one type of window display until it gets stale. At least do updates in two weeks or if it’s the holiday season, do it more often. Make sure there is something different that people want to look at. 

The right amount of spacing – Congested arrangements or too much placing can make or break the effect. If you are running a bargain store, you don’t need too much spacing.  But if you are a high-end retailer, keep a lot of spacing between your items. 

Eye-level to buy level –  Research says if you put merchandise away at 4 to 5 feet from the ground level. The chances of getting attention increase to 35%. 

7.Create ‘ Instagram’ Place

To attract the youth, make sure you have something where they can take pictures. It’s an attractive and new idea that lots of businesses are doing. 

You can create a wall dedicated to your Instagram, or make a corner spells for the photos taking opportunities. 

Image source: dorblog

Here you will get people who are interested in trying out the new photo corner. And with this, you will boost your presence on social media as well. 

8. Keep Yourself Updated 

Most of the stores forget the point that when you drive the foot traffic you want,  this means you also need to keep your store updated and add something that keeps the look fresh. 

There should be a reason for your buyers or visitors to come again. You can rotate the displays and add new merchandise to give a fresh feel. 

Don’t keep one kind of styling for too long. It will make your store look boring and people won’t like to come again either. 

9. Focus On Staff Scheduling 

Employees play a vital role in converting visitors to buyers. But they are also important for making those buyers visit your store again.

Neglected shoppers never like to come back. If they are not getting attention and fast solutions, they would like to switch to different stores.

And that’s why it’s important to keep your store staffed. Make sure that your visitors get immediate attention whenever they want instead of waiting. 

Pro tip: There is always an hour of every store when the foot traffic is its peak. Note those hours and keep your staff more attentive as well as schedule their shifts accordingly. 

10. Boost Your Customer Services 

Not just you should have your staff ready to attend the customer. But also you need to pay attention to leveling up your customer services. 

A store that is famous for its customer services naturally attracts more people. And to build a reputation. You need to empathize with having such services that your customer remembers.

Customer services can help you in building your loyal and positive customer support.  Also, help in boosting the traffic to your store.

11. Create Interesting In-store Experience 

Most of the customers come with their store navigation. However, not always visit the store to buy something. Lots of time either they are enjoying the experience or looking around and exploring. 

You can take leverage by introducing in-store experiences.  Focus on creating something like hands-on displays for encouraging the customers to touch the products. 

You can also demonstrate your products and use technology for making it more entertaining as well as creative.  This will also do the work of educating and informing your customers about what you offer.

For example, you can offer gift wrapping stations to your customers. Here, they can wrap their purchase and customize according to that.  

The idea behind this is to offer opportunities to the customers for stimulating the mindset they carried when they enter the store. 

Pro tip: The main purpose is to pause your customers from exiting the store. Interview the activities that can make them stop and engage with in-store experiences. 

12. Engage With Local Community 

In the retail landscape, there is a natural competition atmosphere. The retail stores need to focus on their customers without losing the site, otherwise, some other stores will grab the opportunity before you. 

To reduce the tension, you can host activities, events, and outside the store networking with your local community. This is rewarding and you can easily focus on your goals.

Pro Tip: find the instore signage and marketing to highlight in the local fair. It will boost the attention or your buyers. 

13. Use Technology For Traffic Behavior Clarity

Understanding the behavior of your visitors and how they spend their time when they enter the store is important.  Above all, you need to manage speed and precision to make decisions 

Technologies like Dor Technologies help you in increasing foot traffic and collect data for future help. By reading the traffic behavior, you can navigate the events and make your customer spend more time in stores. 

By knowing which part takes most of your audience’s attention and how you can create points that can reduce the leaving time of your customers.  

It helps you in understanding your buyer’s journey too. By this, you can adjust your store for providing better experiences and help the customers to buy more.

 

14. Use Your Digital Engagement 

According to a Deloitte report,  47% of millennials are influenced by social media before they decide to buy anything. It also includes store purchases.

Also during the purchase process, there are 19% of social media influenced customers. 

The sites like Yelp where the people get testimonials, reviews, and shopping experiences also stimulate the decisions of buying a product. 

It means your digital engagement plays a vital factor in the foot traffic of your store. If you have a good presence on digital platforms,  chances of getting more traffic and sales boost as well.

To improve the presence, you can share the daily post, respond to the messages, and offer something interesting to make your audience visit your store. 

15. Launch Bring A Friend Discount 

Bring A friend discount is one of the ideas you can try for a short period or some occasions. 

With this, you encourage your buyers to come along with their friends, family, or anyone they know. In return, you offer them discounts and encourage them to do more. 

Image source: Medium

The biggest positive effect you get is an increase in the numbers of buyers and foot traffic. Also, it helps you in introducing your store to a new audience where you can’t go yourself. 

Since it’s impossible to connect with every audience on the social platform. By offering the discount you can get a boost to your customer engagement as well. 

16. Free Wifi 

People always look for places where they can get free WIFI. That’s why lots of stores, cafes, and other places have services for their visitors. 

The idea behind using free wifi is to attract people towards your store.

 If you get their attention, you can also help them in getting inside your store and this will lead to chances of buying products. 

17. Get A Phone Charging Station 

The situation is pretty common, during shopping lots of time people end up with a dying battery. You can offer a phone charging station to help out the customers.

This can also attract customers to try the store. Even though they haven’t entered for buying purposes but still you can use the chance for introducing your products to them.

Having a phone charging station improves your customer services as well.

18. Free Samples To Try

Image source: cleveland

Free samples of your products can also help in attracting your audience. For that, you don’t have to spend too much, just a small quantity of samples will bring the people to your store. 

You can decide what you want to offer as free samples. It’s useful when you promote your product or launch a new one. 

If you are surveying a new product launch, you can also use the free samples. Overall, it will help you in getting the attention of and interest of your audience. 

19. Host Events 

Events are best for networking, promoting products, and increasing foot traffic. 

Even though the market is switched to the age of Amazon, still lots of business host events throughout the year. 

With the help of events, you keep your audience aware of you and maintain the buzz. Also with the help of event hosting you also keep yourself in the market. 

You can start hosting events like calligraphy writing, book singing, discussions,  happy hours. Storytime for kids etc. 

20. Offer Space For Like-Minded People

When you know your audience, you can also offer spaces to meet the same people. It will help you in building a community sharing similar tastes and thoughts. 

Also, you create a base and loyal customers for you. It helps in improving customer engagement and boosts foot traffic to your retail store. 

With this, you attract more people to join the community. 

21.  Offer to Pick Up In-Store 

Image source: baymardinstiute 

According to ICSC,  around 69% of pick up store customers do the additional purchase when they visit the store. 

If you have an e-commerce store, you can offer a click and collect services to your customers.  In these services, your customer purchases the items online but to collect it they visit the store. 

You can also offer a price drop if the customer chooses to pick up the store option. It can help you in increasing the in-store traffic. 

With this, increase your sales and introduce your products to the customers. 

22.  Focus On Existing Customers

Don’t forget your customers who did purchase once. It’s exciting to get more new costumes but not paying attention to your existing customers can make you lose the opportunities. 

It’s also noticed that existing customers do more shopping as compared to the new one. Since they are aware of the brand and experienced, they have more trust and interest.

As a business owner, you must nurture the relationship you have with your customers. Offer something that can make them visit your store again.

Use email and offers exclusively for your loyal customers.

Pro tip: Send them weekly deals, promotions, and promo code that will work when they visit the store only.

23.  Get Media Coverage

Reach out to the reports and journalists who can feature your store. There are always some bloggers, journalists, and reporters who look for interesting stories. 

Come up with something extraordinary to offer and create a story that can sell. Use the opportunity to get your store featured. 

Also if you are an expert in your niche, use self-branding for getting the best benefits from it. 

24. Advertise What You Sell

Image source: adespresso 

Even though advertising is the oldest trick but it still works like a charm. Thanks to the new age technology, you can create the ads more accessible, activities, and attention-grabbing. 

Platforms like Facebook and Google have excellent capabilities for targeting the audience you want. You can set the ads according to the specific locations, demographics, etc.

Using such tools can help in boosting the efforts and make your store on the radar of your local customers.

25.  Offer In-Store Classes 

Find the topics you can teach. People look for such Opportunities to learn especially from someone who is working in the niche already. 

Image source: dorblog

You can host in-store classes based on what you do. For example, if you are selling cosmetics, you can host classes based on applying makeup, if it’s skincare products, you can teach about the basics to everything the person wants to know. 

It’s one of the best ways to build your trusted customers.  Also, it is a genuine help and people feel trustworthy toward such brands. 

26.  Encourage Word To Mouth 

Encourage your customer to talk about your products and brands. It’s one of the effective help that can boost your foot traffic. 

It helps in creating a positive image of your product and build a reputation in the market. Ask your customers to share what they feel about the products, custom services, and overall experience. 

To choose a subtle approach, you can switch to social media. Create your hashtag and ask your customers to tag your store when they buy something from it. 

Also, you can give reasons for your audience to talk about your brand. Offer them something which they can share and talk about. 

27. Don’t Forget Weather Data

One of the overlooked options is checking the weather. It plays an important role in decking your buyer’s behavior. 

You can track down the overall foot traffic, and see when you got the least or most traffic to your store. 

When you think the store had less traffic due to the weather, you can do the changes according to that. 

28. Keep Experience On Point 

Brick and mortar can be boring. That’s why to increase the foot traffic, you are going to add something extraordinary that attracts more attention. 

Use the physical space in your store to use it for engaging your audience. And that’s where in-store experiences become an important part. 

The experience can depend on store to store. Some offer large attractions for meeting more people. But some offer convenience to the shoppers so they can buy whatever they are looking for fast. 

What kind of experience do you want to offer and what kind of experience your customer has? 

The key is to find a suitable option that works for you.

29.Active Social Media Presence 

Having a social media presence helps your customers to know more about the products. A platform like Facebook and Instagram are the two most effective options in putting your store in front of your audience. 

Image source: vend

Find out which platform is highly used by your customers. Also, choose a platform that can help you in connecting with your audience faster.

Use the content and mix it with your post. Share your customer’s content too. Promote and encourage reviews along with appreciating your customers.

Pro Tip: Tag the store’s location as a subtle reminder. 

30. Offer A Fun Zone 

A fun zone can be anything from a small place to hang out or a place where kids can stay and play. 

Shopping can be tiring and in between everything, offers something fun to do can help in improving the mood of your visitors. 

Also, people like to visit stores where they can enjoy without getting the pressure of buying something. However, it leaves a good impression of you which helps you in getting foot traffic and customers in the long run. 

31. Decorate & Keep The Front Clean

Store exterior is important too. If you have a boring, outdated, and typical exterior as well as upfront then the chances of people skipping the store increase.

Image source: twenty20

To attract more foot traffic, sometimes you have more than just basic maintenance. Make sure that your store looks clean, gives a good vibe, and comfortable to shop and even spend time. 

Lots of stores also play music in the background. It’s a good tactic to uplift your buyer’s mood and even make them stay for a little longer. 

Pro Tip: If you are not into using too much money in redecoration, you can also use balloons for your store in front. It always attracts attention and stands you out.

32. Offer QR Code Even Store Is Closed 

QR code makes the buying process much easier. Just scanning the square barcodes and your customer can directly reach the main page of your store online.

You can offer a QR code and put it outside, or you can place it near the displays. With this, even if the store is closed, your customer can scan and know about the product. Or they can place the purchase. 

33. Keep inventory levels updated 

People will like to visit your store more when they know you got what they are looking for. This is a useful and powerful tool to use for those customers who don’t want to wait for shipping. 

Make sure you keep your inventory updated on your website. Also how many products are left and when the inventory will update, keep things in mind too. 

Pro Tip: You can use the tactic for increasing the urgency among the buyers too. 

34. Improve Your Presence In the Community 

Support your local business and help those who live near the neighborhood. This will help you in creating your image in the market and also with this you will get a presence in the local community too. 

For business, you just don’t have to focus on the customers but also the area where you are working. 

By supporting the locals, you can boost confidence and trust which leads to more customers in the future. 

35. Only In-store Promotions 

One of the most effective ways that you can use for increasing foot traffic is to offer an exclusive promotion that stays valid and can be redeemed when your customer visits the store. 

Since the buyers are mostly dependent on online shopping. There are different types of discounts, offers, and promotional codes that have been offered to the customers for boosting sales. 

You can use the in-store promotions by making the offer valid only in stores.

36. Choose Visible Signage 

Choosing signage that can be visible to your customers even at a distance of 10, 20, or 20 feet. Well, it can do wonders and you can see the great difference in foot traffic too.

Image source: greenbookmarketresearch

Also, make sure that the signage is visible at night as well as during the day. Well, there is no set of rules that you must follow. It depends on how much you want to invest in the size, type, and detailing of signage. 

Having quality signage can drive more traffic and also keep it relatable to your business. 

Pro Tip: Instead of sticking with old and typical signage, use something that looks interesting and increase the curiosity about your shop. 

37.Discount On Next Visit 

To boost the repeat visit, this is an effective way to consider.  You can offer discounts to your customers and let them use it for the second visit. 

Customers would like to visit the store for redeeming the discount. Also, they will get a good amount of purchase which improves their experience too.

Also having a discount encourages customers to visit the store again and again. 

38. Setup Unique Displays

Some days you can change the setups of your displays. Add gimmicks that give something to stop and stare for a second. 

Image source: pinterest 

Plan out the interesting displays and keep in mind to show something that people don’t usually see.

You can make it interesting, fun, and even get inspired by what others are doing. To improve, you can always do research and keep the display unique as well as interesting for your visitors.

39. Add Pop Culture 

Pop culture has its fanbase, you can surprisingly attract lots of people if you correctly use it. 

Make sure you are not going too irrelevant. It should make sense to your niche. Look for the trends that are going on. Use it for your leverage and put it in your marketing. 

Image source: Dorblog

You can use the references or use the trends to attract more people. It will be fun for the fans but also for people who generally like pop culture.

40. Make It Easy To Reach 

It depends on where you locate mostly including the street and location around your shop. You need to make it easy for your customer to reach. 

You can also get a parking spot in front of your shop. Also, your address and how to reach you should be as simple as you can, don’t let your customer feel confused. 

If you are sharing your post and data online, keep the location and address to your platforms. Use tags for keeping it more clear. 

Use google map to locate your business and store. Lots of people don’t want to visit stores just because it takes too much time to reach and it’s complicated too. 

41. Keep Inventory On Point 

People will like to visit more when they know about the products you have. Also, make sure that your customers know when the inventory is available and when it’s not. 

It’s important to focus on availing the inventory all the time. Most of the time, when a store starts to get the traffic, either they have a lack of inventory or they don’t have it at that particular time. 

There is a level when customers can ignore the lack of inventory, Especially happen when they are loyal customers. 

But for new customers, you need to make sure you have the item when they need the most. 

Pro tip:  Adapt the modern stock system which helps you in tracking the sales and products. 

42. Events For In-Stores 

One of the most effective ways to attract the audience to your business is hosting events inside your store. 

Such events target a larger audience and also you can use it for introducing your services to new people. It gives a reason for the people to walk in but not just for shopping. 

You can be a part of a charity event or host educational shows. It will help you in getting attention and traffic more. 

43.Seek Input From Your Customer 

When it’s about customers then why don’t you ask them directly? 

It’s okay to brainstorm the ideas, techniques, and strategies with your team. But in between everything, don’t forget your customers to ask for input. 

Never assume what your customer wants. Ask them directly, interact with them, and use your digital as well as virtual platforms.

 

44.Use Mobile Numbers To Send Updates

Image source: codebroker

Do you have the phone numbers of your customers?  Use the information for your foot traffic. 

Use the numbers to text the customers who are not shopping anymore. Text them and let them know you miss them. 

When you are sending a text, use promotion and special discounts to your customer’s attention. 

45.Partnership With More Brands

There is a saying – Two heads are better than one. 

Well, even if you are in retail, the saying still works. When you are struggling with driving more foot traffic, you can approach more brands and other businesses to collaborate.

You can do the promotion together or co-host the events.  Also, use each other’s social media to tag each other. It will improve the presence and also you will get attention from another brand’s audience too. 

46. Consider  About The Companions 

Most of the time, your visitors don’t come alone. They have their companions with them. If there are moms with their kids, it might be difficult for them to do the shopping. 

No one wants to enter the shop where they don’t have sitting arrangements or space for a stroller.

Make sure that your retail is welcoming and has space enough to entertain kids. Not just focus on the buyers but also the companions they came with. 

Be considerate about that and you will get more foot traffic. 

47.Offer Digital Services 

Digital services include wifi, recharge center, and other things. With this, you can help them in luring inside your store.

The best part of digital services is, it’s not too hard to attract people. Noone resists the opportunity to have space where they can save their data. 

48.Get Best Of  Conversion Rate 

Don’t let your foot traffic go waste. It’s important to focus on making the best conversion rate that you can get. 

Try to get most of it so you are not wasting your efforts. The foot traffic and conversions are two important factors for a successful retail store. 

49. Offer Space To Relax

Shopping is tiring and lots of people feel exhausted after doing hours of shopping. Offerings a place to relax and chill can help you in attracting them. 

It also gives a good impression and people will be happy to shop with you. And it’s not like they are just going to sit, also they would like to explore your store. 

Offering space for relaxing can help you in getting the numbers of visitors. By this, it will help to hold the attention of these people too. 

50. Create Interesting Banners 

Banners are one of the attractive options that can help you get more people visiting your store. It depends on what you are putting and how you are attracting people.

Banners are also good when you are targeting more people and even from a distance.

 

Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs)

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