Online shopping is really attractive these days, both for the ease of transaction, and wide selection of products. Which can be daunting for the local brick-and-mortar shops. Sure, you probably have an online store, too, but you’ve got to work hard to attract customers who are used to surfing big online shopping retailers day and night. Why not make your next marketing strategy an effort to encourage customers to Shop Local? Here are some ideas on how to go about exactly that!
Be obvious! Customers in today’s market are looking for honesty. Talk about the benefits of shopping locally, both for the customer and the business. There are a whole host of reasons from supporting the local economy to environmentally-friendly factors.
Provide an unforgettable in-store experience. Advertise all the things that your customer can do in your store that they can’t do online. They can come in for a personal product demo. They can use testers and get samples. Your return policy isn’t the total less shipping, because there is no shipping! Remind them that instant gratification exists in your store because there is no 4 to 6 weeks wait for delivery.
Make shopping easy on your customers by performing due diligence to make sure their shopping experience is a breeze. Be sure that your displays are clear, items are grouped together intuitively, and provide plenty of signage to inform and educate customers about your products.
Check with your local chamber of commerce, business association, and fellow local businesses to find out whether there are shop local programs in place. There may be a strategy that you can take part in online that you can also feature in-store to take advantage of cross-promotions. There are lots of signs for that! And if there isn’t a campaign available to join, why not brainstorm with other local businesses and come up with a mutually-beneficial event, even if it’s just a hashtag?
Host special events to encourage people to come into your store for a specific reason. It could be a juicy sale, an open house, or a charity event. Everyone has a mile-long To Do list that grows, so rather than risk a customer saying, “I’ll go there someday” provide a specific date to mark in their calendars. Create an event through social media that will send out automatic reminders, and advertise it inside and outside your shop to get as much traction as possible.
Make sure people know what you’re selling! If you want to be their go-to source for baked goods, skin care products, clothes, or car repair, you’ve got to spread the word. Especially if your name isn’t as obvious as something like Grand River Sign Design. Put signs outside or in your windows advertising exactly what customers can look forward to inside.
Grand River Sign Design can help you with interior and exterior signage of all kinds. Looking to catch the eye of passersby? Want to provide more information once they step through your front door? Or maybe you’d like to talk about how to invigorate your current signage strategy. Come into our showroom at 25 Struck Court Unit 5 or call 519-740-7272 to talk to our creative team about how we can help you entice local shoppers for this upcoming holiday season, and every one after that!
