Opening your first store is incredibly exciting. You’ve spent months fitting and furnishing, and now it’s time to open the doors and invite your first potential customers to the doorstep of your brick and mortar store.
The problem is, unless you’re in a really high footfall area, simply having a store with an ‘Open’ sign on the door won’t be enough to start selling through Sesame.
If you are about to start your own store, or have an existing store and want to drive more footfalls, here are a few things to keep in mind.
look online
It may seem like an odd place to head online when promoting your physical store, but one of the best ways to get people to your door is to get to know your store before they go shopping!
When a potential customer specifically searches for a local store, such as a bakery or DIY shop, on Google, you want to make sure that your store appears as an option.
The best way to do this is to create a Google Business Listing that will point to your business on a map. You can also upload great images and start asking for reviews from customers. The more good reviews you have, the higher your venue listing will appear.
unique window shopping
The very best physical stores look irresistible when you walk past them. They attract attention, spark intrigue, and prompt a passerby to stop in front of them… and consider exploring further!
If you walk down the street where your shop is, does it look different? Does it have amazing signage that explains what you sell, or who your shop is suitable for? Does it have great window displays that show off your best products? Is it well lit at night or on dark winter evenings?
You can turn your storefront into a digital campaign, making it so Instagrammable that your brick and mortar store will soon be the background of many a local IG post!
easily accessible
If they can’t get in, they can’t give you your money! One of the biggest problems for any physical store as well as hospitality venues is the lack of easy access.
For highstreet stores, this may mean narrow entrances or stairs and stairs. For out-of-town locations, this may mean a lack of visible parking.
Parking is extremely important to many shoppers, who need to know they can get in quickly, load their boot, and drive off again without issue. As soon as getting into or parking near your store becomes a problem, people will look elsewhere for what they need.
You can help improve your store’s accessibility through simple things like keeping your doors open to mark that you’re open, providing a small ramp when the store is one step up, or Even using line marking paint to make the parking bay in front of your brick and mortar store as clear and inviting as possible!