Creating a thriving business is never an easy task, and one of the biggest challenges that business owners face is attracting new customers. The retail sector has always been hugely competitive. Since online shopping exploded in popularity, the competition has increased even further. Finding practical ways to entice new customers to make a purchase, and to keep returning to your business time and again, can be especially tough.
When your business operates out of a brick-and-mortar store, as well as online, encouraging local customers to visit your store may be your aim. However, understanding how best to do this can be confusing. Here are some of the ways you can successfully attract local customers to your business:
Offer Promotions for Locals
One simple, but highly effective method to encourage more in-person customers to your store is to offer an irresistible deal that’s only available to locals. This could be a loyalty scheme to provide local shoppers with rewards if they make a specific number of purchases in your store. Or, you could offer an exclusive discount for customers who live in the local area. These are just a couple of ways that you can draw local shoppers to your business and encourage them to return and become regular customers.
Don’t Overlook Digital Marketing
Digital marketing may be most associated with attracting customers from out of the area to buy your products. While this is usually the intention when promoting a business online, it’s vital not to overlook the importance of digital marketing on a local level.
Local search is a valuable method of getting your business noticed by customers in your area. However, it can be pretty complex and time-consuming to work on this yourself while also trying to run your business. Using the services of an agency that specializes in local marketing, such as Armory Digital Marketing, can help you to perfect your local search and website strategies so you start to see far more local customers come through your door.
Become a Part of the Community
If your brick-and-mortar store receives far fewer sales than your online store, it may be worth focusing your efforts outside of your shop and into the community. Building a strong reputation as a community-minded business can be a huge advantage when you want to attract new customers.
There are many ways to make your business an invaluable part of the community. This could involve sponsoring a local team, such as your local kids’ soccer team, volunteering your business’s services at a local good cause, and taking part in community events. Participating in the community should help your business start to become more familiar to local residents and encourage them to visit.
Final Thoughts
Figuring out how best to attract local customers into your business isn’t an easy task. It’s wise to test a few strategies to see which works best. Calling in expert help from a digital agency specializing in local marketing is an excellent way for your business to get noticed.
Photo by SpotwizardLee
