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 Thursday, Jan 31, 2008 Getting customers to physically come into your store isn't quite as easy as getting visitors to your web site. With the Internet, there are endless marketing possibilities from SEO and link building to social media, email marketing, etc. I'm not going to delve into all of the methods of direct marketing, but for any brick and mortar store, you have to grab people's attention when they are in your area. How do you get passers by to take time out from wherever they are headed to come into your business? Location Location is of the utmost importance. An example that immediately comes to mind for me is the Lee's Famous Recipe chicken restaurant down the road from our office. While this falls into the national chain category rather than small business, it seems to lose a ton of potential customers because it is located right next to a KFC. While Lee's chicken is delicious in its own right, it is hard to get customers in the door when the much more popular KFC brand sits 20 feet away. If Lee's has the backing of a brand that is a national chain, how well would you expect to have your local "Johnny's Chicken Hut" do operating next to KFC? The lesson here? If you're going to operate your business near your competitors, you better be able to dominate. There are other factors that go into choosing the right location that I will likely discuss in a future article.
Signage You're never going to get anyone off the streets if you don't attract some eyeballs. You need to have eye-catching signs. Your main sign should represent your brand with your logo big and clear. Score "Counselors to America's Small Business" recommended the following five tips for good business signage: - Provide ample lighting so they can be read easily at night Host Outdoor Events- think of your signs as a form of communication and get our message across - keep that message short and simple - make sure they are easy to read so people can take it all in as they are driving - change the messages sometimes to keep it fresh Back when I was in high school, I worked for a restaurant that had a big Cinco de Mayo event, in which it had several bands play and offered special food items in the parking lot. Let me tell you, in all of my time working there, I never saw so many customers in one night. Not only does something like this attract immediate business, it can also leave a lasting impression on your customers who from that point on may associate your business with fun and good times. You may not have the room or the budget to host anything like this, but when I say event that can really come in any size. Sometimes my bank will have a day where it offers free hot dogs outside the door. Simple little gestures like this can be enough to attract some attention. Another popular and cheap example would be a sidewalk sale. There are a variety of ways to lure potential customers off the street into your store. Things like location and signage are crucial. Other things can be experimented with. Be creative. If you have other suggestions, please share in the comments.
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